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Down River

  • 1931
  • 1h 13m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
16
YOUR RATING
Charles Laughton in Down River (1931)
CrimeDrama

A customs investigator and his fiancee track down a gang of smugglers whose leader may be a murderer.A customs investigator and his fiancee track down a gang of smugglers whose leader may be a murderer.A customs investigator and his fiancee track down a gang of smugglers whose leader may be a murderer.

  • Director
    • Peter Godfrey
  • Writers
    • Ralph Gilbert Bettison
    • Austin Small
  • Stars
    • Charles Laughton
    • Jane Baxter
    • Harold Huth
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.6/10
    16
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Peter Godfrey
    • Writers
      • Ralph Gilbert Bettison
      • Austin Small
    • Stars
      • Charles Laughton
      • Jane Baxter
      • Harold Huth
    • 3User reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos

    Charles Laughton, Jane Baxter, and Harold Huth in Down River (1931)
    Charles Laughton and Jane Baxter in Down River (1931)
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    Top cast

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    Charles Laughton
    Charles Laughton
    • Captain Grossman
    Jane Baxter
    Jane Baxter
    • Hilary Gordon
    Harold Huth
    Harold Huth
    • John Durham
    Kenneth Kove
    Kenneth Kove
    • Ronnie Gordon
    Hartley Power
    • Lingard
    Arthur Goullet
    • Maxick
    Norman Shelley
    • Blind Rudley
    Frederick Leister
    Frederick Leister
    • Inspector Manning
    Cyril McLaglen
    Cyril McLaglen
    • Sergeant Proctor
    Humberston Wright
    • Sir Michael Gordon
    Hugh E. Wright
    • Charlie Wong
    Philip Valentine
    Donald Wolfit
    Donald Wolfit
    • Director
      • Peter Godfrey
    • Writers
      • Ralph Gilbert Bettison
      • Austin Small
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      First film of Hartley Power.
    • Soundtracks
      Down River
      Written by Roger Eckersley

    User reviews3

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    6/10
    "Struggle little one! You cannot escape me!"
    Charles Laughton as a dastardly Dutch-Chinese smuggler only gradually insinuates himself into this - the last of his British potboilers before Hollywood beckoned - but his new-found stature is attested to by his special billing in the opening credits.

    The film is enlivened by actual footage of motor boats filmed on the Thames - including a speedboat chase shot night-for-night - while Andrew Mazzei has designed an enormous nightclub set in which Helen Howell performs an exotic dance in Oriental-style bobbed hair and a slinky unitard. Director Peter Godfrey shows off the set by dollying his camera back and fourth to make sure we get a good look at it; although for most of the rest of the film inspiration fails him and much of the action looks as if we're seeing it from the back of the stalls.

    Jane Baxter is an attractive and feisty heroine, while Laughton - with his slicked-back hair, cherubic, bizarrely made up face, Chinese smocks and Buddha-like demeanour - although given relatively little dialogue, plainly doesn't need it to dominate the proceedings.
    helpful•1
    1
    • richardchatten
    • May 2, 2018

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • November 6, 1931 (Ireland)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • Gainsborough Studios, Shepherd's Bush, London, England, UK
    • Production company
      • Gaumont British Picture Corporation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 13 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White

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