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Mystery And Suspense Plays


One of my most prized books is a collection of plays called "Best Mystery And Suspense Plays Of The Modern Theater" compiled by Stanley Richards, printed in 1979. They are as follows and were all made into films:

Witness For The Prosecution by Agatha Chrisite,filmed in 1957 with Charles Laughton and Tyrone Power.

Sleuth by Anthony Shaffer,filmed in 1972 with Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine.

Child's Play by Robert Marasco,filmed in 1972 with Robert Preston and James Mason.

Angel Street by Patrick Hamilton,filmed as Gaslight with Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman in 1944.

Dangerous Corner by JB Priestley,filmed in 1934 with Virginia Bruce and Melvyn Douglas.

Dracula by Hamiton Deane and John L Balderston,filmed in 1931 with Bela Lugosi and Edward Van Sloan repeating their stage roles.

Dial "M" For Murder by Frederick Knott,filmed in 1954 with Ray Milland and Grace Kelly

The Letter by W.Somerset Maugham,filmed most famously in 1940 with Bette Davis and Herbert Marshall

Arsenic And Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring,film was released in 1944 with Cary Grant and Raymond Massey in Boris Karloff's role.

Bad Seed by Maxwell Anderson,filmed in 1956 with Nancy Kelly,Patty McCormack,Henry Jones and Evelyn Varden all repeating their stage roles. EDIT-Eileen Heckart also reprised her stage role.


It's a great treat to read the original stage material,I have seen all the films except for Dangerous Corner,hopefully it will show up one day. I also hope to see these done on stage one day if they are revived. Has anyone seen them live? Or have you seen all the films?

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