The Unknown Guest (1943 film)

1943 film directed by Kurt Neumann

October 22, 1943 (1943-10-22)

Running time

61 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglish

The Unknown Guest is a 1943 American mystery film released by King Brothers Productions. It was written by Philip Yordan, directed by Kurt Neumann and stars Victor Jory, Pamela Blake and Veda Ann Borg.

Plot

Cast

Victor Jory as Charles "Chuck" Williams
Pamela Blake as Julie
Veda Ann Borg as Helen Walker
Harry Hayden as George Nadroy
Paul Fix as Fain
Emory Parnell as Sheriff Dave Larsen
Ray Walker as Swarthy
Lee 'Lasses' White as Joe Williams
Nora Cecil as Martha Williams
Eddie Mills as Sidney

Production

Philip Yordan had written a script for brothers Charles and Maurice King titled Dillinger, but the Kings suggested that Yordan write something less expensive to produce.^[1] Yordan took a course in budgeting from production manager George Moskov. Yordan later recalled:

Moskov’s advice was to avoid a gangster film. Action and gunfire was costly. He suggested a suspense melodrama with one set. I dreamed up an imitation Hitchcock idea, all taking place in a roadhouse closed for the winter. Frank King liked the script, especially the low cost with very few extras. He couldn’t pay more than the minimum and had to cajole and flatter the actors to get them. The brothers managed to get Victor Jory and Pamela Drake for almost nothing.^[2]

Reception

The film was the first from Monogram to screen at Grauman's Chinese Theatre.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b McGilligan, Patrick. Backstory 2: Interviews with Screenwriters of the 1940s and 1950s. Berkeley: University of California Press, c1991.
^ Rode, Alan K. (November 2009). "The Philip Yordan Story" (PDF).