The Silent Passenger (1935): As a keen Dorothy Sayers fan, this is a movie I've always wanted to see. Admittedly, it's not based on any of the Sayers novels dealing with Lord Peter Wimsey, but on what Miss Sayers described as a "theme" which she sold to the film company. Fortunately, it's a fast, action-packed theme that is considerably bolstered by its railroad setting which obviously necessitated extensive location filming in actual railway stations, carriages and workshops. The "wrong man" switch is also quite ingenious, although Sir Donald Wolfit, obviously miscast, tends to make somewhat heavy weather of this "wrong man". Fortunately, that is mostly all to the good because the character us supposed to be acting a part. Sir Donald must also be commended for performing all his own stunts. However, I was also not overjoyed by Peter Haddon who seemed to lack the necessary "class" as Sir Peter Wimsey. Fortunately, all the other players fit neatly into their roles, particularly Aubrey Mather who makes an excellent Bunter. The movie was ably directed by Reginald Denham. It is available in a somewhat cut-about version (very noticeable in the first reel) on an Alpha DVD running 63 minutes. The movie's original running time was 75 minutes, which would come down to exactly 72 minutes on DVD. So that means 9 minutes of lead-in action and explanatory dialogue has been jettisoned.
8 Reviews
The Body in the Trunk
kidboots9 June 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Dorothy Sayers' Lord Peter Whimsey was given short shrift in British films in the 1930s - his debonair personality would have suited Ray Milland or David Niven and maybe led to a series but as played by Peter Hadden in "The Silent Passenger", Whimsey was played more for comedy in the "silly ass" Englishman style. It was left to the star, John Loder as John Ryder to get involved in the thick of the action. In fact it would have been a tighter film if Lord Peter, along with his butler, hadn't got in the way so much.
By the mid 1930s, Britain was still reeling from the "body in the trunk" case at Brighton and several films made this the focus of the plot. The "body in the trunk" in this case was Maurice Windermere, a scheming blackmailer who has just made Molly Ryder an offer she can't refuse. Namely a trip to the continent, travelling as his wife - the pay off at the end, love letters from her that he has kept!!! When frantic husband arrives, the person he has a confrontation with is the murderer - Windermere is all ready on his way in the trunk bound for Paris. By the time the body is discovered, at the Paris end, John has already joined his wife and has made the acquaintance of Lord Peter who, even though appearances are against him, is already convinced of John's innocence. At just under an hour it is pretty fast paced and things pick up when the murderer reappears - as .......... definitely no big spoilers here!!
Thorold Dickinson, who later directed the suspenseful original version of "Gaslight", was the editor and the climatic final chase through the railway shunting yards was a testament to his skill. Dresses were by Norman Hartnell Ltd. although they didn't look anything out of the box.
By the mid 1930s, Britain was still reeling from the "body in the trunk" case at Brighton and several films made this the focus of the plot. The "body in the trunk" in this case was Maurice Windermere, a scheming blackmailer who has just made Molly Ryder an offer she can't refuse. Namely a trip to the continent, travelling as his wife - the pay off at the end, love letters from her that he has kept!!! When frantic husband arrives, the person he has a confrontation with is the murderer - Windermere is all ready on his way in the trunk bound for Paris. By the time the body is discovered, at the Paris end, John has already joined his wife and has made the acquaintance of Lord Peter who, even though appearances are against him, is already convinced of John's innocence. At just under an hour it is pretty fast paced and things pick up when the murderer reappears - as .......... definitely no big spoilers here!!
Thorold Dickinson, who later directed the suspenseful original version of "Gaslight", was the editor and the climatic final chase through the railway shunting yards was a testament to his skill. Dresses were by Norman Hartnell Ltd. although they didn't look anything out of the box.
Good British Quota Quicky.
boblipton13 February 2019
Mary Newland is running away with Leslie Perrins, but is having second thoughts. By the time her husband, John Loder, shows up. she's thoroughly disenchanted. Loder assaults Perrins, gets his tickets for the Channel train and demands Mary's letters. When they're disembarking in France, he hasn't got a key for the big trunk he says isn't theirs. When it is opened, Perrins' body is inside. Good thing Peter Haddon, aka Lord Peter Wimsey is there.
It's a well-written short mystery. That's hardly surprising, because Dorothy Sayers wrote an original story for this, her sole original venture into screenwriting. I do have some issues with the casting. Buntner is too old, and too much the trained butler, and Haddon, although he makes a good stab at Wimsey, lacks the character's diffidence. I have long thought that he should have been played by someone like Claude Hulbert, or some other silly-ass British comedian; in one novel, he's said to look like Ralph Lynn.
Casting aside, it's a good quota quicky. the lack of other original stories indicates that Miss Sayers didn't enjoy the experience much. She was moving out of detective fiction anyway, into plays and more academic writing.
It's a well-written short mystery. That's hardly surprising, because Dorothy Sayers wrote an original story for this, her sole original venture into screenwriting. I do have some issues with the casting. Buntner is too old, and too much the trained butler, and Haddon, although he makes a good stab at Wimsey, lacks the character's diffidence. I have long thought that he should have been played by someone like Claude Hulbert, or some other silly-ass British comedian; in one novel, he's said to look like Ralph Lynn.
Casting aside, it's a good quota quicky. the lack of other original stories indicates that Miss Sayers didn't enjoy the experience much. She was moving out of detective fiction anyway, into plays and more academic writing.
British Murder Yarn.
