''The Masquerader'' is a 1933 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship guidelines, popularly known ...

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 Richard Wallace and starring Ronald Colman,

Elissa Landi Elissa Landi (born Elisabeth Marie Christine Kühnelt; December 6, 1904 – October 21, 1948) was an Austrian-American actress born in Venice, who was popular as a performer in Hollywood films of the 1920s and 1930s. She was noted for her a ...

and Juliette Compton. It was produced by

Samuel Goldwyn Samuel Goldwyn (born Szmuel Gelbfisz; yi, שמואל געלבפֿיש; August 27, 1882 (claimed) January 31, 1974), also known as Samuel Goldfish, was a Polish-born American film producer. He was best known for being the founding contributor an ...

and released through

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stud ...

. ''The Masquerader'' was a popular 1904 novel, a 1917 play, and a 1922 silent film. Colman takes a

dual role A dual role (also known as a double role) refers to one actor playing two roles in a single production. Dual roles (or a larger number of roles for an actor) may be deliberately written into a script, or may instead be a choice made during produc ...

as a drug-addicted member of Parliament and his lookalike cousin recruited to take his place.

Plot

There is much civil unrest in England, as unemployed workers demand work. In Parliament, the government refuses to do anything, stating that things will work out without their interference. The opposition is counting on Sir John Chilcote to roast their inactivity, but he collapses at the beginning of his speech. He soon revives, but declines seeing a doctor, instead taking something in a drink. Fraser, the head of his party, is fed up with Chilcote's latest failure and insists that he attend a meeting the next morning to discuss his political future. While walking home in the London fog, he bumps into his lookalike cousin, journalist John Loder, who chastises him for his disgraceful performance. He then goes to see his mistress, Lady Diana Joyce. Eve, Chilcote's estranged wife, returns from France and tries to persuade Fraser and newspaper editor Lakely to give her husband one more chance to speak that night. More because they have no other choice than because of her pleas, they give in. Chilcote does not appreciate her efforts. It becomes clear that Chilcote is addicted to drugs. He also neglects his shipyards, and fires his business manager, Blessington. When Brock, the family valet, upbraids him too, Chilcote comes up with a plan. He persuades Loder to impersonate him and make the speech, then falls unconscious. Brock finds them together. He soon figures out who Loder is and persuades him to speak in Parliament. Brock notices a scar on his wrist, acquired in the First World War. Loder's impassioned speech is a rousing success. However, Chilcote's condition does not improve, forcing Loder to continue the masquerade. He goes from triumph to triumph, even settling a strike at "his" shipyards. Loder and Eve fall in love; one night, he embraces and kisses her, but comes to his senses just in time. Meanwhile, Lady Joyce hires a private detective to investigate Loder's neglect of her. Upon reading his report, she brings a police inspector with her to confront the imposter at a nightclub where he is attending a party. Brock tries to persuade Chilcote to return home, mentioning Lady Joyce. Misunderstanding, Chilcote also goes to the party. At the party, Lady Joyce dances with the unwilling Loder; she sees the scar on his wrist, confirming her suspicions. She tells Fraser, Lakely and Eve that Loder is an imposter. Loder spots Chilcote arriving and hides. Lady Joyce is thoroughly discredited when no scar is found on Chilcote's wrist. Soon after, Chilcote dies. Brock tells the doctor he had brought too late that the deceased's name is John Loder. Loder is determined to end the deception, but he discovers that Brock has told Eve everything. She wants him to stay with her, so he does.

Cast

* Ronald Colman as Sir John Chilcote / John Loder *

as Eve Chilcote * Juliette Compton as Lady Diana Joyce * David Torrence as Fraser * Claude King as Lakely *

Halliwell Hobbes Herbert Halliwell Hobbes (16 November 187720 February 1962) was an English actor. Early years The future actor was the son of William Albert Hobbes (1841-1909), a Warwickshire solicitor, and his wife, Marion Hobbes, née Dennis, (1838-1925). ...

as Brock *

Helen Jerome Eddy Helen Jerome Eddy (February 25, 1897 – January 27, 1990) was a motion picture actress from New York City. She was noted as a character actress who played genteel heroines in films such as ''Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm'' (1917). Early years Edd ...

as Robbins *

Olaf Hytten Olaf Hytten (3 March 1888 – 11 March 1955) was a Scottish actor. He appeared in more than 280 films between 1921 and 1955. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and died in Los Angeles, California from a heart attack, while sitting in his car ...

as Doctor *

Creighton Hale Creighton Hale (born Patrick Fitzgerald; May 24, 1882 – August 9, 1965) was an Irish-American theatre, film, and television actor whose career extended more than a half-century, from the early 1900s to the end of the 1950s. Career Born in Cou ...

as Bobby Blessington * C. Montague Shaw as Speaker of the House (uncredited)

References

External links

* 1930s English-language films 1930s American films 1933 films 1933 drama films American black-and-white films American drama films Films about lookalikes Films based on British novels Films directed by Richard Wallace Films scored by Alfred Newman American films based on plays Films set in London Remakes of American films Samuel Goldwyn Productions films Sound film remakes of silent films {{1930s-drama-film-stub