The Mystery of Mr. X

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.

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.

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.

The Mystery of Mr. X (1934) : Brief Review -

This film is so underrated simply for existing in the formative era of Hitchcock and others. The Mystery of Mr. X has to be one of those overlooked movies of the '30s that didn't receive its due because of the overwhelming consumption of many great films around the same time. You might remember some of Hitchcock's early thrillers from the late '20s and mid-'30s, as well as a few other good thrillers from others, including Lubitsch's rom-com featuring a con artist, so you'd surely enjoy Edgar Selwyn's pre-code comedy crime thriller. The film revolves around a series of murders occurring across the city at the same time a thief is at work trying to steal a precious diamond. One of the murders takes place on the same premises, and the cop suspects that both crimes are committed by the same criminal. They apprehend the wrong person, allowing the murderer and the thief to continue their activities. The thief, however, decides to save this innocent man and offers his good advice to the police. The cop suspects something fishy and conducts a different investigation simultaneously. The thief and the commissioner's daughter fall in love, complicating matters for him. Will he and the police be able to find the real killer? The entire film is light-hearted yet quite intriguing. The tricks are thrilling, even though the feature isn't particularly mysterious. It is executed very cleverly without making things too serious. The way the thief shifts the diamond from one location to another is absolutely mind-blowing when viewed in the context of any film from the 1930s. The suspense and curiosity are both well-built and well-served. This has to be one of the finest characters and performances by Robert Montgomery. What a charming and intelligent thief he portrayed! Elizabeth Allan was delightful, and Lewis Stone was fabulous. Philip MacDonald's original work deserves all the credit, followed by a brilliant screenplay and the director's fantastic grip on the narrative. I have seen hundreds of good thrillers from old Hollywood, yet I was glued to the screen for 80 minutes. Isn't that enough to tell how good this one is?

RATING - 7/10*

By - #samthebestest.

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...........