The Man Behind The Mask

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

Directed by Michael Powell, 1936

The last of Michael Powell's 'quota quickies': this melodramatic, romantic thriller ran the gamut of theft, kidnapping and vanquishing a criminal mastermind.

The villainous Paul Melchior, known as 'The Master' (Maurice Schwarz)

Credits

Director Production Company Producer Dialogue Photography	Michael Powell Joe Rock Productions Joe Rock Ian Hay Ernest Palmer
Cast: Hugh Williams (Nicholas 'Nick' Barclay), Jane Baxter (June Slade), Maurice Schwartz (Paul Melchior, aka The Master), Donald Calthrop (Doctor Walpole), Kitty Kelly (Miss Weeks).
79 mins, 7,131 ft, sound, black & white

Why are we so keen to find it?

Because it's directed by Michael Powell, and was the last of his 'quota quickie' titles, a number of which are lost. Powell himself described it as a "horrifically bad thriller", but it was at least partly responsible for persuading its American producer Joe Rock to back his long-planned, pet project The Edge of the World (1937), which in turn brought him to the attention of producer Alexander Korda. And those of Powell's early films that do survive show a grasp of filmmaking that rises above their deficiencies.

What's it about?

Nicky and June plan to elope after a masked ball at June's father's house. During the party the mysterious Shield of Kahm is stolen by a masked stranger, who also assaults Nick and kidnaps June. Nick is suspected of the theft, but after evading capture by the police, sets off on the trail of his fiancé and the shield, thus becoming embroiled with the fiendish plot of a master criminal. The outlandish plot is fairly typical of the 'shocker' titles popular in British cinema at the time, and the press materials push its sensationalist aspects, with the tagline "Who stole the Shield of Kahm?"

A thorough synopsis is featured in the Exhibitor's Campaign Book for the film:

"Nick Barclay plans to elope with Lord Slade's daughter, June, at a a fancy dress dance to be held at her father's country seat, where he intends to give the guests a glimpse of The Shield of Kahm, a family heirloom of priceless value. Nick tells June what his disguise will be and when, at the height of the dance, the girl sees the masked character, she unsuspectingly goes with him.

The mysterious man behind the mask, however, is not Nick, but a stranger, who has assaulted Nick and taken his place the better to steal the Shield at the bidding of "The Master". The stranger holds June captive and is revealed as Hayden, a former friend of both Nick and June's brother, Jimmy.

Aided by Dr Walpole, Nick traces June and her kidnapper to an inn, rescues the girl and recovers the Shield from Hayden, who is thinking of double-crossing "The Master".

Hayden, however, is murdered by another agent of "The Master" and the whole gang endeavour to regain possession of the Shield. After many thrilling and hair-breadth escapes, June, Nick, Lord Slade and the Doctor are enticed to the home of a mad astronomer, who, on the arrival of the British and International Police is revealed as "The Master." The Shield is returned to Lord Slade, "The Master" is placed under restraint and Nick and June resume their interrupted honeymoon."

Last seen?

The trade screening was on 24 March 1936, and the film was released as a 'B' feature in cinemas five months later, on 24 August.

The McCarthy Ratings report for the film thought it useable for the popular halls and said, "...for those that cater for the less sophisticated, it should, with its summer release, prove useful for quota purposes."

What else do we know about it?

Powell recalled "I did my best to make it into a rather German type expressionist thriller. It was very hard work in deed because we had no money." The film was produced by Joe Rock, an American who had, among other things produced a number of Stan Laurel shorts in the 1920s, and had followed the money to England. It seems that in return for Powell agreeing to direct The Man Behind The Mask, Rock agreed to back the filming of what would become The Edge of the World, Powell's directorial breakthrough.

Does anything survive?

The BFI Special Collections has a small press campaign book for the film, containing cast and plot information, plus many images. There are also a number of black and white stills in the BFI Stills, Posters and Designs Collection.

There are rumours that a heavily cut, 58-minute version exists, rendering the ludicrous plot even more unfathomable.

Reviews

Kinematograph Weekly called it a "sensational melodrama entirely unconvincing as to plot, but holding the attention by its extremely good acting and some clever touches of production." The reviewer noted that "Donald Calthrop's performance as the doctor is always worth watching [and] as Miss Weeks, American lady secretary, Kitty Kelly is a delight", adding that "Michael Powell has done everything possible to give plausibility to the tale."

Monthly Film Bulletin was similarly kind: "The story is melodramatic and absurd but technically the film is excellent. Direction, photography, lighting, acting and sound are all good.... On the whole, the director is to be congratulated for having made what must be termed a good film out of very unlikely material."

Sarah Currant, Reading Room Librarian, BFI National Library

You can find more about Michael Powell's work, 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.