In the late 1930s, Universal made a deal with book publisher Doubleday to use the publisher's The Crime Club imprint for a series of mystery films. Eleven in number were produced. Three of these, THE LAST WARNING, THE MYSTERY OF THE WHITE ROOM, and THE WITNESS VANISHES, made it into the Shock! package. This is Universal's The Crime Club series:
THE WESTLAND CASE (1937)
THE BLACK DOLL (1938)
THE LADY IN THE MORGUE (1938)
DANGER ON THE AIR (1938)
THE LAST EXPRESS (1938)
THE GAMBLING SHIP (1938)
THE LAST WARNING (1938)
THE MYSTERY OF THE WHITE ROOM (1939)
INSIDE INFORMATION (1939)
HOUSE OF FEAR (1939)
THE WITNESS VANISHES (1939)
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I have all but THE LAST EXPRESS and GAMBLING SHIP (both apparently lost). THE WESTLAND CASE, THE LADY IN THE MORGUE, and THE LAST WARNING all feature Preston Foster as Detective Bill Crane, with Frank Jenks as his comic sidekick Doc Williams. There is no CRIME CLUB logo on THE HOUSE OF FEAR or INSIDE INFORMATION, which don't appear to be part of the actual series. INSIDE INFORMATION is a interesting police drama with Dick Foran, while THE HOUSE OF FEAR is a remake of 1929's THE LAST WARNING, directed by Paul Leni. Only THE BLACK DOLL and THE HOUSE OF FEAR have elements of atmosphere deserving of inclusion in the SHOCK! package. Pittsburgh's CHILLER THEATER aired THE BLACK DOLL 4 times, THE HOUSE OF FEAR 3 times, and MYSTERY OF THE WHITE ROOM twice. Lesser known but in some ways more interesting than the INNER SANCTUMs.
GAMBLING SHIP has turned up, apparently not part of the Crime Clubs, no logo accompanying the opening credits. Producer Irving Starr is aboard though, and screenwriter Alex Gottlieb followed this title with MYSTERY OF THE WHITE ROOM. Also present, happily, is that film's spunky lead, beautiful Helen Mack, whose nemesis here is Irving Pichel's soft spoken yet ruthless Professor, a former mathematician. Robert Wilcox followed this rare lead with THE MAN THEY COULD NOT HANG (Boris Karloff) and ISLAND OF DOOMED MEN (Peter Lorre).
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