''The Admiral's Secret'' is a 1934 British
comedy film
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
directed by
Guy Newall
Guy Newall (25 May 1885 – 25 February 1937) was a British actor, screenwriter and film director. He was born on the Isle of Wight on 25 May 1885. He began his film career by acting in the 1915 film '' The Heart of Sister Ann''. In 1920 he direc ...
and starring
Edmund Gwenn
Edmund Gwenn (born Edmund John Kellaway; 26 September 1877 – 6 September 1959) was an English actor. On film, he is best remembered for his role as Kris Kringle in the Christmas film ''Miracle on 34th Street'' (1947), for which he won th ...
,
James Raglan
James Raglan (6 January 1901 – 15 November 1961) was a British stage, film and television actor.
In Australia
Early in 1935 he was brought out to Australia with the Gabriel Toyne company by J. C. Williamson, playing ''Laburnum Grove'' and ...
and
Dorothy Black. It was based on a play by Cyril Campion and filmed at
Twickenham Studios
Twickenham Studios (formerly known as Twickenham Film Studios) is a film studio in St Margarets, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, that is used by various motion picture and television companies. It was established in 1913 by Ralph ...
. The film's sets were designed by
James Carter. A
quota quickie
The Cinematograph Films Act of 1927 ('' 17 & 18 Geo. V'') was an act of the United Kingdom Parliament designed to stimulate the declining British film industry. It received Royal Assent on 20 December 1927 and came into force on 1 April 1928.
D ...
, it was released by the American company
RKO Pictures
RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orphe ...
.
Premise
In
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...
a gang of
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
criminals search for a trove of stolen gems hidden by a retired British
Admiral
Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...
.
BFI | Film & TV Database | The ADMIRAL'S SECRET (1934)
Cast
* Edmund Gwenn
Edmund Gwenn (born Edmund John Kellaway; 26 September 1877 – 6 September 1959) was an English actor. On film, he is best remembered for his role as Kris Kringle in the Christmas film ''Miracle on 34th Street'' (1947), for which he won th ...
as Admiral Fitzporter
* James Raglan
James Raglan (6 January 1901 – 15 November 1961) was a British stage, film and television actor.
In Australia
Early in 1935 he was brought out to Australia with the Gabriel Toyne company by J. C. Williamson, playing ''Laburnum Grove'' and ...
as Frank Bruce
* Hope Davy as Pamela Fitzporter
* Aubrey Mather
Aubrey Mather (17 December 1885 – 16 January 1958) was an English character actor.
Career
Mather was born in Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, and began his career on the stage in 1905. He debuted in London in '' Brewster's Millions'' in ...
as Captain Brooke
* as Sam Hawkins
* Abraham Sofaer
Abraham Isaac Sofaer (1 October 1896 – 21 January 1988) was a Burmese-born British actor who began his career on stage and became a familiar supporting player in film and on television in his later years.
Life and career
Although Sofaer was b ...
as Don Pablo y Gonzales
* Dorothy Black as Donna Teresa
* Andreas Malandrinos
Andreas Malandrinos ( el, Ανδρέας Μαλανδρίνος; 14 November 1888, in Greece – 11 July 1970, in Surrey) was a Greek-born actor who started appearing in British films from 1930, until his death 40 years later in Surrey, England ...
as Guido d'Elvira
* D. J. Williams as Questa
* Agnes Imlay as Mrs. Pinchcliffe
References
Bibliography
* Low, Rachael. ''Filmmaking in 1930s Britain''. George Allen & Unwin, 1985.
* Wood, Linda. ''British Films, 1927-1939''. British Film Institute, 1986.
External links
*
1934 films
1934 comedy films
British comedy films
British black-and-white films
British films based on plays
Films directed by Guy Newall
Seafaring films
Films set in Devon
Films shot at Twickenham Film Studios
Quota quickies
1930s English-language films
1930s British films
{{1930s-UK-comedy-film-stub