This week’s mystery movie was the 1941 Columbia picture Ladies in Retirement, with Ida Lupino, Louis Hayward, Evelyn Keyes, Elsa Lanchester, Edith Barrett, Isobel Elsom, Emma Dunn, Clyde Cook and Queenie Leonard.

Screenplay by Garrett Fort and Reginald Denham.

From the play by Reginald Denham and Edward Percy as produced in New York and London.

Music by Ernst Toch.

Musical director M.W. Stoloff.

Production designed by David Hall.

Photographed by George Barnes.

Art direction by Lionel Banks.

Edited by Al Clark.

Costumes by Walter Plunkett.

A Lester Cowan Production.

In association with Gilbert Miller.

Directed by Charles Vidor.

Further information on Ladies in Retirement is available from the AFI Catalog.

Ladies in Retirement is available on DVD from Critics’ Choice Video.

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After last week’s admittedly obscure Murph the Surf, I thought I should choose something more mainstream and by going through the trades I found Ladies in Retirement. It is properly spooky and watchable and perhaps provides some chills in this hot summer weather.

Ladies in Retirement began as a play, so I’m going to guess that Bosley Crowther mostly approved.

Partially. The as-yet unidentified “alphabet critic” T.S. approved (The New York Times, Nov. 7, 1941):

Although the producers have tried to create the impression that Ladies in Retirement is almost, though not quite, as hilarious as an Abbott and Costello comedy, don’t be misled. For the film that opened yesterday at the Capitol is an exercise in slowly accumulating terror with all the psychological trappings of a Victorian thriller. It has been painstakingly done, beautifully photographed and tautly played, especially in its central role, and for the most part it catches all the script’s nuances of horror quite as effectively as did the original play version. Here and there, through the suggestive play of the camera, it has even been heightened into breathtaking melodrama.

For Monday, we have a mysterious fellow. His mysterious companion has been cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness.

Update: For Friday, we add our mysterious fellow’s mystery companion previously cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness.

Update: This is Clyde Cook and Evelyn Keyes.

For “Tricky Tuesday,” we have a mysterious guest.

Update: This is Evelyn Keyes in disguise, wigging out as Isobel Elsom.

Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Monday’s mysterious guest), Mike Hawks (Monday’s enigmatic fellow) and Skretvedt1958 (Monday’s mystery chap).

For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a mysterious woman.

Update: This is Isobel Elsom, re-creating her Broadway role. I’ll never think of The Mikado in exactly the same way ever again.

Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie and both mystery guests) and Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie — note: She’s in the mystery movie, but Tuesday’s mystery guest is another mysterious actress).

For “Aha Thursday,” we have two mysterious women.

Update: This is Edith Barrett, left, and Elsa Lanchester.

Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mystery woman), Robert Morrissey (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mysterious woman), Sheila (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mysterious woman), Howard Mandelbaum (Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery women) and Sylvia E. (mystery movie and all mystery guests).

For Friday, we have a mysterious fellow.

Update: This is Louis Hayward.

And a mystery woman.

Update: This is Ida Lupino in what she said was her favorite role.

Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guests), Megan and Thom (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guests), and Sylvia E. (Thursday’s mystery guests and peering into the future to see Friday’s mystery guests).