The 9th Guest (1934)

I wonder how many of us would turn up at a dinner nowadays where we didn't know anyone and expect to escape alive? These eight did - and after a good dinner and some fine wine are informed by a radio that resembles a face on the wall, that they are all going to be killed unless they manage to outwit their host. Hemmed in by electrically charged doors and gates the group must learn to work together to try and defeat their foe whilst staying alive - quite an onerous task as it turns out that despite appearances, they are quite an unsavoury bunch. This benefits from having a cast of equals - there's isn't really a star as such, but a decent ensemble that work well under Roy William Neill to create quite an effective sense of suspense and peril. It's quite a gripping hour that keeps you guessing and is definitely worth a watch.