Thursday 19 January 2017

Death at Broadcasting House (1934 Reginald Denham)

Quite lively, witty whodunit with novelty of BBC setting, not too much theatrical acting and some zippy moments of editing (Reginald Beck: The Go-Between, Accident; his second film). In life-imitating art mode Val Gielgud (John's brother) actually was Head of Sound Drama at the BBC when he wrote the source novel, and appears as the programme's producer.

Ian Hunter is the detective, Austin Trevor and Lilian Oldland the married thesps, Henry Kendall (Rich and Strange), Peter Haddon (drunk), young Jack Hawkins, Donald Wolfit as the murderee (who I said 'he did it' as soon as the credits came on), Betty Davies ('a nice bit of alibi') and uncredited, Beat the Devil's Ivor Barnard as usher.

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