''The Tell-Tale Heart'' is a 1934 British

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

Brian Desmond Hurst Brian Desmond Hurst (12 February 1895 – 26 September 1986) was a Belfast-born film director. With over thirty films in his filmography, Hurst has been hailed as Northern Ireland's best film director.Screening will honour 'NI's best film ...

. The screenplay by David Plunkett Greene is based on the 1843 short story of the same name by

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wid ...

. It is the earliest known "talkie" film adaptation of the story.

Plot

A young manservant is driven mad by his obsession with the repulsive diseased eye of an old man who cares for him. He kills his master and hides the remains under the floorboards. When the police investigate the old man's disappearance, the imagined beating of the victim's heart haunts the murderer's thoughts so much that his words and actions arouse the suspicions of the police.

Cast

*Norman Dryden as The Boy *John Kelt as The Old Man *Yolande Terrell as The Girl

Production

Produced by Clifton-Hurst Productions (with Harry Clifton as the listed producer), it was filmed at the Blattner Studios in

Elstree Elstree is a large village in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire, England. It is about northwest of central London on the former A5 road, that follows the course of Watling Street. In 2011, its population was 5,110. It forms part of t ...

, and released in the USA under the title ''Bucket of Blood''. The film was considered so gruesome that it was withdrawn from some cinemas in the UK. The cast was mostly amateur (John Kelt had appeared in several silent films) and the dialogue is so sparse that Hurst recalled when interviewed:"Re-Viewing British Cinema, 1900-1992: Essays and Interviews"
Wheeler W. Dixon, pub. SUNY Press, 1 Jul 1994, , p.27

References

External links

*
''The Tell-Tale Heart''
at the website dedicated to

1934 films 1934 horror films British black-and-white films British horror drama films Films based on The Tell-Tale Heart 1930s horror drama films 1930s English-language films 1934 drama films Films shot at Rock Studios 1930s British films {{1930s-UK-film-stub

Plot

Cast

Production

See also

References

External links