The Bat Whispers (1930)

When a diamond necklace is stolen from under the very noses of the police, the perpetrator - "the Bat" - leaves them a note saying they can relax - he is off to pastures new... Shortly afterwards, suspicious things start going on at a country house where a mystery unfolds that leads the assembled group to try to track down a satchel with half a million bucks in it! The antics in the house are well paced and entertaining - especially the completely over the top Una Merkel "Dale van Gorder" who is quite literally scared by her own shadow. The lighting and settings are very stage bound, but in this instance that helps keep the production tight and engaging. The action is plentiful, if a little slapstick at times - and the ending straight out of a Laurel and Hardy film. It's worth sticking with it right to the ending though - quite an innovative invitation to the audience not to leak the identity of the "Bat" to their friends lest they, too, risk becoming his next victims. It's fun, this - not great, but fun.