Murder by the Clock

Murder by the Clock (1931)

Genres - Mystery  |   Sub-Genres - Whodunit  |   Release Date - Jul 21, 1931 (USA - Unknown), Jul 21, 1931 (USA)  |   Run Time - 74 min.  |   Countries - United States  |   MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson

An eerie early-talkie mystery, Murder by the Clock spends most of its time in a cemetery. The matriarch (Blanche Frederici) of a wealthy family is haunted by the notion that she'll be buried alive. To avoid this contingency, she has a horn installed in the family mausoleum, to be activated in case she arises from her casket. The lady is murdered, and shortly after her internment the horn blows at regular intervals. Each time the horn is heard, the dead woman is seen wandering the cemetery, and each time one of her relatives winds up dead. These "supernatural" events are actually being orchestrated by a covetous family member (there's a large legacy involved of course), who uses the services of several homicidal confederates. Murder by the Clock was perhaps more frightening in 1931 than it is today, but a TV revival is long overdue.

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Keywords

family, mausoleum, cemetery, crypt, death, estate, haunted, investigation, legacy, supernatural, woman, femme-fatale, murder, police