''Moss Rose'' is a 1947 American

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

mystery film directed by

Gregory Ratoff Gregory Ratoff (born Grigory Vasilyevich Ratner; russian: Григорий Васильевич Ратнер, tr. ; April 20, c. 1893 – December 14, 1960) was a Russian-born American film director, actor and producer. As an actor, he was bes ...

and starring

Peggy Cummins Peggy Cummins (born Augusta Margaret Diane Fuller; 18 December 1925 – 29 December 2017) was an Irish actress, born in Wales, who is best known for her performance in Joseph H. Lewis's ''Gun Crazy'' (1950), playing a trigger-happy ''femme fa ...

, Victor Mature and

Ethel Barrymore Ethel Barrymore (born Ethel Mae Blythe; August 15, 1879 – June 18, 1959) was an American actress and a member of the Barrymore family of actors. Barrymore was a stage, screen and radio actress whose career spanned six decades, and was regarde ...

. It is an adaptation of the 1934 novel '' Moss Rose'' by Marjorie Bowen based on a real-life

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...

murder case.

Plot

Set in

London, the story concerns a music hall chorus girl, Belle Adair, aka Rose Lynton, who blackmails a gentleman, Michael Drego, after seeing him leave the house where another dancer, Daisy Arrow, was found murdered. Instead of accepting money she demands to be invited to the man's stately home to experience the life of a lady. The woman becomes friends with the man's mother, Lady Margaret Drego, and his fiancée, Audrey Ashton, but her peace is disturbed when Inspector Clinner, played by Vincent Price, arrives to question them further about the murder. Then another murder is committed in similar circumstances.

Cast

as Belle Adair aka Rose Lynton * Victor Mature as Michael Drego *

as Lady Margaret Drego * Vincent Price as Police Inspector R. Clinner *

Margo Woode Margo Woode (April 20, 1928 – September 28, 2018) was an American actress, signed by 20th Century Fox in 1944 and started her film debut in ''Springtime in the Rockies ''Springtime in the Rockies'' is an American Technicolor musical comedy ...

as Daisy Arrow *

George Zucco George Zucco (11 January 1886 – 27 May 1960) was a British character actor who appeared in plays and 96 films, mostly American-made, during a career spanning over two decades, from the 1920s to 1951. In his films, he often played a suave ...

as Craxton, the butler * Patricia Medina as Audrey Ashton * Rhys Williams as Deputy Inspector Evans * John Rogers as Fothergill * Patrick O'Moore as George Gilby *

Billy Bevan Billy Bevan (born William Bevan Harris, 29 September 1887 – 26 November 1957) was an Australian-born vaudevillian, who became an American film actor. He appeared in more than 250 American films between 1916 and 1950. Career Bevan was bo ...

as White Horse Cabby (uncredited) *

Al Ferguson Al Ferguson (19 April 1888 – 4 December 1971) was an Irish-born American film actor. Born in County Wexford, Ireland, he appeared in nearly 300 films between 1912 and 1956. Billed as Smoke Ferguson, by 1912 he was making Westerns for Selig ...

as Constable (uncredited) *

Gerald Oliver Smith Gerald Wilson Oliver Smith (June 26, 1892 – May 28, 1974) was an English-born actor who spent most of his career in the United States, both in New York City as a stage actor and in the Hollywood film industry. Born in Sidcup, Kent, England, Sm ...

as Hotel Clerk (uncredited) *

John Goldsworthy John Goldsworthy (1884–1958) was a British-born stage and film actor. After emigrating to the United States he was active on Broadway appearing in a variety of plays, as well as several musicals.Bordman p.460 During the silent era he appeared ...

as Minister (uncredited) * Stuart Holmes as Pompous English Colonel (uncredited)

Production

20th Century Fox announced they had paid their highest ever price for the screen rights to a 1934 novel by Marjorie Bowen for ''Moss Rose'', but did not specify how much. The film was immediately assigned to Peggy Cummins, who had been fired from '' Forever Amber''. "Ethel Barrymore was in it", Vincent Price said. "I was terrified of her until one day between takes she waddles up and whispers, ‘Got a smoke?’"

Reception

Box-office

The film was a commercial disappointment. Darryl F. Zanuck called it "a catastrophe, for which I blame myself. Our picture was not as good as the original script and the casting was atrocious. The property lost $1,300,000 net."

Critical response

When the film was released, '' The New York Times'' film critic, Bosley Crowther, praised the film, writing, "Readers of thriller fiction have been talking for quite some time about a writer called Joseph Shearing, whose many period mysteries are said to have a flavor and distinction all their own. And now it appears that film-goers will have reason to join the claque, if all of this author's output is as adaptable as the first to reach the screen. For ''Moss Rose'', the first of several promised Shearing films, which hit the Roxy yesterday, is a suave and absorbing mystery thriller, neatly plotted and deliciously played ... Thanks to a splendid performance by Peggy Cummins in the role of the girl, there is something to watch when she is acting besides the consequence of the makeup artist's work. Her job as the Cockney chorine has spirit, humor and brass—and a surprisingly tender quality which nicely rounds the role." The staff at '' Variety'' magazine also gave the film a positive review. They wrote, "Moss Rose is good whodunit. Given a lift by solid trouping and direction, melodrama is run off against background of early-day England that provides effective setting for theme of destructive mother love ... Gregory Ratoff's direction develops considerable flavor to the period melodramatics. He gets meticulous performances from players in keeping with mood of piece."''Variety''
Staff film review, 1947. Accessed: July 14, 2013.

References

External links

* *
Review of film
at ''Variety'' * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Moss Rose 1947 films 1940s historical thriller films 1940s psychological thriller films 1940s mystery thriller films American historical thriller films American psychological thriller films American mystery thriller films American black-and-white films Film noir Films based on British novels Films set in London Films set in the 19th century Films set in the Victorian era 20th Century Fox films Films directed by Gregory Ratoff Films scored by David Buttolph Films with screenplays by Jules Furthman 1940s English-language films 1940s American films