Talk of the Devil
| Talk of the Devil | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Carol Reed |
| Written by | George Barraud Anthony Kimmins Carol Reed |
| Produced by | Jack Raymond |
| Starring | Ricardo Cortez Sally Eilers Basil Sydney |
| Cinematography | Francis Carver |
| Edited by | Helen Lewis John E. Morris Merrill G. White |
| Music by | Percival Mackey |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
Release date |
|
Running time | 76 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Talk of the Devil is a 1936 British crime film directed by Carol Reed and starring Ricardo Cortez, Sally Eilers and Basil Sydney.[1][2] It was written by George Barraud, Anthony Kimmins and Reed.
It remains one of Reed's most obscure films and was for many years out of circulation,[citation needed] although the BFI National Archive holds a copy.[1] The film was poorly received in its time and did little to boost Reed's standing in the British film industry.[3]
Premise
[edit]A dishonest shipbuilder plans to frame his half-brother for his own criminal activities.
Cast
[edit]- Ricardo Cortez as Ray Allen
- Sally Eilers as Ann Marlow
- Basil Sydney as Stephen Rindlay
- Randle Ayrton as John Findlay
- Charles Carson as Lord Dymchurch
- Frederick Culley as Mr Alderson
- Anthony Holles as Colquhoun
- Gordon McLeod as Inspector
- Denis Cowles as Philip Couls
- Quentin McPhearson as Angus
- Langley Howard as clerk
- Margaret Rutherford as housekeeper
- Moore Marriott as dart-thrower
Production
[edit]Reed had previously been working for Ealing Studios, but he made the film for the independent producer Herbert Wilcox. It was the first film to be completely made at the recently opened Pinewood Studios.[4] The film's sets were designed by the art director Wilfred Arnold.
Reception
[edit]The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "The plot takes some swallowing, but it has originality and contains some excellent situations which are well handled by the director. Casting and acting are good, and the dialogue is natural and realistic."[5]
Kine Weekly wrote: "Here we have a thick-ear melodrama of high quality, in which an arresting portrait of villainy is draped with all the popular essentials. The actual premise of the plot is, of course, somewhat extravagant, but it has imaginative ingenuity on its side, and this is interpreted in terms of first-rate mass entertainment. The character-drawing is good, the staging excellent, and the direction slick, tense and efficient. Furthermore, the picture has a disarming sense of good humour."[6]
References
[edit]- 1 2 "Talk of the Devil". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
- ↑ "BFI | Film & TV Database | Talk of the Devil (1936)". BFI. Archived from the original on 29 November 2007. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
- ↑ Moss, Robert (2016). Films of Carol Reed. Springer. p. 95. ISBN 978-0231059848.
- ↑ Pykett, Derek (2008). British Horror Film Locations. McFarland & Company. p. 144. ISBN 978-0786433292.
- ↑ "Talk of the Devil". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 3 (25): 214. 1 January 1936. ProQuest 1305802664.
- ↑ "Talk of the Devil". Kine Weekly. 238 (1548): 23. 17 December 1936. ProQuest 2339738861.
External links
[edit]- 1936 films
- British crime films
- 1936 crime films
- Films directed by Carol Reed
- Films shot at Pinewood Studios
- Films set in England
- United Artists films
- British black-and-white films
- British and Dominions Studios films
- Films scored by Percival Mackey
- 1936 English-language films
- 1936 British films
- English-language crime films