The basic story: Several varied travelers are forced to stay at an inn by a thunderstorm that has washed out the roads and bridges. One of the guests has $50,000 that he stole from the bank where he worked. When one of the guests is murdered, it seems that everybody had a motive. And to complicate matters, the $50,000 is missing. Who did it? You'll have to watch to find out.
The movie stars George Zucco and Glenn Strange. Both were veterans of both B-pictures and mainstream horror. The performances of Zucco and Strange, as well as most of the rest of the cast, is superior to what you normally find in a PRC production.
The film has tons of atmosphere. The big, dark inn, the thunderstorm, the hiding places, and the characters' motivations create a terrific atmosphere for a mystery thriller. The inn, with it's many guest rooms and cellar makes a great setting for a murder.
The problem I had while watching The Black Raven wasn't so much with the movie, but with the DVD I have. The Alpha DVD is VERY dark in some places. It's all but impossible to tell what is going on. The worst is that one of the dark spots occurs during the final events of the movie leading up to the killer being revealed. What a shame, because otherwise this would have been a highly enjoyable little murder mystery.
For what it's worth, I'll give the movie a 5/10. It would probably be a point higher if I had been able to see exactly what was happening. Also, I'll give the Alpha DVD a 2/10. I know this is an old film that has probably been given very little care, but the transfer was unacceptable even by Alpha's standards.
5/10
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