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    Home/Browse/1920s Movies/1920s Mystery Movies

    1920s Mystery Movies

    The 40 most popular 1920s mystery movies, ranked. Click any film for ratings, reviews, trailers, and where to watch.

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    Sherlock Jr.
    TMDB4.0

    Sherlock Jr.

    1924 · 45m

    country: United States

    A film projectionist longs to be a detective, and puts his meager skills to work when he is framed by a rival for stealing his girlfriend's father's pocketwatch.

    The Secret Spring
    TMDB4.0

    The Secret Spring

    1923 · 3h

    country: France

    To fulfill her Father's wish, Grand Duchess Aurora (Huguette Duflos) is forced into an unhappy marriage with Grand Duke Rudolph (Henry Houry). He prepares to leave for the Congo but is murdered by his own brother (Georges Vaultier). Aurora goes to Paris with her father and, there, is told on the phone of her husband's death. After returning to the Kingdom, she meets a tutor (Jaque Catelain) who falls in love with her..

    The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog
    TMDB3.6

    The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog

    1927 · 1h 31m

    country: United Kingdom

    London. A mysterious serial killer brutally murders young blond women by stalking them in the night fog. One foggy, sinister night, a young man who claims his name is Jonathan Drew arrives at the guest house run by the Bunting family and rents a room.

    Stolen Secrets

    TMDB4.5

    Stolen Secrets

    1924 · 50m

    country: United States

    Noted criminologist Miles Manning captures a gang of crooks by posing as a super-criminal--a mysterious man called "The Eel"--when the mayor's daughter, Cordelia, believing that he really is a crook, enlists his assistance in ridding the city of its criminals.

    Der Todfeind

    TMDB5.0

    Der Todfeind

    1920

    country: Germany

    A wealthy man is found bludgeoned to death near a railway. The question is, who killed him and why?

    The Hands of Orlac
    TMDB3.4

    The Hands of Orlac

    1924 · 1h 38m

    country: Austria

    A world-famous pianist loses both hands in an accident. When new hands are grafted on, he is horrified to learn they once belonged to a murderer.

    Belphégor
    TMDB4.0

    Belphégor

    1927 · 4h 53m

    country: France

    Belphégor deals with a series of mysterious appearances by a masked-and-robed figure in the Louvre; a security guard is murdered, and a later police trap is foiled when the phantom—“Belphégor” (the name of a legendary demon)—uses knock-out gas. Journalist Jacques Bellegarde of “Le Petit Parisien” (the real-life newspaper which published the original story in serial installments), investigates, and eventually discovers famous detective Chantecoq and his vivacious daughter Colette are also on the case.

    Luring Shadows
    TMDB4.5

    Luring Shadows

    1921 · 56m

    country: United States

    J.H. Wareing, a New York City financier, is found murdered in his library after the robbery of several securities and a necklace. Suspicion points to the butler, Jason, to whom Wareing had shown the necklace the night before. Wareing's daughter, Florence, is also a suspect and therefore denied her father's estate.

    West of Zanzibar
    TMDB3.5

    West of Zanzibar

    1928 · 1h 10m

    country: United States

    A magician seeks vengeance upon the man who paralyzed him and the illegitimate daughter he sired with the magician's wife.

    Dreary House

    TMDB3.5

    Dreary House

    1929 · 1h 15m

    country: United States

    On the day of her wedding to Paul, Mary Wheeler is given the deed to a mysterious old house that is occupied by a strange housekeeper named Nancy Crowl. Sometime later, Marc Reed, one of Mary's former suitors, arrives at the house and refuses to leave. When Marc is murdered, Mary is arrested for the crime.

    The Cat and the Canary
    TMDB3.5

    The Cat and the Canary

    1927 · 1h 24m

    country: United States

    Relatives gather at a haunted mansion for a will reading where the sole heir is threatened by a clause that could disinherit her if she goes mad, all while a homicidal maniac escapes nearby.

    Unknown Treasures
    TMDB5.0

    Unknown Treasures

    1926 · 1h

    country: United States

    A poor man refrains from proposing to the woman he loves until he can secure the fortune left him by his uncle. Believing the treasure awaits in his uncle's abandoned mansion, he begins searching... only to uncover mystery, murder, and a killer ape.

    The Canary Murder Case
    TMDB2.9

    The Canary Murder Case

    1929 · 1h 22m

    country: United States

    A beautiful showgirl, name "the Canary" is a scheming nightclub singer. Blackmailing is her game and with that she ends up dead. But who killed "the Canary". All the suspects knew and were used by her and everyone had a motive to see her dead. The only witness to the crime has also been 'rubbed out'. Only one man, the keen, fascinating, debonair detective Philo Vance, would be able to figure out who is the killer.

