Haunted House

Starring: Jackie Moran & Marcia Mae Jones Director: Robert F. McGowan

When one of their friends is wrongly accused of murder, two teenagers try to capture the real killer.

The murder occurs before the movie begins. The audience doesn't get to know a lot about the victim, but we do get strong hints that the main suspect is innocent. Who could have committed the crime, then? Apprentice journalist Jimmie (Jackie Moran) and his boss's niece Millie (Marcia Mae Jones) set out to solve the case. Jimmie and Millie sort through the clues with a "gee whiz" attitude.

Moran was only 17 when this movie was filmed, but his character has the naivete of a lad a few years younger. The studio evidently intended for this to be a Saturday matin?e feature. Moran's likability helps carry the film.

Since this film is targeted to a juvenile audience, I noted ways in which this movie could supplement a history lesson for home schoolers or precocious 4th or 5th graders. For example -- Q: Why might Mrs. Blake have been wary about depositing her money in a bank? A: A memory of the bank panic which occurred a decade earlier. Q: What government program may have helped Jimmie's grandmother maintain a comfortable home? A: The Social Security program instituted by FDR during the previous decade. Q: Why didn't Jimmie have to replace his tire with the slow leak? A: His car didn't have radial tires, but old-fashioned tube tires that could keep rolling if air was replaced every few miles.

Not bad low-budget film from Monogram studios about murder in a small town and the two young people who try to figure out just who the murderer is. Good performances from Moran and Jones in the leads roles. This film has a good feeling of mystery Americana style. Not a bad way to spend an hour. Nice print!