Scattergood Survives a Murder

RKO made six Scattergood Baines films, each starring Guy Kibbee. The first film is fantastic but the later films seemed far removed from this first film in style and quality. Now I am not saying they're bad...but the early ones seem to be the best.

Two old shut-ins are killed in a horse and buggy 'accident'. Soon after, their extended family arrive hoping to be included in the will. However, they are all surprised to hear that the millions won't go to them, but the old ladies' cat! Soon after, one of the family members staying in the mansion is murdered and the cat disappears. Then, other folks start dying. And, for some inexplicable reason, Scattergood is there AND acts like he's a detective working on the case.

In most every way, this is NOT a Scattergood Baines story. He's barely in it and the story is essentially a 1940s B-mystery movie in every way....a very familiar sort of story for the time. As such, it's not bad but as a Scattergood film, it's pretty poor. Very watchable but a film which features little of what was so likable and enjoyable in the first Scattergood movie.