Shot in the Dark (also known as A Shot in the Dark) is a 1933 British mystery film directed by George Pearson and starring Dorothy Boyd, O. B. Clarence, Jack Hawkins and Michael Shepley.[1][2] It was written by Gerard Fairlie and Terence Egan and shot at Twickenham Studios in London as a quota quickie for release by RKO Pictures.[3]
| Shot in the Dark | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | George Pearson |
| Written by | Gerard Fairlie Terence Egan |
| Based on | novel by H. Fowler Mear |
| Produced by | Julius Hagen |
| Starring | Dorothy Boyd O. B. Clarence Jack Hawkins Michael Shepley |
| Cinematography | Ernest Palmer |
| Edited by | Lister Laurance |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Radio Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 53 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Synopsis
editWhen a wealthy old man dies suddenly, a local priest suspects something and begins to investigate.
Cast
edit- Dorothy Boyd as Alaris Browne
- O. B. Clarence as Reverend John Makehan
- Jack Hawkins as Norman Paull
- Michael Shepley as Vivien Waugh
- Davy Burnaby as Colonel Michael Browne
- A. Bromley Davenport as Peter Browne
- Russell Thorndike as Doctor Stuart
- Hugh E. Wright as George Yarrow
- Henrietta Watson as Angela Browne
- Margaret Yarde as Kate Browne
Critical reception
editKine Weekly wrote: "The opening stages are well-developed, but the progress of the plot is considerably slowed by the many false clues which hinder the investigator. Credulity is strained by so many people attempting to commit murder on the same stormy evening."[4]
In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "mediocre", writing: "Typical multi-suspect whodunnit."[5]
Britmovie called the film a "typical multi-suspect “quota quickie”"[6]
References
edit- ^ "A Shot in the Dark". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
- ^ "BFI | Film & TV Database | A SHOT IN THE DARK (1933)". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. 16 April 2009. Archived from the original on 3 September 2009. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ Chibnall, Steve (2007). Quota Quickies: The Birth of the British 'B' Film. British Film Institute. p. 285. ISBN 978-1844571543.
- ^ "A Shot in the Dark". Kine Weekly. 201 (1385): 39. 2 November 1933 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 145. ISBN 0-7134-1874-5.
- ^ "A Shot in the Dark". britmovie.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
External links
edit- A Shot in the Dark at IMDb
- Review at The Missing Link, archived form the original on 12 August 2017.
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