Who Killed Aunt Maggie? is a 1940 American mystery film directed by Arthur Lubin and starring John Hubbard, Wendy Barrie and Mona Barrie.Who Killed Aunt Maggie? Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 8, Iss. 85, (Jan 1, 1941): 20 It was produced and distributed by Republic Pictures.
Plot Radio-mystery script writer Sally Ambler is about to be married but quarrels with her fiancé Kirk Pierce after he finds a story that she wrote to be too contrived. The wedding is postponed when a telegram arrives from Sally's aunt Maggie in Atlanta informing Sally that her uncle Charlie has died.
Sally is followed to Atlanta after a phone call from Dr. Benedict warns Kirk of danger lurking for Sally when she arrives there. Sally discovers that her uncle's corpse is missing and that he may have been murdered. Sally is the sole heir after Aunt Maggie is strangled, and her cousin Eve ends up dead as well after finding a secret room.
Dr. Benedict is revealed to have been behind the plot. After he is apprehended just in time, Sally and Kirk return home but argue again during their wedding ceremony over which kind of mystery plot is too unbelievable.
Cast John Hubbard as Kirk Pierce Wendy Barrie as Sally Ambler Mona Barrie as Eve Benedict Joyce Compton as Cynthia Lou Walter Abel as Dr. Benedict Onslow Stevens as Dunbar Elizabeth Patterson as Maggie Edgar Kennedy as Sheriff
Production The film was based on a bestselling 1939 novel by Medora Field, a writer for the Atlanta Journal Magazine. Field's close friend Margaret Mitchell encouraged her to write the book after Field had urged Mitchell to submit her manuscript for Gone with the Wind to Macmillan in 1935.
Republic Pictures bought the film rights in 1940.Books and Authors New York Times 11 Aug 1940: 75. Stewart Palmer was assigned to write the script in June 1940.SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD New York Times 17 June 1940: 19. The studio briefly considered renaming the film Belle of Atlanta before settling on the book's original title.SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD New York Times 27 Aug 1940: 17 The cast and crew were set by late August, with John Hubbard borrowed from Hal Roach.Daisy Mae Role Goes to Martha O'Driscoll Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times 30 Aug 1940: A10. Filming was completed by September.Lynn Bari Will Reach Stardom in 'Cristobal' Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 19 Sep 1940: 13.
Reception The Los Angeles Times called the film "one of those good, old time mystery thrillers."Eerie Film Entertains Scott, John L. Los Angeles Times 25 Oct 1940: A10.
References
External links Who Killed Aunt Maggie? at IMDb Who Killed Aunt Maggie? at TCMDB Who Killed Aunt Maggie? at BFI Review of film at Variety