This film recently got an airing on satellite TV under the title "Alibi Breaker".The story is that Mr Rodman a successful businessman has a dissoloute son just sent down from university.He has run up lots of bills which his dad will pay if he is prepared to knuckle down and work.Mr Rodman has to lodge bearer bonds at a bank which are held by his solicitor.However the solicitor in conjunction with Rodmans secretary has conspired to steal the bonds.However the solicitor,played by the familiar Ivor Bernard,has decided not to split the proceeds and do a runner.However he is caught by the secretary as he is about to leave and in the ensuing struggle the solicitor is killed and the secretary does his best to cover his tracks.It is all very familiar stuff with all the usual pitfalls of quota quickies.However having said that it is still very entertaining,directed by John Paddy Carstairs who was to go on to better things after the war.
4 Reviews
Triple Exposure
IcyTones4 September 2020
1. The Movie Release
It's a cheap & cheery entertaining British comedy movie that was first released in USA to American audiences. Considering the contents of the movie, 'Double Exposures' is a befitting humorous title, more than 'Alibi Breaker', as the comedy is more stage theatrics.
2. Category I guess that's where it all goes wrong for this movie - the Classification Category - where does this movie belong? The Americans prob saw the cast line up as a team effort similar to Abbott & Costello or Laurel & Hardy, but with the stage theatrics crime drama theme to it, whilst The Brits wanted to catapult this movie into serious crime drama. The Americans won & quite rightly so.
3. The Naming Ceremony On top of the' Double Exposures' & 'Alibi Breaker' Release Titles, comes the additional confusion surrounding 'names used' by a few male cast members of this movie and 'other' leading actors outside of this cast who 'have the same name'.
2. Category I guess that's where it all goes wrong for this movie - the Classification Category - where does this movie belong? The Americans prob saw the cast line up as a team effort similar to Abbott & Costello or Laurel & Hardy, but with the stage theatrics crime drama theme to it, whilst The Brits wanted to catapult this movie into serious crime drama. The Americans won & quite rightly so.
3. The Naming Ceremony On top of the' Double Exposures' & 'Alibi Breaker' Release Titles, comes the additional confusion surrounding 'names used' by a few male cast members of this movie and 'other' leading actors outside of this cast who 'have the same name'.
It's a bit stodgy, truth be told...
Leofwine_draca7 April 2016
I saw this film under the title ALIBI BREAKER, where it got a showing on Talking Pictures TV, an excellent channel for showing obscure old B-movies. It's another film where a camera plays a pivotal role in bringing a criminal to justice, as the original title, DOUBLE EXPOSURES, hints at.
However, the film itself is rather stodgy and it does feel very dated. The viewer is introduced to a sprawling family seemingly filled with comedic butlers, ne'er-do-well sons, and scheming associates. A lawyer is about to rip off the father of the family, but things don't exactly go according to plan and a young journalist ends up becoming something of an amateur sleuth when a murder takes place.
I love these 1930s crime films but ALIBI BREAKER doesn't have a great deal to recommend it. Basil Radford (THE LADY VANISHES) is credited in a large role, and the director is none other than John Paddy Carstairs, who would go on working right through to the 1960s. There's some brief innovation in having repeated panning shots rather than shooting everything in the old static style, and some of the humour is mildly amusing, but overall this is a bit of a bore.
However, the film itself is rather stodgy and it does feel very dated. The viewer is introduced to a sprawling family seemingly filled with comedic butlers, ne'er-do-well sons, and scheming associates. A lawyer is about to rip off the father of the family, but things don't exactly go according to plan and a young journalist ends up becoming something of an amateur sleuth when a murder takes place.
I love these 1930s crime films but ALIBI BREAKER doesn't have a great deal to recommend it. Basil Radford (THE LADY VANISHES) is credited in a large role, and the director is none other than John Paddy Carstairs, who would go on working right through to the 1960s. There's some brief innovation in having repeated panning shots rather than shooting everything in the old static style, and some of the humour is mildly amusing, but overall this is a bit of a bore.
A glimpse of the past
martenw-935-3363201 March 2018
I agree with malcolmgsw this film is dated....but enjoyable all the same...and a real glimpse into the past.
David (Basil) Langton who is best remembered as Lord Bellamy in Upstairs Downstairs plays a leading role here....but I saw no sign of Basil Radford in the film....maybe the previous reviewer is mistaken, the only Basil in the credits being Mr Langton.
David (Basil) Langton who is best remembered as Lord Bellamy in Upstairs Downstairs plays a leading role here....but I saw no sign of Basil Radford in the film....maybe the previous reviewer is mistaken, the only Basil in the credits being Mr Langton.
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