Counsel's Opinion

BFI Most Wanted: the hunt for Britain's missing films

Directed by Allan Dwan, 1933

Light legal comedy directed by top-notch Hollywood director.

A young barrister (Henry Kendall) finds himself in a hotel during a Louis XV-themed charity ball.

Credits

Director Production Companies Producer Script Original Play Photography	Allan Dwan London Film Productions, British and Dominions Film Corporation Alexander Korda Arthur Wimperis, Dorothy Greenhill Gilbert Wakefield Bernard Browne
Cast: Henry Kendall (Logan); Binnie Barnes (Leslie); Cyril Maude (Willock); Lawrence Grossmith (Lord Rockburn); Harry Tate (taxi driver); Francis Lister (James Govan); Mary Charles (Stella Marston); Margaret Baird (Saunders); J. Fisher White (Judge); C. Denier Warren (manager)
75 mins, 6,806 feet, sound, black & white.

Why are we so keen to find it?

Allan Dwan was a pioneering Hollywood director who began his film career in 1911. He worked in cinema for over 50 years, directing more than 400 films, including Sands of Iwo Jima (1949). This is one of three films he made in Britain in the early 1930s; for one of the others, Her First Affaire (1932), he discovered young British actress Ida Lupino, who went on to carve out a successful career in Hollywood.

The film was produced by Alexander Korda, and came out the same year as his first big success, The Private Life of Henry VIII.

What's it about?

This synopsis is from Kinematograph Weekly, 9 March 1933:

Logan, a young barrister who specialises in divorce, is prevented from reaching his home through fog, and puts up for the night in a fashionable hotel. A Louis XV charity ball happens to be in progress, and Leslie, an attractive young woman, also fogbound, forces Logan to allow her to share his suite.

The next day Logan is called upon to give Deadlock by Willock, a solicitor, and discovers that Lock Rockburn desires to obtain a divorce from his wife, who he asserts had misconducted herself the night before, following the charity ball. Everything points to Leslie being Lady Rockburn, and Logan being the innocent co-respondent. However, Logan is eventually delivered from his dilemma when it is revealed that Leslie is an eligible widow, but not before delightful piquancy is born of the misunderstanding.

Last seen?

The film was initially reviewed in March 1933 but with no mention of a release date. The review in Picturegoer appeared in September of that year. There is no trace of any subsequent screenings.

What else do we know about it?

The original play was written by Gilbert Wakefield, whose comedies were popular on the London stage. The play was adapted for film again in 1938 under the title The Divorce of Lady X and Wakefield also wrote the scenario for the first British colour feature, Wings of the Morning (1937).

Does anything survive?

No film materials are known to survive. The BFI holds a small pressbook and some stills.

Reviews

One review in an unidentified newspaper dated 7 May 1933 is somewhat negative, the critic writing:

"The director is an American, Allan Dwan, who must either have come or gone away with odd ideas of British humour; he tries to inject a bit of professional De Mille gaiety into a Louis XV night at a London hotel, but otherwise leaves his team of stage humorists to get their laughs when and how they can."

The rest of the write-ups are positive. The Cinema review in its Booking Guide supplement of April 1933 describes the film thus:

"Delicious, flirtatious comedy, sparkling tiltings... touches of provocative romance, sustained suspense atmosphere, surprise and satisfying climax. Fluent direction, polished leading portrayal, first-class team work in support. Effective backgrounds of hotel and legal life, beautiful photography, flawless recording. Attractive general entertainment especially for better-class halls."

Kinematograph Weekly enjoyed the film, praising the performances and the staging and summing up its points of appeal as its "neat, piquant story, clever dialogue, fine team work by an experienced cast, and good production qualities." Picturegoer (9 September 1933) conceded that "the situations provide much natural humour," but had some reservations about the direction and Henry Kendall's performance.

Jo Botting, Curator (Fiction), BFI National Archive

You can find more about British films of the early 1930s, including entries on surviving films and video clips for users in UK schools, colleges, universities and public libraries, at BFI Screenonline. You can also view similar titles at the BFI Mediatheques.