This week’s mystery movie has been the 1949 Walter Wanger film “Reign of Terror” later retitled “The Black Book,” with Robert Cummings, Richard Basehart, Richard Hart, Arlene Dahl, Arnold Moss, Norman Lloyd, Charles McGraw, Beulah Bondi and Jess Barker. The story and screenplay were by Philip Yordan and Aeneas MacKenzie, music by Sol Kaplan, photography by John Alton, art direction by Edward Ilou, orchestrations by George Parrish, conducted by Charles Previn. The film was produced by William Cameron Menzies, who did storyboards for the film, and directed by Anthony Mann. It was shot using the sets from the 1948 Walter Wanger film “Joan of Arc” as a way to recoup some of the financial losses from that movie.
The movie, which lapsed into public domain, is available on DVD from many sources, including TCM.
Writing in the New York Times (Oct. 17, 1949), A.W. said:
Since the events attendant on the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror were, to put it mildly, lively, the producers of “The Black Book” can hardly be blamed for choosing the period for purposes of filming. And, the period piece which clattered into the Globe on Saturday is simply good, old-fashioned action melodrama in which the horses, villains and the guillotine are not spared and which seems closer to standard Hollywood writing than it is to Thomas Carlyle. Suffice it to say that the derring-do is constant, hectic and familiar even if the history is obscure.
For Monday, we finally find out what Back of the Head Guy looks like!
Humph. A bit blurry, I would say.
Update: This is Charles Gordon.
For Tuesday, we have a mystery gent. Ignore Top of the Head Guy, who will make his appearance later in the week.
Update: This is Wilton Graff.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery guest).
For Wednesday, we have a rather disreputable mystery gent.
Update: This is Arnold Moss.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Tuesday’s mystery guest), Mary Mallory (mystery movie and Back of the Head Guy) and Benito (mystery movie).
For Thursday, we have a not terribly mysterious guest. I have cropped out our even less mysterious leading man, who will make his bow tomorrow. (ps. Mary Mallory points out that he is being honored at Cinecon tonight).
Update: This is Norman Lloyd.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guest), Sheila (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guest), L.C. (mystery movie and mystery cast) and Don Danard (Wednesday’s mystery guest).
For Friday, we have this menacing mystery guest.
Update: This is Richard Basehart.
And this somewhat mysterious lady.
Update: This is Arlene Dahl.
And this totally unmysterious leading man.
Update: This is Robert Cummings.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery guest), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guest), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guest), Don Danard (Thursday’s mystery guest), Tucson Barbara (mystery movie, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests), Roget-L.A. (Thursday’s mystery guest), Lee Ann, Megan and Thom (mystery movie and Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests), Patrick (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guest), Beachgal (mystery movie, Monday’s Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests) and Jenny M. (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guest).
ladailymirror.com 
That’s not Doug, Jr., in Catherine the Great, is it?
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Alas, Doug Jr. will never be a Monday. 🙂
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. . . yeah, that’s what Joan said . . .
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Charles Gordon in REIGN OF TERROR (THE BLACK BOOK).
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MONSIEUR BEAUCAIRE.
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Wilton Graff.
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REIGN OF TERROR with Robert Cummings in the top hat.
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Wild guess: Jess Barker in Reign Of Terror aka The Black Book?
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Arnold Moss today.
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Arnold Moss.
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Arnold Moss in REIGN OF TERROR/BLACK BOOK.
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How about The Young Mr. Pitt.
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Oh, interesting guess. But alas, I’m afraid not.
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Wednesday is Arnold Moss in ‘The Black Book’.
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Madame Sans-Gêne?
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Interesting guess, but I’m afraid not.
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The Black Book (Reign of Terror) 1949 w/Richard Basehart, Robert Cummings, Norman Lloyd, Arlene Dahl, & Arnold Moss.
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I believe “the disrebutable mystery gent” is Arnold Moss.
(And that’s a name I’d almost forgotten!!)
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Norman Lloyd, who’s being honored at Cinecon tonight!
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Over a century of distinction: Norman Lloyd.
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Norman Lloyd says “Ha!, I am still alive”
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The “not terribly Mystery Guest is Norman Lloyd. I think he’s planning to blow something up!!
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Reign of Terror
Monday – Lex Barker
Tuesday – not sure, but back-of-the-head guy is Robert Cummings
Wednesday – Arnold Moss
Thursday – Norman Lloyd and Bob Cummings
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Oops! Obviously, I meant Jess Barker.
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Thursday: Norman Lloyd
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Our guess is “Reign of Terror” with Wednesday’s guest being Arnold Moss and Thursday’s star Norman Lloyd.
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Norman Lloyd in Reign of Terror from 1949.
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Thursday: Jack Albertson?
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Interesting guess. But alas, I’m afraid not.
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Wed is Arnold Moss – the movie is Tony Mann’s Reign of Terror
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Thurs is Norman Lloyd
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Norman Lloyd in Reign of Terror (Black Book)
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Tues is Wilton Graff
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Monday is Charles Gordon who’s about to be murdered
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The Friday mystery guest looks like a young Richard Basehart.
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Richard Basehart gets it in the end! Arlene Dahl romances Mr. Cummings in the film.
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This would be Reign of Terror with “Uncle Bob”. I would like to know who is the Thursday guest. I swear I have seen him in a Fellini film doing a pantomime routine.
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If today is Norman Lloyd and yesterday is Arnold Moss, then Mystery Photo has unleashed a Reign of Terror.
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“El Reinado Del Terror”
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Friday we have Richard Basehart, Arlene Dahl and Robert Cummings
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Reign of Terror, AKA The Black Book. Arlene Dahl. Mmmmm.
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Richard Basehart, Arlene Dahl, Robert Cummings.
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