This week’s mystery movie has been First National Pictures’ 1931 film “Safe in Hell.” It was directed by William A. Wellman. Curiously, the credits come at the end of the film. It starred Dorothy Mackaill, Donald Cook, Ralf Harole, John Wray, Ivan Simpson, Victor Varconi, Morgan Wallace, Nina Mae McKinney, Charles Middleton, Clarence Muse, Gustav von Seyffertitz, Noble Johnson and Cecil Cunningham. It was based on the play by Houston Branch, with adaptation and dialogue by Joseph Jackson and Maude Fulton. Photography was by Sid Hickox.
Interestingly enough, “Safe in Hell” was also sketched out as a four-act opera, according to a catalog of Branch’s archives. A pre-code opera? Why not.
“Safe in Hell” is no longer listed at Warner Archive, but a Warner Archive version can be found at TCM for $17.99 or $14.99 from Amazon.
For Monday, we have a mystery woman and her mystery dog.
Update: This is Cecil Cunningham.
Several people have inquired about the photo on the wall in our mystery woman’s luxurious home. Here’s a better look, although the image is rather murky.
For Tuesday, we have this distinguished gent who is being fanned by a mystery person.
Update: This is Lionel Belmore as the judge. The young lad is unidentified.
Please congratulate Randy Skretvedt (mystery movie and guest), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and guest), Dan Nather (mystery movie and guest), Anne Papineau (mystery movie and guest), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and guest), Sheila (mystery movie and guest), Rick (mystery movie and guest) and Bob Hansen (mystery guest).
And for Wednesday, we have this mystery gent.
This is our friend Gustav von Seyffertitz
Please congratulate Mary Mallory (mystery movie and guests), Dewey Webb (Monday’s mystery woman), Mike Hawks (Tuesday’s mystery guest), Howard Mandelbaum (Tuesday’s mystery guest) and Sheila (Tuesday’s mystery guest).
And for Thursday, we have our old friend from “B.B.” and “R.H.”
Update: This is Clarence Muse, as seen in “Broadway Bill” and “Riding High.”
Please congratulate Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mystery gent), Anne Papineau (Wednesday’s mystery gent), Don Danard (Wednesday’s mystery gent), Beachgal (Monday’s mystery guest), Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Dan Nather (Wednesday’s mystery guest) and Sheila (Wednesday’s mystery guest).
This is Bert Convy in the lost “Leave It to Beaver” episode “Lumpy vs. the Atomic Brain.” (Joking. Since nobody has identified this fellow, I’ll save him for another time).
And for Friday we have….
No, no, no.
And for Friday, we have George Segal and Barbra Streisand in “The Owl and the Pussycat.”
OK, this isn’t really “The Owl and the Pussycat” and this isn’t George Segal and Barbra Streisand. It’s Donald Cook and Dorothy Mackaill.
Please congratulate Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery gent), Gary Martin (Thursday’s mystery gent), Julie Merholz (Thursday’s mystery gent), Anne Papineau (Thursday’s mystery gent) Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery gent), Rick Scott (Tuesday’s and Thursday’s mystery gents), Beachgal (mystery movie, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery gents), Dan Nather (Thursday’s mystery gent), Dewey Webb (Thursday’s mystery gent) and Patrick (Thursday’s mystery gent).
ladailymirror.com 
That’s Cecil Cunningham, and I’m pretty sure this is a scene from the Pre-Code classic “Safe in Hell” (1931). She’s dressed more attractively in “The Awful Truth” (1937).
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Cecil Cunningham in Safe in Hell.
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Is that Ruth Donnelly, with a photo of Mary Nolan on the wall?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Cecil Cunningham gabbing on the blower.
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The movie is SAFE IN HELL (1931) — and I believe that’s Cecil Cunningham at the telephone. And could that be a framed picture of Dorothy Mackaill over her shoulder?
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That distracted Pekingese looks “Safe in Hell.”
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Would the portrait be of the star, Dorothy Mackaill?
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I never get these because I don’t know obscure movies — but I know dogs, and that dog is a Pekingese. And now I’m Googling movies with Pekingese dogs instead of doing my own research and writing. You’re a bad influence, Larry! 🙂
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Cecil Cunningham.
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Cecil Cunningham in ‘Safe in Hell’.
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Cecil Cunningham – Safe In Hell (1931 – precode)
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After further consideration I will say the film is SAFE IN HELL.
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I think Monday’s lady is Cecil Cunningham.
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Lionel Belmore today.
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Cecil Cunningham on the phone yesterday, so it’s SAFE IN HELL. Can’t wait for Gustav von Seyffertitz!
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That can’t be Dorothy Mackaill’s photo on the wall behind her, can it?
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Looks like Berton Churchill on Tuesday.
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Cecil cunningham
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Lionel Belmore is sweatin’ to the oldies.
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It looks like it might be Carole Lombard in the photo on the wall from Monday’s mystery guest.
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Lionel Belmore.
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Could the man with the fan be a young Sabu?
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Lionel Belmore is the dude on the left.
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Yay! My man Gustav von Seyffertitz!
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Three cheers for Gustav Von Seyffertiz
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The gentleman raising a toast is Gustav von Seyffertitz.
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Is Monday’s mystery guest Cecil Cunningham?
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Gustav Von Seyffertitz. I just saw him get bumped off in “The Roadhouse Murder,” recorded off TCM.
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I’m a little behind (so what else is new?) — Lionel Belmore (I think) on Tuesday, Gustav von Seyffertitz today.
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Gustav von Seyffertitz.
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Clarence Muse today.
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Clarence Muse and …uh…
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Clarence Muse
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Clarence Muse
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Clarence Muse.
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Tuesday was Lionel Belmore; Wednesday-Tully Marshall; Thursday was Clarence Muse.
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Thurs gent looks like Clarence Muse.
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Our old friend Clarence Muse from BROADWAY BILL and RIDING HIGH today.
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Wen gent is Gustav von Seyffertitz. The movie is Safe in Hell from 1931 I think – and we should be seeing Dorothy Mackaill on Friday is my guess.She’s probably the blurry blonde in Monday’s framed picture.
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Clarence Muse
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For Thursday we have Clarence Muse.
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Donald Cook and Dorothy Mackaill today. You should revive the link to the court case and those misidentified photos from the old blog.
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Friday’s couple are Dorothy Mackaill and Donald Cook.
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You should also run the image of the four guys leering at her from their chairs.
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“Safe in Hell”, 1931. Lionel Belmore (Judge)
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SAFE IN HELL is part of a pre-code DVD set.
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Bald dude in 2nd to last photo is a dead ringer for Nicholas Cage, er, I mean vice versa
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Funny, I just checked the Warner Archive Collection website, and SAFE IN HELL is still listed there. When it was first released on DVD in 2011, WAC wrote this on its Facebook page in response to a customer query: “Regarding SAFE IN HELL, our master is complete, running 73:11 to be exact. The earliest generation material surviving on this film is a 35mm print, indicating how close this remarkable film came to being ‘lost’. We’re glad to finally be able to make it available.”
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Well thanks let me check again.
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Indeed, you are correct. I went to the Warner Archive streaming site by mistake. Here is “Safe in Hell” from Warner Archive for $14.49. And thanks!
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