The Riverside Murder

THE RIVERSIDE MURDER (1935) starts with a bang as Robert Norman (Aubrey Mallalieu) is dispatched in the study with the revolver.

This is the first big case for Inspector Philip Winton's (Basil Sydney) first big case he is assisted by Police Sgt. 'Mac' McKay (Alastair Sim). Everyone is being dogged by armature reporter Claire Haines (Judy Gunn.)

Turn out it is the standard tontine mystery. So, more participants may be dispatched.

Too many explanations and of course the murderer probably pops out of the closest at the last minute. Why do we not get all the information during the movie?

Because there is no butler, I assume it is the housekeeper.

A good cast act badly in this parodic quota quickie in which three people are murdered yet never engages the interest - except possibly exasperation that nobody ever throttles the infuriating blonde reporter Judy Gunn is saddled with playing. Her final scene with detective Basil Sydney is so contrived you'll want to throw things at the screen.

The direction and photography are okay.

THE RIVERSIDE MURDER (Fox Film Company / UK / 1935)

6 down-on-their luck friends pool their money and agree to equally split any profits at the end of 5 years. As the deadline approaches, they begin to get murdered, one by one. Trying to solve the crimes are straight-laced Inspector Philip Winton, his rather eccentric Scottish sidekick Police Sgt. 'Mac' McKay, and pesky, ambitious newspaper reporter Claire Haines. At one point, one of the friends involved in the "pact" is shot in front of 2 witnesses, yet a moment later, the body has disappeared.

If all this sounds familiar, it's because it's basically the SAME story filmed just 2 years earlier in America as "A STUDY IN SCARLET". So many people are busy complaining that film has nothing to do with Arthur Conan Doyle's 1st Sherlock Holmes novel that they completely miss that it's really an uncredited SWIPE of Belgian writer Stanislas-André Steeman's 1931 detective novel "Six Hommes Morts", which IS listed in the opening credits of THIS film.

Having seen the 1933 film with Reginald Owen at least 4 times and enjoying it more each time, I decided to go looking for the other versions. "RIVERSIDE" is a very nicely-done, compact, and at times amusing early English murder mystery. I haven't read the source novel yet (it's in French, I wonder if it's ever been published in English-- or, ONLINE?). But, if I had to guess, I'd say this version, which is quite streamlined compared to the "Sherlock Holmes" version, is probably more authentic to the book.

I found it amazing to watch 2 drastically-different adaptations of the same story, but be able to clearly recognize certain elements that appeared in both films. One example was the girl witnessing a murder, where the body disappears right after it happens. Another is learning about an underground tunnel that connects to the house. Funny enough, a similar tunnel appeared in the 1929 German "HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES", though I'm pretty sure it never appeared in Doyle's novel.

I was only familiar with 2 actors in this. Sgt. McKay was Alistair Sim, who's perhaps best known for what is generally considered the best version of "A CHRISTMAS CAROL" ever made. He also played police inspectors in several films, including a favorite of mine, "GREEN FOR DANGER", which was like a World War 2-era version of "CHINA BEACH". It's his face on the DVD box.

One of the group targetted for murder, the most level-headed of them, Henry Sanders, was played by actor Ian Fleming, who I've seen as Dr. John Watson in 3 of the 4 available Arthur Wontner SHERLOCK HOLMES films.

The hero, Inspector Philip Winton, was played by Basil Sydney. He reminded me a bit of Claude Rains, or Kenneth More. But, it turns out, I had seen in him in 3 other films-- IVANHOE (1952), AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS (1956), and a real favorite of mine, THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE (1959), where he played "Lawyer Hawkins". I'll have to keep an eye out for him next time I watch that!

There are at least 2 more film adaptations of "Six Hommes Morts" (Six Dead Men), and I'm already planning to get the 3rd one very soon. After that, I may go looking for more films based on Stanislas-André Steeman's books.

People keep comparing this to Agatha Christie's "Ten Little Indians", but note, the victims in that did not know each other, there was NO detective on the scene, and, that was published in 1939. (heh)

The Riverside Murder is a British quota quickie, notable only for being the film debut of Alastair Sim.

Shortly before an important meeting of five investors, one of them, Robert Norman, is shot dead in his study. It becomes apparent that all the investors are in danger as two others are knocked off.

Sim supplies the energy, and Judy Gunn as reporter Claire Haines supplies the aggravation.

The film uses the device of a gun barrel being seen in a doorway shooting someone.

Sloppily done, with the reporter (hanging up the phone and then the phone conversation continuing.

Alistair Sim, from this humble beginning, will go on to great things.

This a Standard quota quickie with all the usual clichés.Basil Sydney,for once playing a detective,has to find a serial murderer,with the help of the comedy sidekick,played as so often,by Alistair Sim,and hindered by a female reporter.Now as is often the case,there is a totally unlikely plot contrivance which makes it impossible to work out who is the killer.Reasonable of its type.