The Terror (1938 film)

The Terror
Directed by	Richard Bird
Written by	William Freshman
Based on	The Terror by Edgar Wallace
Produced by	Walter C. Mycroft
Starring	Wilfrid Lawson Bernard Lee Arthur Wontner Linden Travers
Cinematography	Walter J. Harvey
Edited by	Lionel Tomlinson
Music by	Marr Mackie
Production company	Associated British Picture Corporation
Distributed by	Associated British Picture Corporation
Release date	19 August 1938 (1938-08-19)
Running time	73 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	£22,552 [1]

The Terror is a 1938 British crime film directed by Richard Bird and starring Wilfrid Lawson, Linden Travers and Bernard Lee. ^[2] It was based on the 1927 play The Terror by Edgar Wallace (which was adapted from Wallace's 1926 novel The Black Abbot ). The play had previously been adapted as the American film The Terror (1928). ^[3]

Plot

A group of criminals carry out a daring robbery of an armoured van. Two of the criminals are betrayed by the mastermind of the operation. After ten years in prison, they come out and search for the man behind the crimes who betrayed them. But the police are on their tail also wanting to find out who was behind the robbery.

Production

It was shot at Elstree Studios with sets designed by the art director Cedric Dawe.

Cast

• Wilfrid Lawson as Mr. Goodman
• Bernard Lee as Ferdy Fane
• Arthur Wontner as Colonel Redmayne
• Linden Travers as Mary Redmayne
• Henry Oscar as Joe Connor
• Iris Hoey as Mrs. Elvery
• Stanley Lathbury as Hawkins, the butler
• Lesley Wareing as Veronica Elvery
• Alastair Sim as "Soapy" Marx
• John Turnbull as Superintendent Hallick
• Richard Murdoch as Detective Lewis
• Edward Lexy as Inspector Dobie
• Kathleen Harrison as Gladys, the maid
• Irene Handl as kitchen maid

Critical reception

Kinematograph Weekly reported the film did well at the British box office in October 1938. ^[4]

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "A first class film of its type: excellent craftsmanship and attention to detail combined with superb cutting. Acting of a very high order and dialogue far above general standard. An entertainment film of great merit." ^[5]

Leslie Halliwell said: "Stilted remake of [The Terror (1928)]." ^[6]

In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "good", writing: "Very little subtelty but plenty of suspense." ^[7]

References

1. Chapman, Llewella. "'The highest salary ever paid to a human being': Creating a Database of Film Costs from the Bank of England". Journal of British cinema and television, 2022-10. Vol. 19, no. 4. Edinburgh University Press. pp. 470–494 at 480.
2. "The Terror". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
3. Goble, Alan (1999). The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN   9783110951943.
4. Billings, R.H. (12 January 1939). "Films which won the box office stakes last year". Kinematograph Weekly. p. 61.
5. "The Terror". The Monthly Film Bulletin . 5 (49): 132. 1 January 1938. ProQuest   1305801645.
6. Halliwell, Leslie (1989). Halliwell's Film Guide (7th ed.). London: Paladin. p. 1000. ISBN   0586088946.
7. Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 158. ISBN   0-7134-1874-5.

External links

• The Terror at IMDb