![]() Not that this is THAT kind of film, so to speak. Images of a girl, soon revealed as Rosa, about to marry a boy are broken up by, again, a church steeple! It is symbolic of our key Victorian Era male protagonist trying his best to keep his libido under control. Note the way the church steeple breaks up the scenery like some male anatomical part standing, ahem, upright against the sky. Too bad there are no audio-visual interviews with the special effects team involved in this little set-piece, since it would be interesting to know just what, exactly, was on their minds at the time that they worked on this. I first must note the delightful dream montage shots that open this Victorian era costume piece, a big budget adaptation of the famous unfinished Charles Dickens novel of 1870 that was directed by Stuart Walker. His performance in THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD is absolutely brilliant. But we do know that in this version, making Rains the villain is a laudable choice…he’s an expert at playing deranged behavior with a flair. The choir master is the culprit in this version, but of course, Dickens may have intended for him to be “innocent” after all…if Drood was meant to turn up alive and well at the end. When Rains suggests that Manners has been murdered by Montgomery’s character, Montgomery also disappears- but then returns in a disguised form to investigate what really happened. The studio allocated a sizable budget for this production, and it shows. The performers are assisted by ornate sets that provide a melodramatic, Gothic quality. Drood’s girl is played by Heather Angel, and Douglass Montgomery is cast as a rival for her affections.īritish actress Valerie Hobson is also on hand as another young lass. In addition to Rains and Manners, there are other distinguished members in the cast. ![]() These are the questions left dangling by Dickens’ unfinished manuscript. Where has he gone, what has happened to him, was he murdered?, etc. Manners has substantially less screen time than everyone else since Drood vanishes in the second half, which gives us our mystery. Though some articles online claim this was Manners’ last film, that is not true he would appear in five more pictures. David Manners portrays the title character. Karloff would return the favor when Rains was unable to appear in Universal’s proposed sequel for PHANTOM OF THE OPERA which became known as THE CLIMAX (1944).īack to Edwin Drood. So on two separate occasions Rains stepped in for Karloff. But a falling out between Karloff and director James Whale prevented that. Interestingly Karloff was also the first choice when the studio was casting THE INVISIBLE MAN two years earlier. The studio initially wanted Boris Karloff who was not available. Universal played up the novel’s non-ending when advertising the film which arrives at its own conclusion.Ĭlaude Rains was not the first choice to play the opium addicted choir master who becomes obsessed with a young woman. There is much speculation regarding how the author would have finished the story, which was one of his darkest and most nihilistic works of fiction. The original source material for this film comes from Charles Dickens’ last work which was incomplete at the time of his death. Jo Langford on Essential: Rawhide – ‘The Boss… Topbilled on Essential: Rawhide – ‘The Boss… Jinsinna13 on Neglected film: TOGETHER AGAIN… Topbilled on Neglected film: TOGETHER AGAIN… Neglected film: SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT (1946).Neglected film: BLONDIE OF THE FOLLIES (1932).Neglected film: MADAME RACKETEER (1932).Neglected film: FATHER IS A PRINCE (1940).A different take on the mystery was shot in 1935, and the story was filmed once again (after becoming a Broadway show) in 1993. ![]() According to the Terriss version, Drood escapes Jasper's attempt to kill him with the help of Datchery, who is Helena Landless in disguise. Suspicion seems to be following Jasper when Dickens' story stops. Meanwhile, Landless' sister Helena (Margaret Prussing) also disappears and not long after a stranger named Datchery shows up and begins asking questions about Drood's disappearance. Because of Jasper's assertions, Landless is held and questioned for Drood's murder but no body is found. Neville Landless (Paul Sterling) is also in love with Rosa, and Jasper helps feed his jealousy of Drood. But unbeknownst to Drood, his youthful uncle, Jasper, is deeply in love with Rosa - so much so, in fact, that his despair has turned him into a secret opium addict. According to Dickens, Edwin Drood (Rodney Hicock and Rosa Budd (Vinnie Burns) are engaged to be married, as their parents have desired. ![]() Screenwriter Tom Terriss, who also starred as choirmaster John Jasper, gave it a happy ending which, despite the raves of the trade papers, must have horrified Dickens' fans. World Film was the first motion picture company that tried to tack an ending onto Charles Dickens' unfinished novel. ![]()
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