On a dark and stormy night in the 1930s, a number of people gather at an isolated country estate to hear the reading of the will of the wealthy Sinas Cavinder, including: wealthy nephew Burling Famish Jr. (Brian Howe) and his wife Pristy (Christine Romeo); Pristy's dim-witted lover Teak Armbruster (Kevin Quinn); big-game hunter Jack Tugdon (Jim Beaver); the foppish Lord Partfine (Andrew Parks); elderly Mrs. Hausenstout (Betty Garrett); kindly Seyton Ethelquake (James Karen); and the fragile Sabasha Fanmoore (Fay Masterson), Cavinder's ward.

The party grows by two when psychic Mrs. Cupcupboard (Allison Martin) and "stranded motorist" Ray Vestinhaus (Larry Blamire) arrive unexpectedly.

Twyly then reveals the existence of an additional letter that amends the will; he discovers that it has been stolen, but assures the group that he and only he knows the contents.

When Ray tells the group that the only bridge back to town collapsed behind him, Faraday and Tuesday suggest that they all wait until morning for the police to arrive.

Mrs. Hausenstout occasionally pops up with a gorilla (Bob Burns) in tow, and a police inspector (Tom Reese) arrives—and is promptly killed.

Faraday and Tuesday track down and confront the guilty parties—Burling and Sabasha, who began the night working independently but who later "joined forces" to knock off their rivals to the inheritance.

Burling threatens to blow up the house unless Faraday and Tuesday turn over the letter, but he is accidentally electrocuted after being confronted by Thessaly.

"[3] Boston Globe critic Tom Russo gave the film 2 stars (out of 4), noting that "patter and performances will grow on you, but only after you've built some stamina.