The Mantrap

Henry Stephenson stars as a retired Scotland Yard detective. He is regarded as an icon because he has written volumes of books on the art of detection. While Stephenson is being honoured for his past successes, he senses modern detectives, particularly the current District Attorney, look at him and his methods as outdated. This spurs the old man out of retirement to prove himself to the know-it-all modern detectives.

As fate has decreed, there is a modern murder case that has stumped the District Attorney's office. Lloyd Corrigan, playing his usual amiable eccentric, is Stephenson's aid in sleuthing. This film is a very gentle and unusual mystery that was a welcomed diversion for this veteran mystery lover.

Although "The Mantrap" is clearly a low budgeted B-movie from Republic Pictures, it is amazingly enjoyable...thanks to a clever script and wonderful acting by Henry Stephenson.

When the story begins, Sir Humphrey (Stephenson) is visiting the States along with his fussy doctor and friend (Lloyd Corrigan). Soon, they stumble upon a crime scene and the police quickly assume they know a young man is responsible for murdering his uncle. But Sir Humphrey is a very experienced detective for Scotland Yard and has written many volumes on police work...and he thinks the accused is innocent. So, instead of enjoying his time off and acting like the old man he is, Sir Humphrey decides to do some detecting himself.

Henry Stephenson is a very familiar supporting acting and here he gets a very rare chance to star in a film...and he does a great job. You can't help but find his character charming and most engaging. It really makes me wish he'd made more films like this, as B-detective stories are a dime a dozen, but he made this one truly special. A must-see for lovers of Bs.

really a hidden gem.

While main character Humphrey Quilp was only a pupil of Holmes, the plotting and dialog are pure Holmes/Conan Doyle. Pretty funny and clever script by Curt Siodmak. Jam packed with dialog and scenes, like a 90 minute mystery condensed into a 60 minute time slot. As such, it's never dull and keeps your attention. The modern police humor him and his "prehistoric" methods (such as noticing subtle yet simple illogical discrepancies), while he humors their total blindness to the details. The actual humor in the film is never broad but usually circumstantial- people getting annoyed with each other, or Quilp's friend (a Watson stand-in) who worries about his health and pulls cigarettes or drinks out of Quilp's hand when he isn't aware. Interestingly, Quilp drives (and advocates) an electric car. Certainly ahead of his time.

Don't want to say more and spoil your experience.

It's retired Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Henry Stephenson 70th birthday. He's living in suburban New York, writing books on criminology, and the chief of detectives in New York City has a crime they've already solved: Tom Stevenson has killed his uncle, Frederick Worlock, disguising it as a traffic accident. They're ready to make the arrest, but figure the old boy will enjoy one last case. His physician, Lloyd Corrigan, thinks he's not up to it, but Stephenson is like an old firehorse.

It's a nice little murder mystery, charmingly played by Stephenson, who was able to get right into character. He was 72 himself when this was released. He had first trod the boards some time in the 19th Century, and made his Broadway debut in 1901. He flirted the the silent movies half a dozen times, starting in 1917, but became a Hollywood regular in 1932. He retired from the screen in 1949 and died in 1956, just after his 85th birthday