The Thirteenth Guest (1932) Director: Albert Ray Studio: Monogram Pictures Starring: Ginger Rogers, Lyle Talbot, J. Farrell MacDonald, Erville Alderson Release Date: August 9, 1932 Runtime: 69 minutes Format: Black-and-White, Theatrical Release Country: United States Language: English Genres: Mystery, Crime, Horror, Pre-Code --- Summary: *The Thirteenth Guest* follows the suspenseful tale of Marie Morgan, who inherits her family’s estate on her 21st birthday. Upon her return, she discovers that a sinister mystery surrounds the family mansion, where twelve years earlier her father arranged a dinner for thirteen guests—only for the “thirteenth seat” to remain ominously empty. When a series of murders begins, each victim found seated at the same dinner table, Marie and detective Johnny Smith must unravel the deadly puzzle before she becomes the next victim. --- Background: Directed by Albert Ray, the film was one of Monogram Pictures’ early sound-era mystery features, produced during the height of Pre-Code Hollywood. Starring a young Ginger Rogers before her rise to stardom in musicals at RKO, the film combines elements of mystery, horror, and dark comedy. Its eerie setting, creaking mansions, and masked killer place it among the early examples of “old dark house” mysteries, a subgenre that gained popularity in the 1930s. --- Trivia: * This was one of Ginger Rogers’ earliest starring roles, predating her famous partnership with Fred Astaire. * The movie was remade in 1943 by Monogram as *Mystery of the 13th Guest*. * The “thirteen guests” motif tapped into a long-standing superstition about the unlucky number, which audiences of the time would have instantly recognized. * At only 69 minutes, the film was designed as a quick, low-budget mystery programmer for double features. --- Hashtags: \#ThirteenthGuest #GingerRogers #LyleTalbot #PreCodeHollywood #MonogramPictures #ClassicMystery #1930sCinema #OldDarkHouse