Pillow of Death

Plot

This lesser "Inner Sanctum" entry stars Lon Chaney Jr. as unhappily married lawyer Wayne Fletcher. In love with his secretary Donna Kincaid (Brenda Joyce), Fletcher is the principal suspect when his wife is found smothered to death in her own bed. Lack of evidence allows Fletcher to walk scot-free, whereupon a series of "pillow murders" commences, all of the victims somehow linked with either Fletcher or Donna. The pseudo-psychological finale wants to have its cake and eat it too, permitting Fletcher to be both innocent and guilty. Among the murder victims is Clara Blandick, who under happier circumstances played Auntie Em in The Wizard of Oz (1939). Tradeshown at 65 minutes, release prints of Pillow of Death run a few minutes short of an hour. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Cast

• Lon Chaney, Jr. - Wayne Fletcher
• Brenda Joyce - Donna Kincaid
• Clara Blandick - Belle Kincaid
• Rosalind Ivan - Amelia Kincaid
• J. Edward Bromberg - Julian Julian

George Cleveland - Sam Kincaid; Bernard B. Thomas - Bruce Malone; Wilton Graff - Detective McCracken; Fern Emmett - Mrs. Williams; Mary Gordon; Victoria Horne - Vivian Fletcher; John Farrell MacDonald - Sexton

Credit

John B. Goodman - Art Director, Abraham Grossman - Art Director, Vera West - Costume Designer, Wallace W. Fox - Director, Edward A. Curtiss - Editor, Frank Skinner - Musical Direction/Supervision, Jerome Ash - Cinematographer, Ben Pivar - Producer, Russell A. Gausman - Set Designer, Leigh Smith - Set Designer, John P. Fulton - Special Effects, Dwight V. Babcock - Screen Story, George Bricker - Screenwriter

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