This week’s mystery movie was the 1940 Warner Bros. film Castle on the Hudson, with John Garfield, Ann Sheridan, Pat O’Brien, Burgess Meredith, Henry O’Neill, Jerome Cowan, Guinn “Big Boy” Williams and John Litel.
Screenplay by Seton I. Miller, Brown Holmes and Courtney Terrett. From the book by Warden Lewis E. Lawes.
Executive producer Hal B. Wallis.
Associate producer Samuel Bischoff.
Dialogue direction by Irvin Rapper.
Photography by Arthur Edeson.
Edited by Thomas Richards.
Sound by Robert B. Lee.
Art direction by John Hughes.
Gowns by Howard Shoup.
Makeup by Perc Westmore.
Special effects by Byron Haskin and Edwin DuPar.
Music by Adolph Deutsch.
Musical direction by Leo F. Forbstein.
Orchestral arrangements by Ray Heindorf.
Directed by Anatole Litvak.
An Anatole Litvak production.
Further information on Castle on the Hudson is available from the AFI Catalog.
Castle on the Hudson is available on DVD from Critics’ Choice Video.
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In my continuing exploration of “unsuitable” films, Castle on the Hudson received the designation from Harrison’s Reports. John Garfield is excellent and even Pat O’Brien (who isn’t my favorite actor) tones down his usual bluster. Yes, this is a remake of the 1932 Pre-Code 20,000 years in Sing Sing (Warners designed the sets so the studio could reuse some of the footage!) , but there are far too many screen caps floating around the Internet for it to be a mystery movie.
I’m guessing that Bosley Crowther did not approve of such goings-on.
Why it’s Bosley when he was still one of the “alphabet critics” (The New York Times, March 4, 1940):
This is merely a routine notice that Mr. John Garfield, formerly of the Group Theatre, who was recently sentenced to a term in Warner Bros. pictures, is still in prison. Don’t be misled by any announcement you may have read that Mr. Garfield had managed to stage a successful break with the aid of a saw smuggled into his contract and don’t let the fancy title Castle on the Hudson arouse shining hopes either. The keep referred to is still Sing Sing Prison; the author is still Warden Lewis E. Lawes; the literary source is still that supreme cinematic quarry of quarries, 20,000 Years in Sing Sing; the theatre still the Globe. The cast is good — so good that a player like Burgess Meredith appears satisfied with fourth billing — but the plot, dialogue and the scenery are the same as ever.
For Monday, we have a mysterious guest in our “unsuitable” mystery movie.
Update: This is Ernest Whitman.
For “Tricky Tuesday,” we have a mysterious guest.
Update: This is John Garfield.
Brain Trust roll call: Stacia (Monday’s mysterious gent) and Sylvia (Monday’s mystery guest).
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a mysterious woman and Back of the Head Guy.
Update: This is Margot Stevenson and Burgess Meredith as Back of the Head Guy.
Brain Trust roll call: Anne Papineau (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mystery jailbird), Sylvia (mystery movie and both mystery guests), Greg (Tuesday’s mysterious jailbird), L.C. (mystery movie and mysterious cast), Stacia (he’s in the movie, but in another role), Funky PhD (Tuesday’s mysterious jailbird), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie and both mystery guests), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and both mysterious guests), Benito (Tuesday’s mystery jailbird) and Megan and Thom (Tuesday’s mystery jailbird).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have a mysterious guest. He does not approve of such goings-on.
Update: This is Pat O’Brien.
We also have this mysterious gentleman.
Update: This is Burgess Meredith.
Brain Trust roll call: Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Sylvia (Wednesday’s Back of the Head Guy) and Anne Papineau (Monday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests).
For Friday, we have a mysterious couple.
Update: This is John Garfield and Ann Sheridan.
Brain Trust roll call: Sarah (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery man No. 2), Sylvia (Wednesday’s mystery woman and Thursday’s mystery guests), Megan and Thom (mystery movie and Thursday’s mysterious guests), Greg (mystery movie and Thursday’s mysterious guests), Mary Mallory (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Stacia (mystery movie, Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests — and yes, wild that you guessed him as he’s in the movie but in a different role), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guests), Boebert (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery gent No. 2), Dan Nather (mystery movie and Monday’s Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests), Matt Berger (Wednesday’s Back of the Head Guy and Thursday’s mystery gent No. 2) and Bruce Reznick (Thursday’s mysterious gent No. 2).
ladailymirror.com 
Is Monday Ernest Whitman?
