Grissly's Millons [1945] [DVD]

Old man Robert Barrat (Grissly) is on his deathbed and summons his relatives to his house. There will be a will that everyone is keen to hear when he passes away because Barrat is seriously rich. Well, things don't pan out as anticipated. We get a murder-mystery that carries us through a fairly short duration in which quite a lot happens, so pay attention or you might miss some plot lines.

The unjustly-maligned Republic Pictures churned out a number of modest 'B' thrillers in its heyday, and this is one of the best. The murder of an eccentric, elderly multi-millionaire brings his money-hungry relatives flocking to his gloomy, isolated mansion, as well as the police to investigate who do it. Paul Kelly & Virginia Grey top the cast, the suspense is packed into a swift, unnerving 72 minutes - and the revelation of the killer (trying to hurl Miss Grey to her death from a rickety wooden bridge) is genuinely eerie and terrifying. An "A" job on a "B" budget.