The Shadow
UK release: 2 March 1933
Twickenham Film Studios
Director: George A. Cooper
Starring:
Henry Kendall
Elizabeth Allan
Felix Aylmer
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Another thriller from producer of The Lodger, quota quickie king Julius Hagen. Elizabeth Allan from The Lodger takes the female lead.
By no means a horror, more of a murder mystery with a reliable dose of humour - a tactic commonly employed at this time by horror-wary producers fending off the censors.
A bit of spooky atmosphere is lent by the heavy fog that traps the cast in an old country house. And some convenient switching-off of lights helps the titular Shadow stay, well… shadowy. (No, it’s not that Shadow - this is very much an upper crust English affair, old bean. Even the Shadow himself is a very polite toff).
There are some nice slices of noir-ish photography that stop it being all very stagey. Because it was obviously a stage play beforehand. So there you go. All good sporting fun in the manner of Jeeves & Wooster meet Agatha Christie, awkwardly failing at times to channel Raymond Chandler.
Not sure what Henry Kendall’s preoccupation with that loofah is all about though.
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I'm watching every British cult classic from 1932-83 - in order. Because our first 50(ish) years of horror, thriller, sci-fi & fantasy films were the best. And here's where it starts...
Instagram & Twitter: @bobfear
29 окт 2024
