Chase_Witherspoon A group of strangers holed up at a quaint lodge (The Black Raven) during a fierce storm discover that one of the guests has embezzled a large sum of money and is carrying the stash en route to Canada. Predictably, murder and subterfuge soon follow as the parties vie for the tainted bounty.Solid cast includes Zucco as the inn's apparently benevolent manager, Glenn Strange (a sort of 1930's version of Mike Lane) his lanky, trusted goon and Byron Foulger as the cashed-up fugitive. Wanda McKay and Bob Randall play an eloping couple, pursued by the bride's possessive father (Middlemass) who has vetoed the nuptials. It's the typical assortment of guests each brining their own travails to bear upon the common intrigue and nobody is above suspicion.Zucco is a masterful thespian and his patient, assured (not to mention immaculately attired) presence easily eclipses the surrounding mediocrity, an otherwise average tale that plays the clichéd formula 'dark & stormy night with strangers' with few innovations or surprises.

JoeKarlosi It's always "hit or miss" with old public domain cheapies from studios like Monogram and PRC. This miss had my name on it because madman George Zucco and Last Universal Frankenstein Monster Glenn Strange were featured in its cast.Zucco is the proprietor of a creaky little inn (both he and the Inn are called THE BLACK RAVEN) and during the course of an hour's viewing time he plays host to an assorted group of unusual guests. It's a stormy night in town with thunder crashing and rain flooding the roads, and on top of that the bridge is out. Among the waterlogged patrons seeking shelter are: a formerly wronged business partner of Zucco's who'd like to kill him, a geeky embezzler looking to get away with $50,000 stolen loot, a gangster who's also interested in said loot, a young couple looking to get married behind the back of the girl's objecting old father, and dad himself - who's also hot on their trail.The unfortunate thing is that nothing terribly exciting happens despite the effort to make this some sort of mystery. Aside from a little mood, the only things going on here of passing interest are some slapstick (Glenn Strange plays an imbecile who falls down the stairs; the young girl's angry father slaps her would-be bridegroom across his face) and some humorous dialogue (a favorite is Zucco's scolding of Strange: "With your imagination, you could see the Statue of Liberty do the conga!"). In case you couldn't tell by now, this is not a horror film. So you're best going elsewhere if that's what you're looking for. I already knew this going in but it still didn't help. * out of ****

timreasmith If you have a taste for old B-movie mysteries, this film will interest you. It delivers a good moody atmosphere with great shots of down-pouring rain, dark cellars and interesting characters. Various groups of people all become stranded at a spooky motel after a rain storm has closed the local highways leading out. A great cast of veteran actors make this little mystery worth watching. George Zucco is at his B-movie best. Glenn Strange gives us some good comedy relief. Plus, there is not much cheesy over-acting that you sometimes find in low budget movies.Here's a cool suggestion: Go rent the current movie, 'Identity' starring John Cusack. Then watch The Black Raven. You may be as amazed, as I was, at how much of the characters, plot and setting appeared to be lifted from this movie. I am not suggesting that they were stolen. If you have already seen 'Identity' you will understand that a certain character in the film seems to have spun a tale based on what he saw watching "an old movie". I'm just saying that I think 'The Black Raven' is the movie that they are referring to. While the character nor the movie maker actually says this, there is one reference in 'Identity' where a girl says, "This is like that old movie where everybody is trapped in hotel..." This probably doesn't make much sense unless you have seen both mentioned movies.Don't misunderstand me, I thought the movie 'Identity' was a brilliant display of script-writing. Way to go, Michael Cooney.

Mike-764 A menagerie of persons converge at the Black Raven hotel, run by a man who makes a second living helping criminals escape over the US/Canadian border. When one of the guests is killed, and $50,000 is stolen from his posession, who did it? This done to death premise should have worked, even by PRC standards, but the second half of the film just consists of the characters running all over the hotel and basically by the film's end, the audience has to feel disinterested. However, with all the rain, it does make for a average movie, and Byron Foulger as usual, is fun to watch as the meekish bank teller on the run from the law. Strange & Middleton seem to be miscast, respectively, as the comic relief & sheriff, and Zucco just seems to be wooden as the hotel owner. Rating- 4.