Scotland Yard Investigator

I really enjoyed this "B" film mystery. C. Aubrey Smith makes a good hero, though he was in his eighties at the time. He always carried an air of authority about him, and never failed to be entertaining. His appearance and mannerisms cry out for parody, and in fact, he was often caricatured. But he was endearing and witty, and lots of fun to watch. Offscreen, he was famous as a leading member of the "British Colony" in Hollywood, in the 30s and 40s, and as a leader of the Hollywood Cricket Club.

Cheers too, for Erich Von Stroheim. What more can one say about him? He was a wonderful director, and a mesmerizing actor as well. He managed to elevate a number of low-budget films, and was wonderful in the "A" films, too. Think "Five Graves to Cairo" and "Sunset Boulevard," for example. His character in that latter film is creepy yet sympathetic- a type he played often, and well. I never get tired of watching him. He often chewed the scenery, but always in such an entertaining way that you have to forgive him.

This is a pretty good Republic effort. It is well written, and it keeps you interested. One thing I really like about the film is in its use of many famous Hollywood character actors. Forrester Harvey, who often played humorous Cockney types, gets more screen time here than usual. And he does a good job as the shady art dealer. Ditto his wife Doris Lloyd, who made a zillion movies. C. Aubrey's wife is played by Eva Moore, who was the creepy sister, Rebecca Femm, in James Whale's classic, "The Old Dark House." She plays a society lady here, and it's hard to believe she's the same actress as in that earlier film. You can also spot Billy Bevan, Victor Varconi, Georges Metaxa, and a number of faces that pop up in many films of the 30s and 40s. That was a great thing about Old Hollywood- there were so many excellent character actors available to the studios. They always added that something extra to the films, and audiences loved seeing them. Try to imagine the classics of that era without them.

For mystery lovers, and fans of the character actors of the studio system- era, this is a gem of a movie.