Old Hollywood murder mystery
An Old Hollywood awards night gives everyone permission to be glamorous for one evening. The fun is in the contrast: gowns, tuxedos and flashbulb smiles on the red carpet, and behind them a 1950s studio town that runs on contracts, rivalries and rumors. Every guest arrives as somebody with a reputation to protect, which is exactly what a murder mystery needs. Roll out a red runner, line up a few gold-painted statuettes on the mantel and play big-band swing as people arrive, and your home becomes a premiere.
With Killer Cast, the stars of the night are your actual friends. Add your guest list and we write a custom awards-night case where every guest is a suspect: the director who needs one more hit, the rising star with a stage name and a past, the columnist who seems to know the winners before the envelopes are opened. Each guest gets a private invite page with their role, a secret, a motive and costume ideas, and, if they like, an illustrated portrait made from their selfie in a hand-painted 1950s movie-poster style. People who dread acting still have a great time, because every round hands them clear objectives: who to question, what to hide and when to reveal it.
On the night, a narrator with captions hosts the ceremony and the investigation from your TV or laptop, while the Evidence Locker opens up items like studio memos, telegrams, a torn contract and a sealed winners' list round by round. After the accusations, the culprit is unmasked and a party recap with the night's awards is ready to share. Scroll on for a sample cast, studio-era lingo, costume and menu ideas, decor, music and a step-by-step plan for 6 to 20 adults.
The Silver Lantern Awards, a black-tie studio ceremony in the ballroom of the Paramour Hotel, where one envelope can make a career and one rumor can end it.
Marlowe Sinclair
Sasha Delacroix
Dakota Lane
Casey Whitlock
Meet the
suspects
Marlowe Sinclair
Head of Halcyon Crest Pictures
Built the studio from a single sound stage and runs it like a small kingdom. Has never lost an awards night and has no plans to start tonight.
“Secretly agreed to sell the studio tomorrow, and the victim had the one signed copy of the deal.”
Costume ideas: Black tuxedo jacket or dark suit with a white pocket square, a big prop cigar or a fountain pen to point with, Thrift-store cufflinks or a chunky gold ring.
Sasha Delacroix
Marquee star, nominated for the fifth time
The nation's sweetheart for twelve straight years and nominated again tonight. Has smiled through every rumor so far.
“The studio built Sasha a new name and a new past. The victim knew the old ones.”
Costume ideas: A floor-length gown or a white dinner jacket, Oversized sunglasses for dodging the press, a faux-fur stole or a silk scarf.
Dakota Lane
Rising star and surprise nominee
Stepped off the bus eighteen months ago and landed a lead role within a week. Everyone in town wants to know how.
“Won the screen test that was meant for the victim, and not entirely fairly.”
Costume ideas: A simple cocktail dress or slim suit with one bold accessory, a corsage or boutonniere made from a grocery-store flower, a small clutch or a folded telegram from home.
Casey Whitlock
Director of the year's most talked-about picture
Finished the picture three weeks late and wildly over budget. Needs tonight's award to get the next one made.
“Secretly reshot the ending without the studio's blessing, and the victim was about to tell.”
Costume ideas: A beret or flat cap with a dark turtleneck, a director's viewfinder made from a cardboard tube, a rolled-up script tucked under one arm.
Jo Prentiss
Gossip columnist for the Morning Herald-Star
Writes “Stardust & Static,” the most feared column in town. Never reveals a source and never misses a party.
“Somehow had the winners' list before the envelopes were sealed.”
Costume ideas: A big statement hat with a feather or netting, Cat-eye glasses and a reporter's notepad, a long string of pearls or a bold brooch.
Reese Hartley
Studio publicist
Fixes scandals before breakfast and has three made-up romances running in the papers this month. Knows where every secret is buried, mostly from doing the burying.
“Planted a rumor about the victim last week. It turned out to be true.”
Costume ideas: A sharp suit or skirt suit in black or navy, a clipboard with a pencil behind one ear, a wristwatch to check constantly and dramatically.
Morgan Ashe
Screenwriter
Wrote the year's biggest picture under someone else's name. Polite, observant and running out of patience.
“The victim's acceptance speech was going to take credit for Morgan's script.”
Costume ideas: A rumpled tweed jacket or cardigan, Horn-rimmed glasses and a pencil tucked behind an ear, a typewritten script with coffee rings on the cover.
Ari Montclair
Costume designer to the stars
Dressed every star on tonight's red carpet and knows every hidden pin, borrowed jewel and secret pocket.
“Sewed a hidden pocket into the victim's jacket this afternoon, and it wasn't empty at the ceremony.”
Costume ideas: A tape measure draped around the neck, a pincushion bracelet made from a sponge and elastic, Smart black clothes with one dramatic scarf.
On party
night
The real screens from a sample Old Hollywood Awards Night party. Your guests get their own, written around your list.