Mozjoukine18 September 2010
Quite polished for the British pre WW2 Edgar Wallace era, with globe trotting Czech Jan (Ekstase, Le Golem) Stalich's lighting and solid looking, uncredited decors as assets.
It's still a formula British crime piece, apparently the first movie Dorothy L. Sayers adaptation, with Silly Ass Haddon's Lord Peter Wimsey getting billed below presentable lovers Loder and Oldland/Newland, drawn into a seedy blackmail plot that spirals into murder. The support cast is familiar faces. Director Denham and Donald Wolfit worked together at this time and this is interesting to watch.
Standard elements,trains and "the Yard of Scotland," as the frog customs man calls it, provide enough interest and the climax in the rail maintenance shed, with a runaway locomotive crashing through the closed door, is an agreeable pay off that outclasses the talk bound activity preceding it.
It's still a formula British crime piece, apparently the first movie Dorothy L. Sayers adaptation, with Silly Ass Haddon's Lord Peter Wimsey getting billed below presentable lovers Loder and Oldland/Newland, drawn into a seedy blackmail plot that spirals into murder. The support cast is familiar faces. Director Denham and Donald Wolfit worked together at this time and this is interesting to watch.
Standard elements,trains and "the Yard of Scotland," as the frog customs man calls it, provide enough interest and the climax in the rail maintenance shed, with a runaway locomotive crashing through the closed door, is an agreeable pay off that outclasses the talk bound activity preceding it.
this one has gotta be in public domain...
ksf-228 November 2021
It's a british film, produced by phoenix films; later brought to the US by cbs. When blackmailers argue, one ends up dead. In a trunk. John loder is Ryder, who is looking for his wandering wife and her love letters. And gets caught up in the murder and mayhem. Co-stars peter haddon as lord wimsey. There are a couple clever lines, but you have to pay attention to catch them... it's very low key, subtle humor. The picture and sound quality of this copy on TV Time channel are pretty bad, but you get what you pay for. It's ad supported, with minimal ads, so i did miss a few things here and there. Can they trap the real murderer in time? Directed by reginald denham, whose specialty was murder mysteries. Original story by dot sayers. She had several works made into film or television.
The first outing for Lord Peter Wimsey
robert-temple-120 February 2015
This is the first film based on a story by Dorothy L. Sayers, the murder mystery writer, and involves her character, the amateur detective Lord Peter Wimsey. It is not based on one of the Wimsey novels, but merely a story. Unfortunately Wimsey is here played by Peter Haddon as a 'silly ass' to such an outrageous extent that the film becomes entirely ridiculous. There is not much acting talent in this film, and even the young Donald Wolfit as a villain hams it up and over-acts. The title refers to a dead man in a trunk who is a 'silent passenger' on a train. So this is a 'trunk murder' mystery, to use a popular phrase of yesteryear. The film is billed as starring John Loder, a well known young actor of the period, but he is not strictly speaking the lead actor. The worst acting is probably by Lilian Oldland, who plays Loder's wife. She retired from the screen the same year, and no wonder. There are some exciting scenes in the latter part of this film set in a London railway maintenance yard, or 'repair shop' as they call it. In one scene, two men are fighting on the tracks and trying to kill one another while a steam engine is slowly moving towards them. In fact, there are very many excellent and interesting shots and scenes involving trains and a station which, though never seen in a wide shot so that one can be certain, appears to be St. Pancras. Throughout the story, people keep getting on and off of trains, and anyone interested in the trains being used in 1935, both inside and out, will have plenty to see. Anyone interested in Lord Peter Wimsey should definitely take a sedative before sitting through this travesty, however.
Yawn - Lord Peter Wimsey in Action
dbborroughs25 April 2004
In what is probably one of the earliest film adaptations of a Lord Peter Wimsey novel we have the great detective in action on a night time train. You'll forgive the lack of detail as to the plot, but the film is so dull that other than bodies ending up in baskets or trunks, I've drawn a blank as to what actually occurred.
This is not a particularly good film and is so bland that unless I had noticed that this was based on a Wimsey book I would scarcely have suspected it.Obviously this film did little to popularize the detective, and happily it didn't kill his career either.
I can suggest you recommend this film since this is not a time killer but a time waster.
This is not a particularly good film and is so bland that unless I had noticed that this was based on a Wimsey book I would scarcely have suspected it.Obviously this film did little to popularize the detective, and happily it didn't kill his career either.
I can suggest you recommend this film since this is not a time killer but a time waster.
Based on an original story specifically for the screen by Dorothy L. Sayers.
Bernie444410 April 2024
This "The Silent Passenger" (1935), with nine missing minutes, is an Alpha video so do not expect anything to be fixed or updated. No subtitles. There are online versions with subtitles. A double plus is that there is no annoying background music.
The opening credits show which actor plays which character. However, it does not match the character to a picture.
Stilted dialog. There is an attempt at humor. Give it some time and the movie will grow on you. It starts with Mr. Windermere being truncated.
Lord Peter (Peter Haddon) wearing an ascot, does not try to match the book description. We do not have to worry about matching Ian Carmichael or Edward Petherbridge or even Robert Montgomery, as he was the first actor in a script that is not a book.
The opening credits show which actor plays which character. However, it does not match the character to a picture.
Stilted dialog. There is an attempt at humor. Give it some time and the movie will grow on you. It starts with Mr. Windermere being truncated.
Lord Peter (Peter Haddon) wearing an ascot, does not try to match the book description. We do not have to worry about matching Ian Carmichael or Edward Petherbridge or even Robert Montgomery, as he was the first actor in a script that is not a book.
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