Secret of the Chateau

1934's "Secret of the Château" has garnered a very unfavorable response from Universal devotees, due to its unnecessary promotion as a full-blooded horror film during a very lean year for the genre ("The Black Cat" and virtually nothing else). Included in Universal's popular SHOCK! television package of the late 50s, having to compete with genuine articles like "Dracula" or "Frankenstein," it also compared unfavorably with non horror items such as "Chinatown Squad," "Sealed Lips," or "Nightmare." A rare first edition Gutenberg bible, purported to be the most valuable book in existence, is the centerpiece around which everything happens, set in a country château outside Paris, where the sound of a tolling bell signifies either death or a ghost (the lone horrific reference among the proceedings). Top billing goes to lovely Claire Dodd, soon to play Della Street opposite Warren William's Perry Mason (twice in four pictures), cast as a former thief whose attempts to go straight are foiled by her former cohort in crime (the suitably cast Jack LaRue). Second billing went to Alice White, coming off a major role in Universal's "Gift of Gab," but probably best remembered for the title role in 1930's "The Widow from Chicago" (which led to "Little Caesar" for gangster Edward G. Robinson), coming out with many of the best wisecracks as a flighty houseguest flirting effortlessly with all the men around her. The deadpan butler is played by Osgood Perkins (father of Anthony), immortalized as Johnny Lovo in "Scarface," who seems to be more intelligent than his employers (small praise, that). Clark Williams makes his feature debut, followed by "Transient Lady" and "WereWolf of London," finishing with a total of just seven credits overall. Ten years in pursuit of master thief Prahec is Ferdinand Gottschalk's Chief Inspector Marotte, no Sherlock Holmes to be sure, who at least is more amusing than George E. Stone. A simpleminded attempt at a comic mystery, "Secret of the Château" made only one appearance on Pittsburgh's Chiller Theater- Sept 3 1977, following first feature "The Mad Doctor of Market Street," two features that quickly dropped off TV radars afterwards.

An extremely rare film that is much harder to find than many of Universal's other B mysteries of the period. The version I have runs 60 minutes and is from a nice 16mm print. The plot revolves around Claire Dodd's character, a woman with a shady past who has connections to a big time crook (Jack La Rue). She wants to leave her criminal past and La Rue behind her. Still, she finds herself at a remote château, where crooks and police have gathered to get their hands on a valuable bible.

The police are represented by Inspector Marotte (Ferdinald Gottschalk), a diminutive, older detective who has a flare for the dramatic. He is sure that master criminal Prahec can not resist coming after the priceless bible and that he is already present, disguised as one of the guests. Marotte must learn... where is the bible hidden and which one of the guests is the master criminal.

The Secret Of the Château is a wonderful little gem of a movie from 1934. I don't think it's ever been released on DVD but it's been available to watch on You Tube and some other sites.

The beautiful Claire Dodd plays Julie Verlaine - a book thief who has just been released from serving six months in jail. At a rare book auction she steals a valuable first edition and befriends a man she thinks is a poor artist. The man, played by Jack LaRue, turns out to be a rich playboy who has just inherited a priceless book. She goes to his home with the intentions of stealing the book. Soon she finds out she is not the only one who wants to get this book and people are even willing to murder for it.

Alice White plays Didi, a gold digging blonde, who claims Jack's late uncle owes her money. She gives a wonderful, feisty performance and steals ever scene she is one. The movie is worth watching just for Alice and all her great one liners.

A sturdy whodunit premise (various characters assembled at a French chateau, vying for an original Gutenberg Bible), potentially interesting plot details and colorful character names suggest that this is perhaps an adaptation of a good golden-age whodunit novel (perhaps one of A.E.W. Mason's Inspector Hanaud tales). However, it was actually a hastily written original for the screen, and after many reels of long, tedious exposition, the plot is resolved quickly, arbitrarily and quite unsatisfactorily. None of the promising plot elements turn out to have any real pay-off (though a good puzzle-plot writer could probably watch the first two-thirds of the film and devise an interesting resolution from what came before).

Though Richard Thorpe never became much of a director (even in his "glory" days at MGM), he certainly improved later upon this feeble early effort. Of course, the vastly superior production values at Metro certainly didn't hurt. "Chateau" was obviously shot shot quickly on standing sets at Universal.

On the plus side (not much here), the always-welcome Claire Dodd is at her loveliest here, Ferdinand Gottschalk is properly egocentric as the detective (though the script gives him no examples of deductive brilliance to justify that ego), and Osgood Perkins (Tony's father) has one beautifully dry explanation for his wife's objection to him keeping floozy Alice White company for the evening: "She's funny that way."