The invite 
Their part 
Clues each round 
The Evidence Locker
The Evidence
Locker
To the Los Angeles police, whenever you get here:
I was called to the Green Room at 9:57 pm and found Mr. Vernon Hale beyond any help. The ginger highball on his dressing table, about half drunk, smells strongly of bitter almonds. That is silver-polishing dip, the kind used on trophies, cufflinks and hotel teaspoons, and it has no business in anybody's glass. Swallowed, it acts within a minute or two, so he drank it at about 9:40 and not before. The waiter tells me the drink went in at 9:20, right on Mr. Hale's heels, made up to the usual standing order: one ginger highball, with 3 maraschino cherries on a saucer beside it, never in the glass, saved for after his speech. So the dip went into that glass after 9:20, while Mr. Hale was in the room, and whoever poured it stood close enough to touch his dressing table. Nobody has touched the glass since. I have ordered the ballroom doors locked, and nobody leaves until you arrive.
The house physician, Paramour Hotel
The Morning Herald-Star
Saturday, March 14, 1953
THROUGH THE KEYHOLE: Lanterns, Little Birds and Borrowed Glory
By Remy 'Keyhole' Larchmont. Tonight the town puts on its best borrowed jewels for the Silver Lantern Awards at the Paramour, and your correspondent will be there with a freshly sharpened pencil. A few blind items, darlings, and you didn't read them here. Which marquee name was launched into show business, quite literally, long before any studio launched the career? Which promising newcomer knows the Paramour's pantry better than its ballroom? Which director spent a Sunday shooting scenes nobody ordered, and who paid for the film? Which publicist has three great romances running in the papers this month, and not one couple who have been introduced? And which studio chief will thank his trusty typewriter from the stage tonight for a screenplay he never touched? Funny thing about that typewriter, darlings. Its ribbon is violet. The Keyhole sees everything.
Dress the
part
For everyone
- Black tie: tuxedos, dinner jackets or dark suits with a bow tie
- Floor-length gowns, satin slip dresses or full-skirted cocktail dresses
- A white dinner jacket with a red boutonniere
- Anything in satin, velvet or sequins, in jewel tones or classic black and white
- Off-duty star look: big sunglasses, a headscarf and a trench coat
- Dress your role: a beret for the director, a big hat for the columnist, a clipboard for the publicist
- Costume jewelry, cufflinks and opera gloves turned all the way up
On a budget
- Thrift an old bridesmaid or prom dress; many look straight out of the 1950s and cost under $15
- Make a bow tie from black satin ribbon and a safety pin
- Wear a black thrift-store blazer over a white shirt for an instant dinner-jacket look
- Glue rhinestones to a plain headband for red-carpet sparkle
- Spray-paint a dollar-store figurine gold and carry your own award
Accessories that sell it
- Oversized sunglasses
- Opera gloves or leather driving gloves
- Faux-fur stole or silk scarf
- Cufflinks, a tie bar or a pocket square
- Rhinestone brooch or clip-on chandelier earrings
- A prop award statuette
- Autograph book and fountain pen
- Prop cigar or long cigarette holder, unlit
The menu
- Drinks
- Champagne toast for the winners (alcohol-free: sparkling white grape juice)
- Classic gin martini with olives or a lemon twist
- Manhattan: rye, sweet vermouth and bitters with a cherry
- Brandy Alexander with fresh nutmeg (alcohol-free: a small chocolate milkshake with nutmeg on top)
- Highball bar with whiskey or rum and ginger ale (alcohol-free: ginger ale with fresh lime)
- Bites
- Cheese and pineapple skewers stuck into a foil-wrapped half melon, the classic 1950s party centerpiece
- Pigs in a blanket with mustard for dipping
- Smoked salmon and cream cheese canapés on rye
- Celery sticks stuffed with pimento cheese
- Deviled eggs topped with a slice of olive
- Mains
- Beef stroganoff over buttered egg noodles
- Chicken cordon bleu, or a sheet-pan version for a crowd
- Twice-baked potatoes with chives and cheese, an easy vegetarian main
- Dessert
- Cherries jubilee: warm cherries spooned over vanilla ice cream
- Red velvet cupcakes with gold sprinkles
- Gold-wrapped chocolates set out on a “winners” platter
- Mini baked Alaskas for a show-stopping finale
- No alcohol
- The Envelope, Please: shake 3 oz pomegranate juice, 1 oz fresh orange juice and ½ oz vanilla syrup with ice, strain into a coupe and top with sparkling water. Garnish with a cherry on a gold pick.
Set the scene
- A red carpet from the front door: a red felt roll, red butcher paper or a cheap runner
- Velvet-rope stanchions made from two broom handles, gold spray paint and a thick red cord
- A photo wall of black poster board stamped with a repeating gold logo for your fictional studio
- Dollar-store figurines spray-painted gold as award statuettes on every table
- Black, white and gold balloons with a scatter of silver paper stars
- Popcorn in striped paper boxes as snacks and centerpieces
- A marquee sign over the doorway with the case title in bold letters
- Glossy black-and-white “headshots” of your own guests framed around the room
- Place cards styled as “For Your Consideration” ads for each character
Music
Glamorous and a little dangerous: lush strings and swing on the red carpet, cool jazz when the whispers start.
