Grissly's Millions

“He wouldn’t know what to do with a book. He’d probably try to drink it.” Everyone in town expected eccentric millionaire Grissly Morgan Palmor (Robert Barrat) to drink himself to death, and that’s the conclusion of Dr. Benny (Francis Pierlot) after Palmor’s found dead by granddaughter Katharine (Virginia Grey). The big question, however, is who will inherit Grissly’s Millions. When it turns out he had recently changed his will to leave everything to Katharine, suspicion emerges among family and friends, escalated by an anonymous letter typed on Katharine’s typewriter accusing her of poisoning the man. With the assistance of a detective named Joe Simmons (Paul Kelly), Katharine must not only prove her innocence but endure attempts on her life from those who stand to inherit in her stead. A large cast of supporting characters descend on Grissly’s mansion, including Katharine’s estranged husband Lewis (Paul Fix), her local suitor Ellison Hayes (Donald Douglas), her loyal aunt Leona (Elisabeth Risdon), and Leona’s greedy daughter Maribelle (Adele Mara), among many others. Despite a lot of talking, director John English balances the ratiocination and drawing room qualities with action and set pieces, especially a fallen tree that serves as a bridge over the roaring sea.