Mr. Reeder in Room 13 is a 1938 British crime film directed by Norman Lee and starring Peter Murray-Hill, Sally Gray and Gibb McLaughlin.[1][2] It is based on the first J. G. Reeder book, Room 13 by Edgar Wallace.[3] The film was released in the U.S. in 1941 as Mystery of Room 13.[4]
| Mr. Reeder in Room 13 | |
|---|---|
 American poster | |
| Directed by | Norman Lee |
| Written by | |
| Based on | novel Room 13 by Edgar Wallace |
| Produced by | John Corfield |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Eric Cross |
| Edited by | Ted Richards (as Edward Richards) |
| Music by | Ronnie Munro |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Associated British Film Distributors (UK) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 78 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Plot
editMr. J. G. Reeder is called in by the Bank of England to investigate a gang of forgers. Reeder enlists the aid of a younger man, Captain Johnnie Gray, to infiltrate the gang by going undercover in Dartmoor jail.
Cast
edit- Peter Murray-Hill as Captain Johnnie Gray
- Sally Gray as Claire Kane
- Gibb McLaughlin as J.G. Reeder
- Malcolm Keen as Peter Kane
- Leslie Perrins as Jeffrey Legge
- Sara Seegar as Lila Legge
- D.J. Williams as Emmanuel Legge
- Rex Carvel as Sir John Flaherty
- Robert Cochran as Detective Inspector Barker
- Phil Ray as Fenner, convict
Critical reception
editThe Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "The plot has vigour but it is clumsy, slovenly and frankly impossible. ... But the film has many merits; it moves quickly, in general is very well acted, has really humorous interludes, and good clear sound and photography."[5]
Kine Weekly wrote: "The acting is in the main good, and powerful suspense accompanies the climax, but the story is far from easy to follow. There is, however plenty of active and exciting surface interest to keep the masses on tenterhooks."[6]
Picturegoer wrote: "The plot is very involved in this adaptation of an Edgar Wallace thriller and militates against the picture's entertainment. ... Sally Gray is adequate as the heroine and Gibb McLaughlin is good in the title role, but the rest of the cast is hindered by the story development."[7]
Britmovie wrote, "Director Norman Lee keeps things moving along briskly and packs plenty of goings-on into its relatively short running time, but the outlandish plot requires some suspension of disbelief."[8]
See also
edit- Room 13 (1964)
- The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder (1969–71)
References
edit- ^ "Mr. Reeder in Room 13". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ "Mr. Reeder in Room 13". BFI. Archived from the original on 15 January 2009.
- ^ Edgar Wallace. "Room 13 (Mr. J. G. Reeder #1)". Goodreads.
- ^ "Mystery-of-Room-13 - Cast, Crew, Director and Awards - NYTimes.com". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2015. Archived from the original on 31 January 2015.
- ^ "Mr. Reeder in Room 13". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 5 (49): 10. 1 January 1938 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "Mr. Reeder in Room 13". Kine Weekly. 251 (1605): 28. 20 January 1938 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "Mr. Reeder in Room 13". Picturegoer. 8: 20. 8 June 1938 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "Mr. Reeder in Room 13". britmovie.co.uk.
External links
edit
 | This article related to a British film of the 1930s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This 1930s crime film-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |