Particularly interesting for the scenes at the races. The list of riders contains some famous names: Richards, Wragg, Rickaby, Carslake, Donahue amongst them. Can anyone identify the racecourse, and the meeting? As the trees are bare, it appears to be a winter or spring meeting.
4 Reviews
Hampstead was never like this
malcolmgsw11 July 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Having worked in and around Hampstead for the last 50 years I have never seen a house like this!A beautiful art deco gambling den run by Francis L Sullivan.His troublesome upper crust customer Harold French owes him £2000.French goes to Epsom races to try to recoup but loves another £200.He goes to a boxing booth in the fairground.He knocks out the resident champ and wins the heart of Rene Ray,the adopted daughter of the booth's owner.Francis L Sullivan thinks he has become his uncle's heir till he discovers he had a daughter,who had been adopted.Of course it is Rene Ray.Sullivan decides to kidnap her and keep her in Hampstead for a month by which time he hopes the estate will be distributed.However French finds out about this.The police are tipped off and raid the house.French and Sullivan fight.This leads to cans of petrol catching on firs and setting the house ablaze.Ray manages to leap on to telegraph wires and French goes up a pole to try and hold her.Eventually the fire brigade turns up and French and Ray land in a jumping mat,fadeout.So a lot of action and plot for a film with a 71 minute running time.Above average production from Twickenham.
"And he only had to stand up to win"
hwg1957-102-2657045 January 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Tommy Blythe has a tendency to lose at gambling and after an unsuccessful time at a race meeting meets at a fairground Mary, whose adoptive father is the owner, of the fairground which is also down on its luck. Rodney Haines owns a nightclub in Hampstead and is waiting for his uncle to die so he can inherit. The two plot threads come together ending in a fiery climax. It's quite an entertaining film with good photography and some snappy lines of dialogue.
The cast acquit themselves well particularly Francis L. Sullivan as Haines, Diana Beaumont as his paramour Hilda and sweet and lovely Rene Ray as Mary. Harold French is adequate as Tommy..Harold French went on later to become a director of some interesting films.worth checking out. Alexander Field as Sam gives the best performance, his marriage proposal scene is very moving.
At the end is a stunt where Mary at the top of a burning building throws herself onto some telephone wires to escape the flames. Whether Rene Ray did it or a stunt person they should be applauded for the alarming feat.I winced when she landed.
The cast acquit themselves well particularly Francis L. Sullivan as Haines, Diana Beaumont as his paramour Hilda and sweet and lovely Rene Ray as Mary. Harold French is adequate as Tommy..Harold French went on later to become a director of some interesting films.worth checking out. Alexander Field as Sam gives the best performance, his marriage proposal scene is very moving.
At the end is a stunt where Mary at the top of a burning building throws herself onto some telephone wires to escape the flames. Whether Rene Ray did it or a stunt person they should be applauded for the alarming feat.I winced when she landed.
An unexpected gem
Leofwine_draca25 May 2016
I really enjoyed this old fashioned slice of melodrama that ties in a plot involving a struggling fun fair and a gambling joint run by a scheming crook. Although the plot hinges on a massive coincidence that the viewer just can't take seriously, there's something deliciously exciting about the premise and the oddball cast of characters who populate the narrative.
The main character is a toff played by Harold French, a star who later gave up acting and become a director. French is in debt to a dastardly crook played by the larger-than-life Francis L. Sullivan who gives a wonderfully old-fashioned performance that Tod Slaughter would be proud of. Sullivan was perhaps best known for his role as Mr. Jaggers in David Lean's GREAT EXPECTATIONS.
While horse racing and gambling plays a backdrop to this part of the tale, the viewer is also introduced to the woes at a local fun fair where a lack of cash and competition from new-fangled cinemas mean it's the end of the road. However, mystery surrounds the background of orphan girl Rene Ray, and the two story lines end up colliding. Ray is young and lovely and everything you would want from an actress in this part.
The short running time means that the focus is on action and incident, and all of this builds up to an electrifying and fiery climax that is incredibly well staged on what must have been a tight budget. The high rise stunts don't disappoint either. WHEN London SLEEPS, despite being an all but forgotten film, is a highly entertaining drama-cum-thriller and feels much more modern than a film made in 1932. I recommend it.
The main character is a toff played by Harold French, a star who later gave up acting and become a director. French is in debt to a dastardly crook played by the larger-than-life Francis L. Sullivan who gives a wonderfully old-fashioned performance that Tod Slaughter would be proud of. Sullivan was perhaps best known for his role as Mr. Jaggers in David Lean's GREAT EXPECTATIONS.
While horse racing and gambling plays a backdrop to this part of the tale, the viewer is also introduced to the woes at a local fun fair where a lack of cash and competition from new-fangled cinemas mean it's the end of the road. However, mystery surrounds the background of orphan girl Rene Ray, and the two story lines end up colliding. Ray is young and lovely and everything you would want from an actress in this part.
The short running time means that the focus is on action and incident, and all of this builds up to an electrifying and fiery climax that is incredibly well staged on what must have been a tight budget. The high rise stunts don't disappoint either. WHEN London SLEEPS, despite being an all but forgotten film, is a highly entertaining drama-cum-thriller and feels much more modern than a film made in 1932. I recommend it.
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