- Big-band swing with full horn sections for red-carpet arrivals
- 1950s crooner ballads backed by lush string orchestras during dinner
- Cool jazz with brushed drums and a muted trumpet for the investigation rounds
- Lounge piano trios for background chatter
- Brassy orchestral fanfares before each round and award
- Dramatic orchestral film-score-style music for the reveal
- Mambo and cha-cha dance tunes from the fifties for the after-party
Talk the
talk
- Back lot
- The outdoor part of a studio, with fake streets and storefronts built for filming.
- Contract player
- An actor signed to one studio for years, who makes whichever pictures the studio chooses.
- Screen test
- A short filmed audition to see how someone looks and sounds on camera.
- The trades
- Industry newspapers that report deals, casting news and ticket sales.
- Gossip column
- A newspaper column of rumors about the stars. A single line could make or break a career.
- Mogul
- A powerful studio head who controls every picture, contract and publicity photo on the lot.
- Stand-in
- A person who takes an actor's place while the crew sets up lights and cameras.
- Dailies
- The raw footage from yesterday's shoot, watched by the director and producers each morning.
- Klieg light
- A powerful lamp used on sets and swept across the night sky at premieres.
- Marquee name
- A star famous enough to sell tickets just by appearing on the sign over the theater.
- Box office
- Ticket sales. A “box office flop” is a picture nobody paid to see.
- Scene-stealer
- A performer who grabs the attention away from the stars, on screen or off.
Who’s in
the room
The Studio Mogul
Owns the lot, the contracts and half the people in the room.
The Marquee Star
Adored by millions and terrified of a single rumor.
The Rising Star
New in town with a stage name, big ambitions and a past nobody has checked.
The Visionary Director
Brilliant, demanding and one flop away from ruin.
The Gossip Columnist
Sweet as pie and sharp as a pin. Never forgets a favor or a slight.
The Publicist
Fixes scandals before breakfast and invents romances for the cameras.
The Screenwriter
Wrote the hit, got none of the credit and is tired of being polite about it.
The Costume Designer
Dresses every star on the carpet and knows exactly what is hidden in every pocket.
Hosting
timeline
3 weeks before
Create your case and send each private invite link with a note styled as a nomination: “You have been nominated for…” Ask for RSVPs within a week so every star has a role.
2 weeks before
Costume nudge: point everyone to the ideas on their invite page and suggest a thrift run for gowns, blazers and costume jewelry. Remind people that sunglasses and a scarf count.
1 week before
Plan the menu and shop for bubbly or sparkling juice, a red runner, gold spray paint and dollar-store figurines. Print the optional at-home kit if you want name tags and place cards.
2 days before
Spray-paint the statuettes, build the photo wall, bake the cupcakes and test the narrator audio on the TV or laptop you'll use.
Party day, afternoon
Roll out the red carpet, set the lights low and warm, put the awards on display and start the swing music before the doorbell rings.
Party night
Snap a photo of every arrival on the red carpet, allow 30 minutes of mingling in character, then let the narrator open the ceremony. Serve dinner between rounds and save the champagne toast and dessert for the reveal.
The morning after
Post the party recap and your red-carpet photos in the group chat, and congratulate your real Best Performance winner.
Questions
Do guests need to know anything about 1950s movies?
Not a thing. The case is set at a fictional studio with fictional stars, so nobody gets quizzed on film history. If guests want to ham it up, a glamorous wave and a dramatic pause are plenty.
What should people wear to an Old Hollywood murder mystery?
Black tie, or anything that feels like a red-carpet moment: gowns, tuxedos, dark suits, velvet or sequins. Each character's invite page suggests two or three easy pieces for that role, like a beret for the director or a big hat for the columnist.
Can I turn it into a real awards night?
Yes, and it fits perfectly. Hand out your own gold-painted statuettes at the end, then share the party recap, which shows the killer, the votes and the night's awards.
Can the host play a suspect?
Yes. You can play a character and solve the case alongside everyone, or run the night as master of ceremonies while the narrator handles the rounds. Cases work for 6 to 20 players either way.
How much prep does it take?
The case is ready in minutes and nothing ships, so the rest is atmosphere. A red runner, a few gold-painted figurines and the right music do most of the work. Set aside an afternoon for decor and cooking.
Will shy guests enjoy it?
Yes. Old Hollywood has roles for every energy, from the quiet screenwriter to the watchful publicist. Each round gives every player clear objectives, so nobody has to improvise a speech.
Host a Old Hollywood mystery
Pick a theme, add your guest list and see your cast in seconds. The preview is free.