    Burnt Fingers
    TMDB5.0

    Burnt Fingers

    1927 · 1h

    country: United States

    Anne Cabell, working as a dancer at a nightclub goes to confront a man who is blackmailing her friend with incriminating letters. When he is killed, she comes under suspicion of murder. However it turns out that he was a foreign spy, and she had nothing to do with his slaying.

    Finger Prints
    TMDB5.0

    Finger Prints

    1922 · 50m

    country: United States

    A string of valuable pearls provides the motivation for the murder of Wareing, a widowed banker, who intended them for his daughter, Mary. She is comforted by Barton, a criminologist and friend of her late father, who appears to have left his financial affairs in a terrible state. Meanwhile, Mary's fiancé works diligently to identify the murderer. Although the criminologist places the blame on Wareing's butler, a reformed burglar, the killer is finally revealed to be Barton himself.

    The Hill Park Mystery

    TMDB3.5

    The Hill Park Mystery

    1923 · 1h 15m

    country: Denmark

    Police reporter Erik Brandt is sent off for some rest and recreation after solving a murder under the nose of the police. But his well-earned holiday turns out to be a lot more hectic than planned, when the resort is rocked by as string of brutal murders. An attractive young lady who captures Brandt’s heart might be involved. (stumfilm.dk)

    The Mask
    TMDB3.5

    The Mask

    1921 · 1h 24m

    country: United States

    The Mask 1921 film

    Nobody
    TMDB3.5

    Nobody

    1921 · 1h 10m

    country: United States

    When financier John Rossmore is found murdered in his library, suspicion points to his butler Hedges, who was instrumental in obtaining his divorce. At the trial, when the jury retires, Tom Smith, a young businessman who has sworn he does not know Rossmore, holds out for acquittal and tells his story to the jurors.

    The Miracle
    TMDB4.5

    The Miracle

    1923 · 34m

    country: United Kingdom

    Nayland Smith restores a `dead' man to life.

    Dark Stairways
    TMDB4.0

    Dark Stairways

    1924 · 50m

    country: United States

    Sheldon Polk's father, a wealthy banker, agrees to make a loan to Frank Farnsworth. Sheldon is robbed while delivering the money and is arrested for theft on circumstantial evidence.

    Poison

    TMDB5.0

    Poison

    1924 · 50m

    country: United States

    Bob Marston, a San Francisco socialite turned amateur detective is assigned to apprehend a gang of bootleggers.

    Unmasked
    TMDB3.5

    Unmasked

    1929 · 1h 2m

    country: Unknown

    During a dinner party at the Brookfield family estate, private detective Craig Kennedy relates a story of one of his unsolved murder cases. What Kennedy knows, and the other guests do not, is that the person who was the killer in the unsolved mystery is in the room, and Kennedy makes plans to expose him.

    The Passing of Mr. Quinn
    TMDB3.8

    The Passing of Mr. Quinn

    1928

    country: United Kingdom

    No overview available

    The Verdict
    TMDB4.0

    The Verdict

    1925 · 1h

    country: United States

    Carol Kingsley and Jimmy Mason, who are both employed in a fashion emporium run by Pierre Ronsard, fall in love and are married. Victor Ronsard, the son of the owner, falls in love with Carol and designs to break up the Mason marriage. He falsely informs Carol that Jimmy, who is the Ronsard bookkeeper, is short in his accounts and that, if she will have dinner with him, he will give her the incriminating papers.

    Footfalls
    TMDB5.0

    Footfalls

    1921 · 1h 20m

    country: Unknown

    A blind cobbler is able, by dint of his extraordinary hearing, to recognize the identity of a murderer. His own son is accused of the killing, and the old man waits, knowing the murderer will return to prevent the blind man from revealing what he knows.

    The Crimson Circle
    TMDB4.0

    The Crimson Circle

    1929 · 1h 49m

    country: Germany

    Police battle against a gang of blackmailers known as The Crimson Circle.

    The Haunted Castle
    TMDB3.2

    The Haunted Castle

    1921 · 1h 21m

    country: Germany

    The sinister Count Oetsch scandalizes the aristocratic social gathering at Castle Vogelod as he announces his intention to "crash" the festivities. Baroness Safferstätt is expected shortly, and the guests are well-aware of the rumors that Count Oetsch murdered the baroness' late husband. Oetsch refuses to leave, vowing that he will reveal the identity of the real killer. Before the weekend is through, the Count and Baroness will reveal secrets too shocking to be believed!

    Dr. Wislizenus

    TMDB3.8

    Dr. Wislizenus

    1924 · 1h 5m

    country: Germany

    Deep in the forest lives the bitter Dr. Wislizenus, whose childhood sweetheart Maria committed suicide ten years ago. The visit of a childhood friend, he who wrote a poem about Mary, triggers a tragedy.

    The Chinese Parrot
    TMDB5.0

    The Chinese Parrot

    1927 · 1h 10m

    country: United States

    The plot is motivated by a pearl necklace, which has caused the death and/or ruination of all its owners. The second screen appearance of detective Charlie Chan.

