The Mystery of Mr. X

This was an excellent pre-code mystery which cried out for a series starring the dapper, cosmopolitan Robert Montgomery. Could have been a second-story-man-turned-detective, or something along those lines. Always thought he had a charismatic presence on screen which commands your attention, and charisma is an elusive quality; either you have it or you don't.

He is paired here with Elizabeth Allan (not his wife, but same name) and there is a great deal of chemistry between the two (funny how important an ingredient it is to a successful picture). A sentence or two about the plot; Someone is killing bobbies in and around London, much to the chagrin of Scotland Yard. As another cop murder is taking place on the street, RM is stealing a precious diamond in an adjacent mansion. As he jumps out a window, he lands on the dead policeman, bloodying his gloves in the process. He leaves them at the scene - seemingly The Yard's first clue. For the rest of the picture he tries to extricate himself from the murder while hanging on to the stolen diamond.

Things go somewhat awry towards the end - apparently, the screenwriter was stuck for an ending and opted for one of convenience and unbelievability, but the picture was so good up to that point I decided to go with it and suspend disbelief. It was easy, as it is such an enjoyable movie.

Robert Montgomery stars with Elizabeth Allen and Lewis Stone in "The Mysterious Mr. X" from 1934.

A serial killer is going around London killing policemen. Unfortunately for Nick Revel and his band of merry men, a taxi driver named Joe and an insurance clerk named Hutch, the killer struck outside a home where the famous Drayton Diamond was stolen.

Nick is the thief. But he's not the killer known as "Mr. X," who writes letters to the police just before he strikes. The police think the robber is the killer.

Nick and his cronies know that they can't return the diamond for the insurance reward or pawn it until the serial killer is caught. When a man is arrested, one Sir Christopher March, Nick knows he's the wrong man.

He has an idea as to how the police can catch the killer. He figures if he testifies on behalf of March, he will be able to present his plan to the police.

March turns out to be the fiancé of Jane, the daughter of the police commissioner, and Revel and Jane are attracted to one another. Meanwhile, her father is suspicious of Revel.

Pleasant mystery, with a charming performance by Montgomery. Some fun moments, especially when an accomplice delivers the diamond to Revel and drops it in a glass of liquid. The end is quite exciting, with a very dynamic either set or location.

Good movie.

This is Robert Montgomery's film all the way. This fine American Actor/Director is at his best and obviously has a lot of fun as he plays a second story man who just happens to steal a valuable diamond at the same time a policeman is murdered by a deranged killer. The killing takes place on the sidewalk just below where Montgomery has made his heist and, as the film unfolds, Scotland Yard comes to the erroneous conclusion that the theft and the murder have been committed by the same person. This leaves Montgomery in a precarious position and he realizes that to keep from being blamed for the murder he will have to bring the killer to justice by his own wiles. He is working on all of this while, at the same time, romancing the daughter of the head of Scotland Yard. There is plenty of good old fashioned suspense in this film to satisfy any mystery fan. There are also several light moments as we watch the romance between the jewel thief and the daughter of the Scotland Yard chief unfold. Lewis Stone, perhaps remembered best as Judge Hardy in that venerable series does a great job as another high Scotland Yard official who is suspicious of Montgomery from the start and plays a bit of a cat and mouse game with the thief. The ending is very satisfying as all matters are tied-up neatly. Enjoy...........

Modern directors who don't know how to make a movie in less than two hours could take a lesson from this fast-paced 84 minute thriller, shot in 1934. The tale centers on a killer who uses a cane-sword to skewer policemen, warning Scotland Yard of each murder before it occurs. Unfortunately, jewel thief Robert Montgomery happens to be heisting a diamond just as another bobby is slain -- and becomes the principal suspect. The only way he can clear his name is to catch the maniac, pausing from time to time to dally with Elizabeth Allan as the police commissioner's fetching daughter. As the mystery moves crisply along, there are no long tracking shots, lingering looks at people's faces or endless glimpses of scenery. Instead, Montgomery's bonhomie, Allan's saucy appeal, a clever, amusing script and tight editing make Mr. X a pleasure to watch.

There's a guy in between the World Wars London who's going around knocking off London bobbies with a sword cane. Henry Stephenson and Lewis Stone can't figure it out at all.

One of the murders happens at a time when cracksman Robert Montgomery has stolen a very valuable diamond and Scotland Yard links the two crimes mistakenly. And they also link upper middle class society twit Ralph Forbes to the next one.

Montgomery realizes he can't fence that valuable jewel with the heat on so he tries by subterfuge to aid Scotland Yard. Of course this tangles him up with Elizabeth Allan who is Henry Stephenson's daughter in the film and Mrs. Robert Montgomery in real life.

Robert Montgomery is poaching a bit on Ronald Colman's territory, but he does a fine job as the thief. Henry Stephenson as always is THE quintessential English gentleman and Lewis Stone is a hard and driven inspector trying to catch the maniac.

The police do make mistakes here, but the mistakes are completely understandable and really the fault of both Forbes and Montgomery who step into it themselves.

By the way you know that this picture is before the Code because it is by no means clear that Montgomery will ever give up a life of crime.