Madame La Grange, psychic medium, admits that "Most of the time it's a fake" when she gives a reading. Tonight, however, she insists that she will play no tricks: she's at the English governor's residence in Calcutta, summoned to assist in investigating the murder of a most unpopular man.Dame May Witty plays the medium with appropriate gravity and mystery. Madge Evans wears a worried look as the beautiful secretary who is in love with the governor's son. She also, we soon learn, is the mysterious medium's daughter.Henry Daniell is moody and edgy as a friend of the murder victim. He wants answers from the police, who are represented by Lewis Stone, a Scotland Yard man who's been shipped in specially to look into the case.A couple of spooky séance scenes succeed in sending some shivers down the spine. Particularly effective is a bit when the lights are off and the screen is totally black for a long moment: we hear voices, then Daniell asking "Who killed you?"—and then just perfect silence and darkness for what seems an exceptionally long stretch. (When they do finally turn on the lights, there's another dead body.) It's a solid if not brilliant plot; it builds nicely to an exciting climax and a surprising solution.Witty has the most colorful role and is clearly the featured performer here; she is quite good. Lewis Stone's role, I have to say, I found annoying – he is one sententious police detective but not exactly the smartest. (Judge Hardy would never have come so close to totally blowing a case.) This one won't cause any nightmares but it is atmospheric, fast-moving, and plenty entertaining.

During a séance to draw out a murderer, another murder is committed. Psychic medium Dame May Witty works to solve both murders, which becomes personal when one of the prime suspects is someone close to her. Pretty good B murder mystery from MGM with a great cast. Dame May Witty, Lewis Stone, Henry Daniell, Holmes Herbert, and Charles Trowbridge are all class acts. Madge Evans and Elissa Landi are lovely. A good way to spend an hour and change. Remake of a movie made twice before, most notably by Tod Browning in 1929 with Bela Lugosi and Conrad Nagel. White-haired Lewis Stone's mustache is so light you can barely make it out but kudos to him for trying. If you haven't seen it, try to avoid reading much about it as most plot descriptions (including the TCM info) give away a fairly big plot point.

This is a very good example of a film that MGM could have made an A list picture. Instead, it's a B film, but a pretty good one. A slightly better script would have helped, and probably would have made the difference.It's quite interesting -- using séances to solve murders. While that's nothing new, this was actually one of the early leaders in that genre (although this is a remake of a 1929 film). There are enough interesting characters here to hold your attention. As I was watching the film, I thought -- aha! A film that sticks pretty close to what was obviously a Broadway play. And indeed, it had been performed on the stage for about a year.The cast here is actually quite good, albeit B listers...but cream of the crop B listers. The seer is played well by Dame May Witty in what was her third "talkie". The detective is played so well by Andy Hardy's dad -- Lewis Stone. I always enjoyed Janet Beecher as a fine character actress, and she's here, as are a number of faces you'll recognize, but whose names you probably don't know.It's a decent whodunit, although a little too talkative in places. But stick with it...it's worth it and it has a few twists.

Hard to believe that "The Thirteenth Chair" was made in 1937, as for some reason it feels like it was made much earlier. The film stars Dame May Witty, Lewis Stone, Ralph Forbes, Madge Evans, Elissa Landi, and Holmes Herbert.The police, led by Lewis Stone, are investigating the murder of one Lionel Leigh; his best friend (Henry Daniell) suggests a séance, which will be led by Rosalie LaGrange (Dame May Witty). Unfortunately a death occurs.This is a short programmer; not only is it a decent mystery, but it was fun to see some séance "tricks" revealed as well.Good cast of old-timers.