If good publicity is when they spell your name right, why didn't Sam Katzman take credit for this? It has a pretty good cast for a Poverty Row production, including Wallace Ford and Barbara Pepper as a couple of hotel detectives looking to get married to each other, Joan Woodbury and Clara Kimball Young. It takes place at a hotel across the state line where the couple can get married without delay, but there is a series of murders, which seem to be committed by a police dog.This being a Sam Katzman production, there are problems. Director Robert Hill seems to be unhappy with sound; all the actors speak very loudly and clearly in group shots, as if they are in a cavernous theater. The dialogue is moderately dopey. The editing by Dan Milner is moderately brisk; he would work as an editor into the 1960s and even direct a few movies, including FROM HELL IT CAME, which is probably best remembered for the review "And to hell it can go."

"The Rogues' Tavern" already creates some atmosphere through its mere age. When you see the black and white pictures unfolding, hear the still raw sound layer and listen to dialogues that seem a bit out of time, you can't help but take a little break from daily life.Apart from that it is a rather small, not too exciting crime movie, meaning you won't get bored throughout the play-time but you won't sit on the edge of your armchair, covering your eyes, either. It's not exactly a best practice in how to build up suspense and of course the killer gets an extended monologue in the end to explain in detail why and how he intends to finish his evil plan. On this occasion I have to say, that this scene seemed a bit implausible to me, because the killer seemed more diabolic than desperate.So if you like old movies, especially crime movies, with the scheme that is quite common among those, you won't be disappointed by this one. It is not a bad film and rather enjoyable. If you search for something outstanding or highly suspenseful however, I would advise you to go for something else.

A honeymooning couple arrive at a tavern only to become embroiled in a series of murders involving a group of very suspicious guests. It seems as if the killings are being committed by a vicious dog.Rogue's Tavern is yet another in the cycle of Poverty Row whodunits. There were an awful lot of these in the 30's. Like most of these films, this one involves events set exclusively in an old dark house. To be fair, this is one of the slightly better one's I have seen. Its mystery is reasonable enough; while it's climatic reveal scene was actually pretty good. For such a limited movie sub-genre you really have to make the most of any plus points. And at the very least this one more-or-less works and doesn't bog things down with much lame humour, which others seemed to do. All-in-all, not bad for this kind of thing.

From the start Wallace Ford was a great character actor. He was not just another cardboard leading man but bought another dimension to his roles, as the narrow minded boyfriend Joan Crawford leaves behind in "Possessed" (1931) and a brash young policeman, seduced to do wrong by a luscious Jean Harlow in "The Beast of the City" (1932). In "Freaks" (1932) he seemed to have a real sympathy for his co-stars - it really came across in the movie. By the mid 30s he was finding character work in mystery/ horror movies.After a flashy early role as the femme fatale Sally in "Our Daily Bread" (1934), Barbara Pepper didn't take advantage of her chance at stardom and was to alternate between uncredited parts in As and leads and supports in poverty rowers.Jimmy Kelly (Wallace Ford) is a private detective and wants to marry Marjorie Burns. Barbara Pepper looks so much like a young Lucille Ball. Apparently they were great friends. Jimmy and Marjorie are sent to gloomy Red Rock Tarvern, where a Justice of the Peace happens to be. Clara Kimball Young, who was a great star of the early silents, gets a part she can really sink her teeth into here, as Mrs. Jamison, the strange manager of the tavern. They arrive in the middle of a murder. Someone has mysteriously sent telegrams to the guests telling them to meet there but no-one seems to know who sent them!!! A wild police dog has savaged one of the guests and he has died. By the time the guests are in their rooms the wild dog has struck again. Jimmy tries to telephone the coroner but discovers the wires have been cut. The dog (is it Rin Tin Tin!!! - no it's Silver Wolf!!!) almost strikes again with Marjorie the intended victim but Jimmy is convinced a human is responsible and finds the dog and befriends it.It is a diverting film about jewel smugglers, an elderly man who is supposed to be in a wheelchair but isn't and a mad inventor. Very "old dark house" just not as good!!!Recommended.