
This week’s “unsuitable” mystery movie was the 1931 First National Pictures film The Ruling Voice, with Walter Huston, Loretta Young, Dudley Digges, David Manners, Doris Kenyon, John Halliday, Willard Robertson, Gilbert Emery and Douglas Scott.
By Rowland V. Lee and Donald W. Lee.
Screenplay by Byron Morgan.
Adaptation by Robert Lord.
Photographed by Sol Polito.
Art direction by Jack Okey.
Edited by George Amy.
Gowns by Earl Luick.
Vitaphone Orchestra conducted by David Mendoza.
Directed by Rowland V. Lee.
Further information on The Ruling Voice is available from the AFI Catalog.
It’s unclear if The Ruling Voice has ever been commercially released.
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I continued my exploration of “unsuitable” movies with this early Pre-Code, figuring it would be interesting to see Walter Huston and Loretta Young.
I’m guessing The New York Times did not approve, and possibly didn’t review the film.
Aha! We are in Mordaunt Hall territory (November 5, 1931):
The ways of a murderous racketeer are revealed in The Ruling Voice, a film with many ingenious ideas but poorly written dialogue, which arrived at the Winter Garden last night. It boasts of an unusually competent cast, headed by Walter Huston and Dudley Digges, who both do all that is possible with their lines. Mr. Huston, who in most of his pictures has been accustomed to upholding the law, is on the other side of the fence in this current work, for he impersonates Jack Bannister, the dominant spirit among the racketeers, whose activities appear to be limited only by the Atlantic and the Pacific.

For Monday, we have a mysterious guest from an “unsuitable” movie.
Update: This is Walter Huston.

For Tuesday, we have another mysterious guest from an “unsuitable” movie.
Update: This is Dudley Digges.
Brain Trust roll call: Bob Hansen (Monday’s mysterious guest).

For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a mystery woman from an “unsuitable” movie.
Update: This is Doris Kenyon.
Brain Trust roll call: Mike Hawks (Tuesday’s mystery gent) and Sheila (Tuesday’s mystery gent).

For “Aha Thursday,” we have a mysterious fellow from an “unsuitable” movie.
Update: This is John Halliday.
Brain Trust roll call: Anne Papineau (Monday’s mysterious guest) and Sheila (mystery movie and Monday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests).

For Friday, we have two more mysterious guests in an “unsuitable” movie.
Update: This is Loretta Young and Walter Huston.
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And two more mysterious guests as a bonus. This is David Manners and Loretta Young.
Brain Trust roll call: Stacia (Thursday’s mystery guests), Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery guest), Mike Hawks (mystery movie, Monday’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests) and Benito (Monday’s and Thursday’s mysterious guests).
Ben Gazzara?
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An interesting guess! But alas, I’m afraid not.
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Monday’s eyes look like Kent Smith’s.
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Another excellent guess. But alas….
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Monday’s guy looks like Walter Huston to me. Don’t know the movie.
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Dudley Digges.
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Dudley Digges for Tuesday?
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Is Monday’s mystery gent Walter Huston?
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I think Wednesday is Leila Hyams but I also thought Monday was Randolph Scott and it can’t be the both of them, the best I can tell.
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Walter Huston and Doris Kenyon, ‘The Ruling Voice’?
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Thursday is John Halliday
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MEN OF CHANCE. Ricardo Cortez Monday, Jerry Donlan Tuesday, Kitty Kelly Wednesday, and John Halliday today.
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Walter Huston, Doris Kenyon and John Halliday in THE RULING VOICE.
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A youngish John Halliday today. ps Izzat Walter Huston on Monday?
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Had thrown in the towel on this one, then Friday hits…
The Ruling Voices 1931
Monday – Walter Huston
Tuesday – Dudley Digges
Wednesday – Doris Kenyon
Thursday – John Halliday
Friday – Loretta Young and Walter Huston
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The Ruling Voice 1931, which I decided against a couple days ago because I didn’t think Weds was Doris Kenyon! Is Tuesday Dudley Digges? Someone needs to apologize about his hair. Friday is Loretta Young and Walter Huston, and I’m guessing Monday is Walter as well.
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Loretta Young and Walter Huston in The Ruling Voice?
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RULING VOICE. Walter Huaton Monday, Dudley Dogges Tuesday, Doris Kenyon Wednesday, John halliday Thursday, and Loretta Young and Walter Huston today. W/d Rowland Lee gets a chapter in the book Scoundrels and Spitballers because of his rough and tumble background.
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Loretta Young and Walter Huston.
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The Ruling Voice from 1931….I thought Tuesday was Dudley Digges, but couldn’t find any photos of him with that hair, so I moved on. Walter Huston, Loretta Young, Doris Kenyon, ….and John Halliday. Monday was David Manners?
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