A Shriek in the Night (1933) ** 1/2 (out of 4)Reporter Pat Morgan (Ginger Rogers) is fired from her job after scoring a big scoop but accidentally giving it to the rival newspaper. That rival newspaper's reporter Ted Kord (Lyle Talbot) agrees to work with Pat as they investigate some bizarre murders taking place at an apartment complex.A SHRIEK IN THE NIGHT will never be mistaken for the work of Alfred Hitchcock or Roman Polanski but considering it's small budget the film manages to be entertaining from the opening scene to the closing credits. A lot of the credit needs to go to a rather good screenplay but also the two leads who certainly help keep the film moving with their comic banter.I say comic banter but perhaps the better word would be the back- and-forth flirting. If you're familiar with the early part of 30s cinema then you already know that there were countless mystery or detective films. This one here sets itself apart because it has Rogers right before she became a huge Hollywood star and Talbot as well, years before his decline into films like PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE (which I love).Rogers and Talbot are certainly the main reasons to watch this film as they work well with one another but they are given a screenplay that offers up some smart dialogue and funny situations. The comedy aspect is kept on the low but the mystery itself is quite good and holds your attention as well.A SHRIEK IN THE NIGHT isn't a classic but it's certainly worth watching.

This film begins with the sound of a man screaming as he is falling from a high-rise building to his death. It turns out that the man is a millionaire living in a penthouse and the police aren't sure if his death was due to an accident, suicide or murder. However, three weeks prior to his death he had hired a new secretary by the name of "Ms. Terry" (Ginger Rogers). At least that is what he thought. It subsequently turns out that she is a reporter by the name of "Pat Morgan" and she is working for the "Morning News". Her reason for masquerading as his secretary was to investigate whether this millionaire had underworld dealings with a mobster by the name of "Josephus Martini" (Maurice Black). Unfortunately, she accidentally gives the scoop to her rival "Ted Kord" (Lyle Talbot) who works for the "Daily Express". She is subsequently fired but it just so happens that there is much more to the case than either Pat or Ted realize at the time. Anyway, rather than divulging any more of the story I will just say that this was a decent little film that was probably rather good for its time (1933). It had an intriguing plot with a good measure of both comedy and mystery thrown in. On the other hand, the lighting was really bad and I thought that the script was a bit arcane and abrupt as well. In any case, this is clearly a grade-B movie which was only made watchable by the presence of Ginger Rogers who puts in a decent performance all things considered. Overall, I rate it as average.

well I must say that this is the first movie I've ever seen with Ginger Rodgers in it,, yeah I know it's the first time I've ever seen her but lemme say wow,, yeah that's right,, the story is about a little murder mystery,, people are getting killed in an apartment complex and her and a rival reporter have to figure out who done it,, problem is both of them are trying to out-scoop the other one , and that leads them into conflict with the police as well as each other , I did appreciate the killer's way of disposing of the bodies,, I won't give it away, but let's just say you will have to watch to find out.. you don't know right away who the killer is and it really is revealed till close to the end of the movie. all in all not a bad little movie,, a little slow moving but good.

"Rival reporters Pat Morgan (Ginger Rogers) and Ted Rand (Lyle Talbot) are always trying to out-scoop each other on stories. The latest involves the mysterious death of a philanthropist who fell to his death after a shriek was heard from his penthouse apartment. The two reporters start out as rivals but combine efforts to solve the crime and write the story when more residents of the apartment building turn up dead," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.This said-to-be follow-up to "The Thirteenth Guest" has little to do with the earlier movie; it is not a sequel, as has been inferred. Ms. Rogers continues to develop her skills. Mr. Talbot adds a little humor to his characterization. They are a pleasant team, the plot is interesting and mysterious; but, the resulting film is very dull. The opening and closing are startling. A long-winded wrap-up of plot development points follows the climax.*** A Shriek in the Night (1933) Albert Ray ~ Ginger Rogers, Lyle Talbot, Harvey Clark