The writing credits on this film, as seen on the film---Story and Screen Play (as in two words for Screen play as was the most-often used on films of the 30s & 40s)---by Lambert Hillyer. Actually, minus an archer wearing a little green Krispy-Kreme-type cap, with a feather in it, and a castle and a few dungeons, this was Edgar Wallace's "The Green Archer." This knock-off version---a royalty not paid is a dollar saved---finds attorney Joshua Scranton (Wyrley Birch) engaging "Budge" Edwards (Ward Bond)and Larry Donovan (Robert Allen), who has just bought into Edwards' detective agency, to protect Estelle Hudson, a client of his who is to inherit three-million dollars the next Thursday. He tells them he has reason to believe the girl is in danger from five relatives who stand to benefit by her death.
Helen Bradford (Florence Rice), Edwards' secretary, with who Larry is in love, insists upon impersonating the endangered heiress. Edwards acts as her chauffeur and Larry as her fiancé whom she met in Europe. Scranton provides a reliable maid, Jeannie Martin (Barbara Kent), to accompany Helen, and Lobo (Lobo the Marvel dog billed 11th in the cast), Edwards' police dog, goes along as added protection. THe relatives, assembled at the Hudson country home, are Aunt Catherine (Elizabeth Risdon,) a crabby dowager; Sarah (Nana Bryant), her bitter, unmarried daughter; Cousin Ellwood (Bert Roach), a simple, good-natured drunk cousin; and the heiress' uncle, Dr. Silas Hudson (Thurston Hall), who is an archery expert.
A big-game hunting arrow sticking in Helen's (posing as the heiress) bedroom door is the first warning or danger, and all hands begin to cast wary glances in the direction of Uncle Silas. Jeanne bravely offers to sleep in Helen's room on a chaise lounge (although a lobby card has both girls sharing the bed...for the benefit of those who liked movies from the 30s with two cuties bedded together.) A prowler, attacked by Lobo, leaves the dog apparently dying and, as the weapon of choice was a rake, Reynolds, the gardener (Arthur Hohl)joins Uncle Silas as a suspect. But a second arrow later rips through a rowboat carrying Larry and Helen. And, a third plows through Jeannie's chaise lounge as she jumps to protect Helen when she sees a secret panel in the bedroom open. All of this, of course, causes more suspicious glances in the direction of Uncle Silas and away from Reynolds (who may or may not have raked Lobo's head), and these glances intensify when Reynolds catches Uncle Silas prowling. Then, Reynolds, who is a private detective hired by who-knows-who is done in by an arrow-shot only an archery expert could have made.
By now, Uncle Silas is more than a little peeved at all these suspicious glances thrown in his direction from the cast and the audience.
It comes up Thursday night and Jeanne is revealed to be the real heiress and another attempt is made on her life, but Lobo the Marvel Dog (last seen lying on the grassy croquet court close to death) bounds into the room and springs for(no-spoiler name),who is the real culprit. (Clue to identity of real culprit is in paragraph three above...if the paragraphing makes it through.)No, it wasn't Lobo.
