Don't read up on this before watching or you'll never experience the brilliance of what has to be one of the cleverest, most unexpected endings ever.
It's easy to stick with this great and entertaining little picture. Lionel Barrymore is at his quirky, most engaging best, you hang onto every word he says; it's a magnetic performance. One minute he's a loveable avuncular old character who makes you laugh, the next he's a cold and calculating killer whom you can believe would be terrifying to meet in the flesh - a very talented guy.
Director Woody Van Dyke, as always, gives his film a very natural and real feel, light years away from a lot of the stagey, over-theatrical pictures which infested the cinemas of the early thirties. He delivers a fast moving and immediately immersive story which is enhanced by some fabulously imaginative cinematography; it's a beautifully composed and lit film. The use of shadows, reflections and camera angles is certainly as good as anything seen a decade later in film noir. I'll say it again: it's a beautifully composed film.
Apart from waiting until the ending (DON'T look it up!) it's a fun watch. It's from 1931 but isn't that dated - in fact it feels more modern than a lot of films made later. If you enjoy a Columbo type murder mystery that's a little bit clever without being pretentious then this is for you.