Product Details

• Actors: Wallace Ford, Marian Marsh, Sarah Padden, Gavin Gordon, George Guhl
• Directors: Phil Rosen
• Writers: George Bricker
• Producers: A.W. Hackel
• Format: Black & White, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Alpha Video
• DVD Release Date: April 27, 2004
• Run Time: 67 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0001MZ818
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #233,175 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Murder by Invitation" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Platform:  DVD MOVIE Publisher:  ALPHA VIDEO Packaging:  DVD STYLE BOX Rich Cassie Denham (Sarah Padden) is a more than an eccentric millionairess. After her scheming relatives unsuccessfully try to have her committed to an institution Aunt Cassie invites them for a weekend in the country to "study them like rats" and see to whom she will bequeath her fortune. At the stroke of midnight a murderer strikes and in the suspense-filled hours just before dawn her greedy corrupt relatives are dispatched one by one. Having received a tip ace reporter Bob White (Wallace Ford) and his girl Friday (Marian Marsh) arrive on the scene to investigate. Thrown into the intrigue it becomes clear that they are not only suspects but possible victims as well.Evocatively shot by cameraman Marcel Le Picard filled with sharp snappy banter and set in a mansion complete with secret passages and trap doors Murder By Invitation is a superbly inviting whodunit in the Agatha Christie tradition.Starring: Wallace Ford & Marian MarshProduced by: A.W. HackelCinematography by: Marcel Le PicardDirected by: Phil RosenScreenplay by: George Bricker DVD Details: Run Time: 66 minutesNumber of Discs: 1Originally Released in 1941Black & WhiteNo region encoding; For global distribution.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "You must have seen `The Cat and the Canary'", October 24, 2009

By 

bernie "xyzzy" (Arlington, Texas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Murder by Invitation (DVD)

This is a fun cheap movie. The very well done for Monogram who also brought us the Charlie Chan collection. I saw the alpha video version on DVD. It was in black and white and very grainy. But once you get into the story you will not notice this. It is also good enough for a repeat watching.

This movie has their favorite formula and old wealthy lady just barely won a court room trial in which her family tried to put her away as mentally unstable. After this she invites all of her family to visit the mansion at 12 midnight. Those that will not come will not inherit her fortune. Those that do come may die!

This movie has all of the standard mysterious characters all of them could be victims and any of them could be the murderer. There are secret passages and comic relief. It may not be the best entertainment in the world but is surely not one to be missed.

The Cat and the Canary (1927) (The Photoplay Restoration)

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Murder by Invitation, May 26, 2004

By 

Steven Hellerstedt "SH" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder by Invitation (DVD)

The young `uns try to convince the court that Aunt Cassie (Sarah Padden) is mentally incompetent so they can get their greedy paws on her $3 million. They fail, and Aunt Cassie invites them to her estate so that she can "study them like rats" and see who deserves to inherit her fortune.
They get there, promptly at midnight, and soon begin dropping like ten pins.
MURDER BY INVITATION is NOT a neglected gem. It's a so-so quickie ripoff of THE CAT AND THE CANARY, which preceded this one by a couple of years and provided Bob Hope with his breakthrough movie, although instead of Hope and Paulette Goddard this one stars Wallace Ford and Marian Marsh.
Ford plays a columnist who somehow rates a walking secretary and a photographer. The movie is filled with sliding cabinets and bookcases set on lazy susans and dead bodies falling out of closets. None of it makes much sense, but the cast seems to be having a good time and it's all over in a little over an hour. And it comes as quite a surprise when we learn who's been killing everybody. Not because of a neat plot twist, but because the movie doesn't bother developing our suspicion in any of the characters.
MURDER BY INVITATION is fun in spots, but it's best to keep your expectations really really low.