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Sam McDaniel in Manhattan Melodrams
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ANN VICKERS and John Larkin.
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Monday looks like Ernest Whitman (who I learned about because of a previous Mystery movie puzzle)
I’ll guess Prisoner of Shark Island 1936 (or should I say that I “hope” it’s Prisoner of Shark Island). What an amazing looking movie (I’ve only seen the images) and what a contemporary feeling to it. Even the actors faces feel more modern than 1936.
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Sam McDaniel?
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An excellent guess, but alas I’m afraid not.
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John Larkin in Day of Reckoning.
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An excellent guess, but alas I’m afraid not.
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Shadow of the Kaw. Oscar Smith Monday and William powell today.
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John Lester Johnson and John Garfield in “Castle on the Hudson.”
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Castle on the Hudson 1940
Monday – Ernest Whitman
Tuesday – John Garfield
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Tricky Tuesday. John Garfield?
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Castle on the Hudson (1940) w/John Garfield, Ann Sheridan, Pat O’Brien, Burgess Meredith, Henry O’Neill, John Lester Johnson, Jerome Cowan…
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I think this is 6000 ENEMIES and Tuesday is Guinn Big Boy Williams.
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Tuesday’s man of mystery: John Garfield in Blackwell’s Island?
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If that is John Garfield today in Castle on the Hudson, then it is Ernest Whitman behind bars yesterday.
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Ernest Whitman and John Garfield in CASTLE ON THE HUDSON.
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John Garfield ? Cant see his weird earlobes, but…
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Today’s guest is John Garfield in Blackwell’s Island, with Sam Jackson yesterday.
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Burgess Meredith and Margot Stevenson.
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Wednesday – Ann Sheridan and BOTHG John Garfield
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Is Monday’s mysterious guest John Lester Johnson?g
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An excellent guess, but alas, I’m afraid not.
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Rethinking my BOTHG guess. With those cheekbones he might be Burgess Meredith. Hmmm???? Not sure now.
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Is Monday’s jail bird Ernest Whitman? On Wednesday, how about Burgess Meredith as “BOTHG,” and Margot Stevenson.
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It’s “Castle on the Hudson”. Thank you Burgess Meredith!
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Wednesday’s woman talking to BOTHG is Margot Stevenson (I think).
Thursday – Pat O’Brien and Burgess Meredith
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Castle on the Hudson is our movie with Pat O’Brien and Burgess Meredith today.
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Pat O’Brien and Burgess Meredith should make the movie “Castle on the Hudson”.
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CASTLE ON THE HUDSON. Ernest Whitman Monday, John Garfield Tuesday, Burgess meredith BOTH and Margot Stevenson WEdnesday, Pat O’Brien and Meredith today. How is this “unsuitable” in 1940?
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Castle on the Hudson! So bizarre that I thought Tuesday was Guinn Big Boy Williams and it wasn’t, but he IS in the movie! When I couldn’t figure out who our Wednesday actress was, I started thinking my first guess wasn’t correct.
Thursday is Pat O’Brien and Burgess Meredith. Tuesday must be John Garfield, and I will guess Tuesday is Margot Stevenson.
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Pat O’Brien and Burgess Meredith.
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Burgess Meredith on Thursday, Castle on the Hudson?
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Aha! CASTLE ON THE HUDSON, the 1940 remake of 20,000 YEARS IN SING SING.
Monday — Ernest Whitman
Tuesday — Frank Sully(?)
Wednesday — Margot Stevenson
Today — Pat O’Brien, Burgess Meredith
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The last photo is the great Burgess Meredith, I believe. Is he also “Back of the Head” guy?
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Thursday looks like an extremely young Burgess Meredith
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John Garfield and Ann Sheridan
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This was a fun one. Learned a little more about Mr Garfield and why he shifted from the stage to the screen. Didn’t realize that he died so young.
John Garfield and Ann Sheridan
Looking forward to the Saturday breakdown.
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John Garfield and Ann Sheridan.
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