The Crime at Blossoms
| The Crime at Blossoms | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Frame from the film | |
| Directed by | Maclean Rogers |
| Written by | Mordaunt Shairp |
| Based on | play The Crime at Blossoms by Mordaunt Shairp[1] |
| Produced by | Henry Edwards |
| Starring | Hugh Wakefield Joyce Bland Eileen Munro |
| Cinematography | Walter J. Harvey |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Paramount British Pictures (UK) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 78 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Crime at Blossoms is a 1933 British "quota quickie"[2] crime film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring Hugh Wakefield and Joyce Bland."[3][4] It was written by Mordaunt Shairp based on his 1932 play of the same title. It was remade by Rogers in 1949 as Dark Secret.
Preservation status
[edit]The British Film Institute National Archive holds a collection of ephemera and stills but no film or video materials.[3]
Plot
[edit]After moving into a picturesque country cottage, a woman becomes increasingly concerned about the fate of the previous owner who she believes was murdered.
Cast
[edit]- Hugh Wakefield as Chris Merryman
- Joyce Bland as Valerie Merryman
- Eileen Munro as Mrs. Woodman
- Ivor Barnard as a late visitor
- Frederick Lloyd as George Merryman
- Iris Baker as Lena Denny
- Arthur Stratton as Mr. Woodman
- Maud Gill as Mrs. Merryman
- Wally Patch as Palmer
- Barbara Gott as fat lady
- Moore Marriott as driver
- George Ridgwell as process-server
Critical reception
[edit]Kine Weekly wrote: "The novel entertainment lies mainly in the dialogue, but the construction of the play shows ingenuity and intelligence, and the characterisation is of interest."[5]
The Daily Film Renter wrote: "Early action tedious, and dialogue often incredibly banal. Theme deals with exploitation of murder mystery, but action is strangely scattered. Acting poor except for type players, and one good passage by Joyce Bland. May prove acceptable among not too critical patrons."[6]
References
[edit]- ↑ Goble, Alan (1 January 1999). The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 9783110951943 – via Google Books.
- ↑ Chibnall, Steve (2007). Quota Quickies: The Birth of the British 'B' Film. British Film Institute. p. 77. ISBN 978-1844571550.
- 1 2 "The Crime at Blossoms". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 9 June 2026.
- ↑ "BFI | Film & TV Database | The Crime at Blossoms (1933)". BFI. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009. Retrieved 9 June 2026.
- ↑ "The Crime at Blossoms". Kine Weekly. 193 (1352): 13. 16 March 1933. ProQuest 2322703598.
- ↑ "The Crime at Blossoms". The Daily Film Renter (1895): 3. 15 March 1933. ProQuest 2594678550.
- ↑ "The Crime At Blossoms". Archived from the original on 18 April 2017.
External links
[edit]- 1933 films
- 1933 crime drama films
- Films directed by Maclean Rogers
- British black-and-white films
- British and Dominions Studios films
- Films shot at Imperial Studios, Elstree
- British crime drama films
- 1930s melodrama films
- 1933 English-language films
- 1933 British films
- British films based on plays
- English-language crime drama films