    The Greene Murder Case
    TMDB3.0

    The Greene Murder Case

    1929 · 1h 9m

    country: United States

    Philo Vance investigates when a murderer preys upon members of a wealthy family on New York's Upper East Side.

    The Ape

    TMDB4.0

    The Ape

    1928 · 50m

    country: United States

    A supposedly tame ape suddenly goes on a rampage in a small town. Based on a true story.

    The Sign of Four
    TMDB3.1

    The Sign of Four

    1923 · 1h 22m

    country: United Kingdom

    The final feature in the Eille Norwood Holmes series.

    You'd Be Surprised
    TMDB3.5

    You'd Be Surprised

    1926 · 1h 5m

    country: United States

    A diamond is stolen at a houseboat party given by the district attorney. He gives the thief a chance to return it by putting an empty box on a table and turning out the lights. When the lights are turned back on the box is gone, and the district attorney has a knife in his back and is quite dead. The police and the coroner arrive. There are several attempts made on the life of the coroner. Ruth Whitman is found hiding in a grandfather-clock, holding the gem box. She claims the box was pushed into her hands and she was pushed into the clock. The district attorney's butler/valet tells the coroner he saw who killed his employer and a few minutes later he is also murdered. The mystery deepens.

    The Thirteenth Chair
    TMDB2.7

    The Thirteenth Chair

    1929 · 1h 12m

    country: United States

    Although his murdered friend was by all accounts a scoundrel, Edward Wales is determined to trap his killer by staging a seance using a famous medium. Many of the 13 seance participants had a reason and a means to kill, and one of them uses the cover of darkness to kill again. When someone close to the medium is suspected she turns detective, in the hope of uncovering the true murderer.

    Easy Pickings

    TMDB5.0

    Easy Pickings

    1927 · 1h

    country: United States

    Simeon Van Horne is poisoned by Stewart, his lawyer, who hopes to get a part of the estate to be divided between young Peter Van Horne and Dolores, Peter's cousin. Knowing that Dolores is dead, Stewart, who catches Mary Ryan burglarizing the Van Horne home, induces her to pose as Dolores.

    A Scandal in Bohemia
    TMDB3.5

    A Scandal in Bohemia

    1921 · 20m

    country: United Kingdom

    Holmes and Watson match wits with an opera star intent on blackmailing a king.

    The Hole in the Wall
    TMDB2.7

    The Hole in the Wall

    1929 · 1h 3m

    country: United States

    Mrs. Ramsey sent Jean Oliver to prison on a false charge. To get even, Jean (disguised as Madame Mystera) plans to kidnap her daughter and turn her into a thief. Love entanglements with a gangster known as "The Fox" and newspaperman Grant complicate her plans.

    Moriturus
    TMDB3.5

    Moriturus

    1920 · 1h 38m

    country: Unknown

    A doctor who cannot figure out what is wrong with his patient refers him to a detective, whom he hopes will be able to discern the cause of his mysterious illness.

    Alias the Night Wind
    TMDB5.0

    Alias the Night Wind

    1923 · 50m

    country: United States

    Bing Howard a former stockbroker, is called the "Night Wind" because he is a fugitive from justice, persistently being trailed by Clifford Rushton, a private detective who has framed Howard on a bond robbery. Rushton's failure to catch Howard forces the chief to turn the case over to Detective Katherine Maxwell, alias "Lady Kate," whose brother was sent to prison for bond robbery on the same evidence Rushton has brought against Howard.

    Black Waters
    TMDB4.0

    Black Waters

    1929 · 1h 20m

    country: United States

    A mad captain poses as a cleric to murder people aboard a fogbound ship.

    About 1920s Mystery Movies

    The 1920s

    The 1920s were silent cinema's artistic peak, when directors had perfected a purely visual storytelling language just as sound arrived to displace it. German Expressionism and Soviet montage both date from here.

    Mystery

    Mystery films are structured around withheld information, trusting the audience to work alongside the investigator. The genre ranges from cozy whodunits to bleak, unresolved character studies.

    In this list

    Best reviewed
    Sherlock Jr. (8.0)
    Often also
    Crime, Drama, Horror

    Common questions

    What are the best 1920s mystery movies?
    By popularity across Flickfolio and TMDB, the top picks right now are Sherlock Jr., The Secret Spring, and The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog. The full ranked list of 40 sits above — open any movie for ratings, reviews, and streaming availability.
    How is this list ranked?
    1920s mystery movies are ordered by overall popularity, which blends how often a title is viewed, searched, and logged. It updates as viewing habits shift, so the list reflects what people are actually watching rather than a fixed critical canon.
    Where can I watch these movies?
    Every movie page lists current streaming, rental, and purchase options for your region, alongside community ratings and reviews from Flickfolio members.

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