London by Night (1937)

A newspaperman, his canine companion, and an adventurous socialite investigate an umbrella-wielding murderer who is terrorizing London.

Director:

Wilhelm Thiele

Writers:

George Oppenheimer (screen play), Will Scott (from a play by)

Stars:

George Murphy, Rita Johnson, Virginia Field

Cast

Complete credited cast:
George Murphy	...	Michael Denis
Rita Johnson	...	Patricia Herrick
Virginia Field	...	Bessie
Leo G. Carroll	...	Correy
George Zucco	...	Inspector Jefferson
Montagu Love	...	Sir Arthur Herrick
Eddie Quillan	...	Bill
Leonard Mudie	...	Squires
J.M. Kerrigan	...	Tims
Neil Fitzgerald	...	Inspector Sleet
Harry Stubbs	...	Postman
Ivan F. Simpson	...	Burroughs (as Ivan Simpson)
Corky	...	Jones - the Dog

Storyline

A newspaperman, his canine companion, and an adventurous socialite investigate an umbrella-wielding murderer who is terrorizing London.

---

Plot Keywords:

socialite | london england | gunfire | inspector | b movie | 

---

Genres:

Mystery | Romance

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 July 1937 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Umbrella Man

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

69 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Will Scott's play, "The Umbrella," was unpublished and possibly never performed.

---

Soundtracks

"Hi Bill"
(1937)
Music by William Axt (as Dr. William Axt)
Lyrics by Bob Wright and Chet Forrest
Sung a cappella by an unidentified man in the pub (uncredited)
Also sung a cappella by Virginia Field (uncredited)

User Reviews

A Little Simplistic

There's not much to this. A reporter is detained from a trip to Paris due to a series of murders he initially has not interest in. He gets hooked up with a rich girl who likes adventure and this almost gets her killed. The murderer runs around with an umbrella which identifies him but also keeps him from being apprehended (it is foggy, after all, and everyone seems to have the same umbrella). There are some pretty good performances by Leo G. Carroll and George Zucco. George Murphy pulls things off pretty well, but the whole plot is too transparent. There is also an interesting romantic development between the two leads. The ending leaves a bit to be desired, but it does have some plausibility. Nevertheless, the film is interesting, atmospheric in places, but pretty unremarkable.