Despite the title, Rogues Tavern, the movie's setting isn't a tavern -- no bartender, no beer taps, no cracked leather stools -- it's a creaky hotel somewhere out in the countryside. On the other hand, there's at least one rogue on the premises; otherwise, why would the hostelry's guests keep getting their throats clawed? Detective Wallace Ford is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery with the klutzy help of his bride-to-be, Barbara Pepper. Fortunately, he's one of the few members of the cast who has some acting ability -- although you gotta' admit that the tirade launched by Clara Kimball Young late in the movie adds a whole new dimension to the Smithfield school of dramaturgy. Suggestion -- if it's a dark and stormy night and you're looking to scare up a few scares, pass by this inn on the outskirts of poverty row and register at James Whales' "The Old Dark House."
Review of The Rogues' Tavern
