drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...
directed by
James Flood
James Joseph Flood (1895-1953) was an American film director.
Born in New York City, Flood became an assistant director with Biograph in 1912 and was active through 1952.
Career
When working on ''The Swellhead'', Flood decided he wanted to ...
and starring
Clive Brook
Clifford Hardman "Clive" Brook (1 June 1887 – 17 November 1974) was an English film actor.
After making his first screen appearance in 1920, Brook emerged as a leading British actor in the early 1920s. After moving to the United States ...
,
Victoria Hopper
Victoria Hopper (24 May 1909 – 22 January 2007) was a Canadian-born British stage and film actress and singer.
Biography
Victoria Evelyn Hopper was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and brought up in North East England. She studie ...
,
Nora Swinburne
Leonora Mary Johnson (24 July 1902 – 1 May 2000), known professionally as Nora Swinburne, was an English actress who appeared in many British films.
Early years
Swinburne was born in Bath, Somerset, the daughter of Henry Swinburne Johnson a ...
and
Malcolm Keen
Malcolm Keen (8 August 1887 – 30 January 1970) was an English actor of stage, film and television. He was sometimes credited as Malcolm Keane.Lonely Road'' by
Nevil Shute
Nevil Shute Norway (17 January 189912 January 1960) was an English novelist and aeronautical engineer who spent his later years in Australia. He used his full name in his engineering career and Nevil Shute as his pen name, in order to protect ...
, who had visualised the chief character as the actor Clive Brook and had sent a copy of the novel to Brook. Shute visited the studio, and was pleased to see the film made (though the payment for film rights ''was not large by American standards'').
Plot
Commander Malcolm Stevenson proposes to Lady Anne, which surprises her, as she thought they were only friends. She also thinks he is too restless to settle down. While speeding half-drunk in his car, an " Auburn Supercharger," he ends up stuck in sand on a beach, where he stumbles upon some smugglers. Before he is knocked unconscious, one of the men mentions carpet sweepers, of all things. After recuperating from what he thinks was a simple car accident, he decides to drive to Scotland.
In Leeds, he goes to a dance hall. There he rescues singer and
taxi dancer
A taxi dancer is a paid dance partner in a partner dance. Taxi dancers are hired to dance with their customers on a dance-by-dance basis. When taxi dancing first appeared in taxi-dance halls during the early 20th century in the United States, mal ...
Molly Gordon from a young man she obviously dislikes. After their first dance together, he buys enough tickets to dance and chat with her until closing. By chance, he learns that her brother is doing very well driving a lorry delivering carpet sweepers.
Later, he is consulted by a police friend, who shows him a crate labeled carpet sweepers, but containing two weapons similar to
Tommy guns
The Thompson submachine gun (also known as the "Tommy Gun", "Chicago Typewriter", "Chicago Piano", “Trench Sweeper” or "Trench Broom") is a blowback-operated, air-cooled, magazine-fed selective-fire submachine gun, invented by United Sta ...
. He begins to suspect he was knocked out, and that Molly's brother is involved. He takes his story to Scotland Yard. It agrees with information they already have. They ask him to see Molly again and find out where her brother is. He agrees, to spare Molly police interrogation. However, she has not heard from her brother in a while and does not know how to reach him.
Stevenson invites her to holiday with him at his home in Devonshire. Suspicious at first, she agrees.
Stevenson is coerced into bringing Molly to Scotland Yard for questioning. Not liking how Major Norman is conducting the interrogation, Stevenson insists she will answer no more questions without her solicitor being present.
Stevenson and Molly locate her brother Billy through his ex-girlfriend. He reluctantly tells them all he knows. Palmer is the ringleader of the smugglers. Someone Palmer calls "Professor" wants the planted guns found; he has the idea that the issue of gun-running will get him elected and has hired Palmer to arrange it all. However, Palmer sees Billy with Stephenson and Major Norman. One of his confederates recognises Norman, so Palmer decides to flee the country, after silencing Billy. He shoots Professor in cold blood when the latter refuses to abandon his scheme and avoid the attendant unwanted publicity. Palmer shoots Billy, and Molly when she runs to her brother's aid, at Stevenson's place. Stevenson chases the crooks down and captures all three. The doctor tells Stevenson that if he can persuade Molly (to whom he has proposed) to sleep, she will pull through. Stevenson succeeds.
Cast
*
Clive Brook
Clifford Hardman "Clive" Brook (1 June 1887 – 17 November 1974) was an English film actor.
After making his first screen appearance in 1920, Brook emerged as a leading British actor in the early 1920s. After moving to the United States ...
as Malcolm Stevenson
*
Victoria Hopper
Victoria Hopper (24 May 1909 – 22 January 2007) was a Canadian-born British stage and film actress and singer.
Biography
Victoria Evelyn Hopper was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and brought up in North East England. She studie ...
as Molly Gordon
*
Nora Swinburne
Leonora Mary Johnson (24 July 1902 – 1 May 2000), known professionally as Nora Swinburne, was an English actress who appeared in many British films.
Early years
Swinburne was born in Bath, Somerset, the daughter of Henry Swinburne Johnson a ...
as Lady Anne
*
Malcolm Keen
Malcolm Keen (8 August 1887 – 30 January 1970) was an English actor of stage, film and television. He was sometimes credited as Malcolm Keane.Cecil Ramage as Major Norman
*
Charles Farrell
Charles David Farrell (August 9, 1900 – May 6, 1990) was an American film actor of the 1920s silent era and into the 1930s, and later a television actor. Farrell is probably best recalled for his onscreen romances with actress Janet Gaynor ...
as Palmer
*
Laurence Hanray
Laurence Hanray ( Lawrence Henry Jacobs; 16 May 1874 – 28 November 1947), sometimes credited as Lawrence Hanray, was a British film and theatre actor born in London, England. He is also credited as the author of several plays and music hall s ...
as Jenkinson
*
Frederick Peisley
Frederick Walter James Peisley (6 December 1904 – 22 March 1975) was a British stage, film and television actor and theatre director whose career spanned five decades. He is known for ''The Secret of the Loch'' (1934), ''Gentlemen's Agreement' ...
as Bill Gordon
*
Ethel Coleridge
Ethel Coleridge (14 January 1883 – 15 August 1976) was an English actress, best known for her roles in the original Aldwych farces in the 1920s and 1930s.
Life and career
Coleridge was born Ethel Coleridge Tucker in South Molton, Devonshire, ...
as Mrs. Rogers
*
Warburton Gamble
Evelyn Charles Warburton Gamble (16 December 1882 – 27 August 1945) was a British stage and film actor.
Gamble was born on 16 December 1882 in London and acted on stage professionally as early as 1905. His work on stage included a season o ...
as Fedden
*
Dennis Wyndham
Dennis Wyndham (15 January 1887 – 19 August 1973) was a South African born stage and film actor. Long based in Britain, he appeared in more than 40 films between 1920 and 1956. He was born in Natal, South Africa.
On 23 May 1917, he marrie ...
as The Satellite
References
Bibliography
*Low, Rachael. ''Filmmaking in 1930s Britain''. George Allen & Unwin, 1985.
*Wood, Linda. ''British Films, 1927–1939''. British Film Institute, 1986.