''The Rogues' Tavern'' is a 1936 American murder mystery film directed by

Robert F. Hill Robert F. Hill (April 14, 1886 – March 18, 1966) was a Canadian film director, screenwriter, and actor. Career Bob Hill began his screen career in 1915 at Universal Pictures. In those early days, members of film crews were sometimes c ...

and starring

Wallace Ford Wallace Ford (born Samuel Grundy Jones; 12 February 1898 – 11 June 1966) was an English-born naturalized American vaudevillian, stage performer and screen actor. Usually playing wise-cracking characters, he combined a tough but friendly-fac ...

Barbara Pepper Barbara Pepper (born Marion Pepper; May 31, 1915 – July 18, 1969) was an American stage, television, radio, and film actress. She is best known as the first Doris Ziffel on the sitcom '' Green Acres''. Early life and career Marion Pepper ...

, and

Joan Woodbury Joan Elmer Woodbury (December 17, 1915 – February 22, 1989) was an American actress beginning in the 1930s and continuing well into the 1960s. Early life Woodbury was born in Los Angeles, California on December 17, 1915. Her father was Elmer ...

. The film was produced by Mercury Pictures, and released by Puritan Picture on June 4, 1936.

Plot

It is a bleak and windy night when Jimmy Kelly (

) and Marjorie Burns (

) arrive at the Red Rock Tavern with plans to marry as soon as possible, but are told there are no rooms available. Mrs. Jamison (

Clara Kimball Young Clara Kimball Young (born Edith Matilda Clara Kimball; September 6, 1890 – October 15, 1960) was an American film actress who was popular in the early silent film era. Early life Edith Matilda Clara Kimball was born in Chicago on Septembe ...

) agrees to let them stay until the justice of the peace gets there, as they've arranged to meet him there. Everyone in the tavern is shocked when Harrison is killed, apparently by a wild dog that breaks in and attacks him. Mason appears to call the coroner and asks for him to get there as soon as possible. Because of the weather and the late hour, Mrs. Jamison agrees to let Jimmy and Marjorie stay the night, Jimmy in Bill's room, and Marjorie in Joan's room. A little while later Hughes is killed in the same manner, seemingly by a wild dog. Jimmy attempts to call the coroner but the phone is not working, and upon closer inspection discovers the line has been cut, which leads him to suspect a dog is not the real killer. Wentworth arrives at the tavern, he says that he left as soon as he received Mason's telegram. Mason is surprised, as he, Harrison, Hughes and Joan all got telegrams that say they are from Wentworth. Suddenly the lights go out, and Jamison says a fuse must have burned out. Jimmy searches outside and finds the dog that is supposedly responsible for the killings and puts a makeshift leash on him and takes him inside. Mason goes to search Hughes' room for a gun and is killed in the process, which rules out the dog as the killer. The lights then come back on again. Marjorie searches the guests luggage with Mrs. Jamison's help. Jimmy begins to question the remaining guests to determine who might have motive, then a fist fight breaks out among them and Jimmy is knocked unconscious. Bill, Joan and Wentworth panic and try to leave the tavern but suddenly find themselves trapped inside by locked doors and barred windows. As Jimmy is regaining consciousness, Bill Joan and Wentworth turn to Jimmy for help, since he is a detective. Jimmy then tries to determine what reason someone would have to try to kill any of them and they admit to being jewel smugglers. Marjorie, who is still searching through the luggage, discovers jewels in Joan's suitcase. Marjorie then searches Jamison's room and finds a dog's head, Jimmy accuses the wheel chair bound Jamison of being the real killer and he confesses. Meanwhile a man who has been lurking outside hides in the basement. Jimmy suspects Jamison confessed to cover up the real killer.

Cast

as Jimmy Kelly *

as Marjorie Burns *

as Gloria Robloff *

as Mrs. Jamison *

Jack Mulhall John Joseph Francis Mulhall (October 7, 1887 – June 1, 1979) was an American film actor beginning in the silent film era who successfully transitioned to sound films, appearing in over 430 films in a career spanning 50 years. Early years Mu ...

as Bill * John Elliott as Mr. Jamison *

Earl Dwire Earl Dwire (October 3, 1883 – January 16, 1940), born Earl Dean Dwire, was an American character actor who appeared in more than 150 movies between 1921 and his death in 1940. Dwire acted for three years in stock theater with companies i ...

as Morgan *John Cowell as Hughes * Arthur Loft as Wentworth *Ivo Henderson as Harrison *Ed Cassidy as Mason *Silver Wolf as Silver Wolf

References

External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rogues Tavern 1936 films American mystery films American black-and-white films 1936 mystery films Films directed by Robert F. Hill 1930s English-language films 1930s American films