The Arsenal Stadium Mystery (1940)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Thorold Dickinson

Writers:

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

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
Johnnie Schofield	...	Arsenal doctor
Bruce Winston	...	Composer
Maire O'Neill	...	Housekeeper
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Cliff Bastin	...	Arsenal Team Member (as Bastin)
Gordon Bremner	...	Arsenal Team Member (as Bremner)
Jack Crayston	...	Arsenal Team Member (as Crayston)
P.R. Crompton	...	Trojan Team Member
H.A. Davies	...	Trojan Captain
Ted Drake	...	Arsenal Team Member (as Drake)
Alf Fields	...	Arsenal Team Member (as Fields)
K. Goodyear	...	Trojan Team Member
Eddie Hapgood	...	Arsenal Captain (as Hapgood)
Bryn Jones	...	Arsenal Team Member
Leslie Jones	...	Arsenal Team Member (as L. Jones)
Alf Kirchen	...	Arsenal Team Member (as Kirchen)
R.W. Lees	...	Trojan Team Member
W.J. Lewington	...	Referee
George Male	...	Arsenal Team Member (as Male)
J.W. Naylor	...	Trojan Team Member
S. Schofield	...	Trojan Team Member
R. Sturdy	...	Trojan Team Member
George Swindin	...	Arsenal Team Member (as Swindin)
R. Woods	...	Trojan Team Member
Vincent Holman	...	Coroner (uncredited)
Mike Johnson	...	Programme Seller (uncredited)
Vi Kaley	...	Neighbour At Window (uncredited)
Charles Rolfe	...	Witness (uncredited)

Directed by
Thorold Dickinson

Writing credits
Leonard Reginald Gribble		(original story)
Thorold Dickinson		(adaptation) &
Alan Hyman		(adaptation)
Patrick Kirwan		(screenplay) &
Donald Bull		(screenplay)

Produced by
Josef Somlo	....	producer

Cinematography by
Desmond Dickinson		(photography)

Film Editing by
Sidney Stone

Art Direction by
Ralph W. Brinton		(as Ralph Brinton)

Production Management
Richard Norton	....	in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Cecil Dixon	....	assistant director

Sound Department
John Dennis	....	sound mixer (as J.S. Dennis)
A.W. Watkins	....	recording director

Camera and Electrical Department
Fred Daniels	....	still photographer
Alan Lawson	....	camera operator

Music Department
Miklós Rózsa	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
George Allison	....	technical adviser

Production Companies

• Greenspan & Seligman Enterprises Ltd. (as G&S Films) (present)

Distributors

• General Film Distributors (GFD) (1940) (UK) (theatrical)
• Connoisseur Video (1993) (UK) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Arsenal Football Club  with thanks to, for their assistance and co-operation (as the Arsenal Football Club)
• Brentford Football Club  with thanks to, for their assistance and co-operation (as the Brentford Football Club)
• Denham Studios Ltd.  logo (as Denham)
• Gaumont British News  E.V.H. Emmett by arrangement with
• Pinewood Studios  logo (as Pinewood)

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.

Interesting curio for soccer fans and vintage mystery lovers

Arsenal Football Club were the leading lights of English soccer in the 1930's and this diverting ,and very British ,movie is an attempt to capitalise on the acclaim they rightly had --and still enjoy today.

A star member of an amateur team playing a charity match at the Arsenal ground in North London is killed and Scotland Yard is called in to investigate.The Inspector -played with tongue firmly in cheek by Leslie Banks-is a decidedly eccentric character ,one who sports a range of diverse headgear throughout .His methods are effective however and the case brought to a successful conclusion.

Thorold Dickinson directs with shrewd attention to detail and the movie while no masterpiece works as a murder mystery while the little utilised soccer background adds interest especially for students of the game curious to see how the media of the time treated "the beautiful game"

Guest slots from Arsenal stars of the period add interest.