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Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Copyright 15 May 1934 by Monogram Pictures Corp. A Paul Malvern Production. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 30 March 1934. 62 minutes. NOTES: Only film appearance of bandleader and radio personality, Ed Lowry. COMMENT: Here's an odd one. This version follows the stage play fairly closely, despite a quarter-hour of opening out with a Prologue in a Poverty Row India and a scene in a lawyer's office. The name of the play, however, has been changed. On the other hand, when Monogram re-made the property under its original title, The Ape, in 1940, the story was altered beyond recognition. Both versions were directed in a fairly humdrum style by William Nigh. Despite this lack of creativity, the original play retains a moderate amount of interest here, thanks largely to a few thrills in the plot and a lot of fairly amusing comedy relief. The players also rise to the occasion, particularly Harry Bradley as a wonderfully dotty professor of Egyptology and Mary Foy as his sharp-tongued harridan of a wife. I also enjoyed the gloriously exotic Joyzelle Joyner, who has at least two wonderful scenes and two superb changes of costume. Ed Lowry does okay by the brash insurance salesman hero, though way outclassed by lovely Verna Hillie's attractive feminine lead. Alas, Clay Clement overdoes the villain and Brandon Hurst disappoints as the chief priest. Irving Bacon's flamboyantly dumb detective also fails to distinguish himself, as does "Gabby" Hayes as a surprisingly dull gambler. As for the ape, this creature is no clone of Kong, but an obvious stunt man in a moldy gorilla suit.

HOUSE OF MYSTERY is one of a ton of 'old dark house' movies to be made during the 1930s, following the success of some popular Universal movies made at the outset of the decade. These typically feature an assembled group of people who visit a spooky, sprawling old mansion on a stormy night, only to find themselves assailed by perils either supernatural or man-made.This film's set-up is pretty bizarre and throws in Egyptian mumbo-jumbo and even an Indian devil worship cult. Once the action moves to the titular location it's quite the laugh, with a fast running time and plenty of inane action involving a killer ape roaming around and strangling people. The cast members are undistinguished but the dialogue is ladled on thick and fast and there's so much incident that you don't have time to realise how little sense it all really makes.

In the 1930's there seemed to be three types of poverty row films that were made over and over again: (1) mystery films, (2) old dark house movies, (3) films featuring men in gorilla suits. The makers of House of Mystery evidently came to the natural conclusion that all of these elements should be combined together. In fact, along with films such as The Gorilla and Son of Ingagi, this film was part of a very specific sub-genre that can best be described as 'Gorilla Hiding in a House' movies.Comedian Harry Enfield did a funny sketch once where the Arsenal football team of the 1990's played the one from the 1930's. The latter team's tactics were to kick the ball and then chase after it in a large group. Funnily enough, this is exactly what happens in these old dark house mysteries from the 30's. In them a large group of people move from room to room en mass trying to get to the bottom of some mystery or other. From a 21st century stand-point I don't think we will ever truly understand why so many films were made involving large groups of people moving from room to room in houses with hidden passageways, moving paintings and, well, men in gorilla suits. But, they sure made a lot of them in the 30's, so audiences must've liked them I guess.In this one an immoral adventurer kills a sacred monkey in India. Once back in the USA, he gathers a group of investors together to give them the chance to obtain a fortune in gems from the Hindu temple. But naturally, things are not what they seem.Like pretty much all of these types of movies this one is nothing great. It's creaky and obvious most of the time with only the killer gorilla providing anything in the way of thrills. I can't really recommend it exactly but if you've seem a few of these types of movies, well, this one is more of the same I suppose.

House of Mystery (1934) ** 1/2 (out of 4) An adventurer kills a sacred monkey and soon a curse is put on him. He returns to America and his share holders want their money but before he returns it they must stay a week in his mansion where all sorts of strange things are going on. This is yet another "old dark house" film with another mystery and another deadly gorilla. As I've said countless times before, I'm really not sure why everyone of these films had to have a gorilla in it but I guess people in the 30s were terrified of them. The cast of characters are pretty varied and fun including a nerdy professor and his pushy wife. There's some light comedy thrown in that works as well but the film mainly tries to work its mystery and it does so to a nice effect. I think the screenplay is rather good and I enjoyed how they added in the curse of the monkey. The gorilla outfit doesn't look too bad but then again I might be saying this because I've seen some really bad ones out there. Clay Clement does a very good job in the lead and the supporting cast is fine.