Room to Let is a 1950 British second feature ('B')[1] historical thriller film directed by Godfrey Grayson and starring Jimmy Hanley, Valentine Dyall and Constance Smith.[2] It was adapted by John Gilling and Grayson from the BBC radio play by Margery Allingham, broadcast in 1947.[3][4][5]
| Room to Let | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Godfrey Grayson |
| Written by |
|
| Produced by | Anthony Hinds |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Cedric Williams |
| Edited by | James Needs |
| Music by | Frank Spencer |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Exclusive Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 68 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Plot
editAfter a fire at an insane asylum during the Edwardian era, a young journalist becomes convinced that one of the patients has escaped and taken lodgings at a local middle-class household. The mysterious "Doctor Fell" comes to dominate the three women in the house – mother, daughter and maid – and increasingly shuts them off from outside contact. Despite a lack of assistance from the authorities, the journalist suspects that the Doctor is in fact the notorious Jack the Ripper who is planning a fresh series of attacks.
Cast
edit- Jimmy Hanley as Curly Minter
- Valentine Dyall as Doctor Fell
- Christine Silver as Mrs. Musgrave
- Merle Tottenham as Alice
- Constance Smith as Molly Musgrave
- Charles Hawtrey as Mike Atkinson
- Aubrey Dexter as Harding
- Anthony La Penna as JJ
- Reginald Dyson as Sergeant Cranbourne
- Laurence Naismith as editor
- John Clifford as Atkinson
- Stuart Saunders as porter
- Cyril Conway as Doctor Mansfield
- Charles Houston as Tom
- Harriet Petworth as matron
- Charles Mander as P.C. Smith
- H. Hamilton Earle as orderly
- F. A. Williams as butler
- Archie Callum as night watchman
Critical reception
editThe Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Valentine Dyall is suitably sinister in this Victorian period piece, but the film is protracted and tedious."[6]
Picturegoer wrote: "As a film, it has very little out of the ordinary to commend it .... The story has an unusual ending, which is not, unfortunately, entirely convincing. Constance Smith, a newcomer to the screen, deals rather more than adequately with a part that does not constitute an exactly ideal opening to her career, and looks quite charming in Victorian costume."[7]
Picture Show wrote: "Effective but rather grim."[8]
In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "mediocre", writing: "Well-acted; tedious at times."[9]
The Radio Times Guide to Films gave the film 2/5 stars, writing: "Hammer Films took a step towards its future speciality with this early B-feature ... Modest, but enjoyable. "[10]
TV Guide gave the film two out of five stars, calling it "A fairly disturbing programmer which remains suspenseful to the end."[11]
References
edit- ^ Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' Film. London: BFI/Bloomsbury. p. 76. ISBN 978-1-8445-7319-6.
- ^ "Room to Let". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
- ^ "Room to Let". BBC Programme Index. 11 November 1947. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
- ^ "Room to Let (1950)". Archived from the original on 3 October 2017.
- ^ Jones, Julia (12 January 2018). The Adventures of Margery Allingham. Golden Duck UK Ltd. ISBN 9781899262014 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Room to Let". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 17 (193): 49. 1 January 1950. ProQuest 1305812198 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "Room to Let". Picturegoer. 19: 19. 4 May 1950. ProQuest 1705085582 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "Room to Let". Picture Show (magazine). 54 (1419): 12. 10 June 1950. ProQuest 1879634009 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 242. ISBN 0-7134-1874-5.
- ^ Radio Times Guide to Films (18th ed.). London: Immediate Media Company. 2017. p. 788. ISBN 9780992936440.
- ^ "Room To Let". TVGuide.com.
External links
edit- Room to Let at IMDb
- Room to Let reviews at Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings
 | This article related to a British film of the 1950s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |