The Arsenal Stadium Mystery (1940)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Thorold Dickinson

Writers:

Leonard Reginald Gribble (original story)
Thorold Dickinson (adaptation) ...

Release Date:

17 February 1940 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Sport | Thriller

Plot:

During a charity soccer match between top professional side Arsenal and touring amateur side Trojans...

Plot Keywords:

Detective | Soccer Football | Based On Novel

Cast

Leslie Banks	...	Inspector Slade
Greta Gynt	...	Gwen Lee
Ian McLean	...	Sergeant Clinton (as Ian Maclean)
Liane Linden	...	Inga Larson
Anthony Bushell	...	John Doyce / Trojan Team Member
Esmond Knight	...	Raille / Trojan Team Member
Brian Worth	...	Philip Morring / Trojan Team Member
Richard Norris	...	Setchley / Trojan Team Member
Wyndham Goldie	...	Kindilett
Alastair MacIntyre	...	Carter (as Alastair Macintyre)
George Allison	...	Himself
Tom Whittaker	...	Himself
E.V.H. Emmett	...	Himself
Dennis Wyndham	...	Commissionaire
David Keir	...	Dr. Meadow

Runtime:

UK:84 min | USA:85 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Sound System)

Certification:

Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Denham Studios, Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Greenspan & Seligman Enterprises Ltd.

Trivia:

The football match from which the action sequences were taken was between Arsenal and Brentford. This game turned out to be Arsenal's last home game before the outbreak of the Second World War.

Quotes:

[Arsenal manager giving pre-game talk]
George Allison: ...they don't play your game, they play the attacking game.

Amusing For Dubious Reasons

The dialogue at the start of THE ARSENAL STADIUM MYSTERY had me lost: " Inside left..wing backs ... five forwards " it wasn't until the manager of the home team said " The Trojans don't play like us , they have an attacking team " that I realised the plot involved Arsenal football club . It's strange watching this movie nowadays since the game has changed so much . In 1940 all footballers were

A ) White

B) Spoke Queen's English

C) Smoked a pipe .

While all supporters

A ) Engaged in cheeky banter with the ref

B ) Didn't sing foul mouthed songs

C ) Were members of British Equity .

But it's when a Trojan team member dies that the amusement really kicks off because the man leading the murder investigation is none other that Harry Enfield's Grayson character . No seriously he is , watch an edition of HARRY ENFIELD AND CHUMS and you'll see where the idea came from . There's even a subplot involving a Swedish blond which just goes to show that Sven Goran Erickson is much older than he looks .