Hollywood, 1929. It's the world premiere of Kessler Pictures' first all-talking picture at the Starlite Theatre. At 9:17 reel one runs out and the screen goes white. Four minutes later the projectionist finds studio boss Max Kessler dead in the booth, strangled with a strip of film. One of the people in this room is still acting.
A printable murder mystery party for 6 to 12 guests. Each guest plays a suspect with something to hide. One of them did it. Guests read their booklet one round at a time, share clues, trade accusations and vote. Then you read the reveal.
The suspects
- Rita Vance, The Stand-In: Everyone's heard her voice. Few know whose it is.
- Vera Valentine, The Silent Film Queen: Tonight the world hears her voice.
- Duke Romero, The Leading Man: His accent cost him his career.
- Lillian Kessler, The Wife: She knew about the affair and had already hired a divorce lawyer.
- Bunny Fairbanks, The Ingenue: Max promised her the lead, then handed it to Vera.
- Sammy "Reels" O'Toole, The Projectionist: He found the body, and Max had already fired him.
- Sylvia Crane, The Gossip Columnist: He was suing her for $100,000.
- Irving Gold, The Rival Mogul: Wanted Max's stars. Now he can have them.
- Nora Bright, The Screenwriter: She wrote the picture, and Max put his nephew's name on it.
- Countess Margot Delisle, The Investor: She put $100,000 into the studio and found out Max was cooking the books.
- Frankie Doyle, The Bootlegger: Max owed him $9,000 for hooch.
- Eddie Lark, The Accountant: The notes are signed "E." He says they were never his.
What you get
Murder-at-the-Premiere-Host-Kit.pdf, 52 letter pages:
- Host guide: setup, casting for every party size, timing and how to run each round
- Opening scene to read aloud, and a cast page for everyone
- 12 character booklets with a secret, round-by-round clues and what to share in each round
- Clue cards for the host to hand out by round
- Suspect notes sheet and accusation ballots
- Name tags and envelope labels
- Solution and reveal script, with "How you could have solved it" and who didn't do it
- Awards and a bar menu
Murder-at-the-Premiere-Invitations-5x7-EDITABLE.pdf, 14 pages: a fill-in guide and 12 invitations, one per character, with the role and a costume idea. Type the guest's name, date, time, place and RSVP in Adobe Acrobat Reader, then print or email the PDF.
Party size
Six characters are needed at every size: Rita Vance, Vera Valentine, Duke Romero, Lillian Kessler, Bunny Fairbanks, Sammy "Reels" O'Toole. For 7 to 12 players, the host guide adds the other six in a set order. Fewer than 6 players won't work for this story.
Timing
About 2 to 2½ hours, plus food. Three rounds of 25 to 35 minutes.
Dress code
Old Hollywood glamour: furs, sequins, tuxedos and finger waves. Every invitation has a costume idea for that character.
How it works
- Download both PDFs.
- Pick your cast from the host guide and send each guest their invitation.
- Print the booklets, clue cards and sheets. Seal the solution pages in an envelope.
- Read the opening scene and play.
Format
- 2 PDFs: Murder-at-the-Premiere-Host-Kit.pdf, 52 pages, and Murder-at-the-Premiere-Invitations-5x7-EDITABLE.pdf, 14 pages
- Host Kit is US Letter size (8.5 x 11 in). Invitations are 5 x 7 in.
- For 6 to 12 players
- Prints in color, or in black and white to save ink
- Plan on about 2 to 2.5 hours
How you'll get it
Instant download. Your download link shows up on the order confirmation page and in your email as soon as you check out.
This is a digital product. No physical item ships.
Good to know
- For personal use. Please don't share or resell the files.
- Colors print a little differently on every printer and screen.
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Digital downloads are final sale. If a file won't open, email info@knittedbelle.com and we'll sort it out. See our refund policy.
