Someone at the Door (1936 film)

Someone at the Door
DVD cover
Directed by Herbert Brenon
Produced by Walter C. Mycroft
Written by Campbell Christie
Marjorie Deans
Jack Davis
Based on the play Someone at the Door by Campbell Christie & Dorothy Christie[1]
Starring Aileen Marson
Billy Milton
Noah Beery
Edward Chapman
Cinematography Bryan Langley
Edited by David Cousland
Production
company
Distributed by Wardour Films (UK)
Release date
  • 28 September 1936 (1936-09-28) (UK)
Running time
 73 minutes[2]
Country United Kingdom
Language English

Someone at the Door is a 1936 British drama film directed by Herbert Brenon and starring Aileen Marson, Billy Milton, Noah Beery, John Irwin and Edward Chapman.[3] A journalist comes up with a scheme to boost his career by inventing a fake murder but soon becomes embroiled in trouble when a real killing takes place.[4] It is based on a successful West End play by Campbell Christie and his wife Dorothy.[5]

Plot

When penniless Sally (Aileen Marson) inherits a decrepit country manor, formerly her childhood home, she moves in with her younger brother Ronald (Billy Milton). An ambitious young journalist, Ronald comes up with an outlandish scheme to get his first big story. He plans to hide Sally in the house, to fake her death, and then get himself arrested for her murder. When Sally suddenly reappears at his trial, it will prove his innocence, and leave Ronald to supply his paper with an exclusive story. However, the siblings uncover a real mystery when they become mixed up with jewel thieves, whose loot is hidden in their house.

Cast

Critical reception

The Radio Times preferred the film's 1950 remake, "although, in this case, that's not saying much, as the 1950 version of Campbell and Dorothy Christie's old theatrical chestnut wasn't very good either. Contrived only goes part way to describing this creaky thriller";[6] while Infernal Cinema described the film as "a little like a game of Cluedo come to life," and appreciated, "A short yet entertaining thriller from the thirties," concluding, "Brenon is sometimes under appreciated in the history of cinema, Someone at the Door is a brisk reminder of his talent."[7]

References

  1. ↑ Goble, Alan (1 January 1999). "The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film". Walter de Gruyter – via Google Books.
  2. ↑ "SOMEONE AT THE DOOR - British Board of Film Classification".
  3. ↑ "Someone at the Door". 28 September 1936 – via IMDb.
  4. ↑ "Someone at the Door (1936)".
  5. ↑ "Someone at the Door - Film from RadioTimes".
  6. ↑ "Someone at the Door - Film from RadioTimes".
  7. ↑ "Someone at the Door (DVD review) – Infernal Cinema".
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