A jewel thief suspected of being a local serial killer targeting police officers decides to solve the mystery himself to clear his name.A jewel thief suspected of being a local serial killer targeting police officers decides to solve the mystery himself to clear his name.A jewel thief suspected of being a local serial killer targeting police officers decides to solve the mystery himself to clear his name.
Ivan F. Simpson
- Hutchinson
- (as Ivan Simpson)
Robert Adair
- Constable
- (uncredited)
Norman Ainsley
- Reporter
- (uncredited)
Ted Billings
- Barfly
- (uncredited)
William A. Boardway
- Courtroom Spectator
- (uncredited)
Barlowe Borland
- Waiter
- (uncredited)
Alfred Cross
- Reporter
- (uncredited)
Captain Francis
- Reporter
- (uncredited)
Victor Gammon
- Reporter
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaPreview audiences rejected the original ending, where "Nick" did not get "Jane". Retakes and additional scenes were ordered, but directed by Richard Boleslawski because director Edgar Selwyn was unavailable.
- GoofsWhen Robert Montgomery lists the crime scenes, he says that X always strikes in a deserted area of London. However, one of the crime scenes mentioned is Marble Arch, which is a very busy area in central London. Also, the first murder shown takes place on the bank of the Thames, but none of the crime scenes mentioned is anywhere near the river, and Gates End Lane, the scene of the last murder, is a fictitious street, although the other streets named are real.
- Quotes
Jane Frensham: Do you know why I like you?
Nicholas 'Nick' Revel: No, Why?
Jane Frensham: Because you're so straight. I think you're the straightest man I've ever met.
- ConnectionsVersion of The Hour of 13 (1952)
Featured review
Good vehicle for Robert Montgomery
Robert Montgomery, always the class act, gets to do more here than MGM normally let him in the very early years of his career when they too often typecast him as a wealthy playboy. I always enjoyed him in those roles, but he was capable of so much more.
Someone is going about killing London policemen with a long sword in the absence of any other crime. Enter Robert Montgomery as the unlucky cracksman Nicholas Revel. He is unlucky because he steals a beautiful diamond at virtually the same time and place that one of the policemen is killed. The police unfortunately deduce that the cop killer, "Mr. X", is also the diamond thief and figure when they find the diamond and its thief they'll find Mr. X.
In yet another plot thread the daughter of police commissioner Fresham is engaged to a young man, Sir Christopher 'Chris' Marche, who is prone to nocturnal drunken adventures. During one of these benders he scuffles with a policeman minutes before Mr. X kills that policeman. With the young man's scarf clutched in the dead policeman's hands, Sir Christopher is instantly a suspect.
These threads intersect when Revel, a man with a profound conscience for a jewel thief and apparently better investigative instincts than the police, decides he cannot let Sir Christopher be blamed for a crime that he believes he did not commit. He has a theory on how to catch the real cop killer - and thus get himself off the hook too - but he needs to talk to police commissioner Fresham and tell him his theory. Knowing the commissioner will probably be at Sir Christopher's hearing, Revel concocts a plan to falsely vouch for Sir Christopher the night of the killing, and thus be able to simultaneously free Sir Christopher from suspicion and enter into conversation with the commissioner.
Some of this plan works out for Revel - and some of it doesn't. All in all it's a very interesting crime drama/romance from the 1930's. Lewis Stone as police superintendent Conner is also excellent here as usual, as he wages a passive-aggressive battle of wits with Revel. You see, Conner is on to Revel from the first time they meet and Revel realizes this. The film has a very satisfying precode ending, but not the kind you would normally think of when you mention precode.
Also, let me correct one common mistake. The leading lady here is Elizabeth Allan, a fine British film actress, not Elizabeth Allen the stage actress and wife of Robert Montgomery at the time this film was made.
Someone is going about killing London policemen with a long sword in the absence of any other crime. Enter Robert Montgomery as the unlucky cracksman Nicholas Revel. He is unlucky because he steals a beautiful diamond at virtually the same time and place that one of the policemen is killed. The police unfortunately deduce that the cop killer, "Mr. X", is also the diamond thief and figure when they find the diamond and its thief they'll find Mr. X.
In yet another plot thread the daughter of police commissioner Fresham is engaged to a young man, Sir Christopher 'Chris' Marche, who is prone to nocturnal drunken adventures. During one of these benders he scuffles with a policeman minutes before Mr. X kills that policeman. With the young man's scarf clutched in the dead policeman's hands, Sir Christopher is instantly a suspect.
These threads intersect when Revel, a man with a profound conscience for a jewel thief and apparently better investigative instincts than the police, decides he cannot let Sir Christopher be blamed for a crime that he believes he did not commit. He has a theory on how to catch the real cop killer - and thus get himself off the hook too - but he needs to talk to police commissioner Fresham and tell him his theory. Knowing the commissioner will probably be at Sir Christopher's hearing, Revel concocts a plan to falsely vouch for Sir Christopher the night of the killing, and thus be able to simultaneously free Sir Christopher from suspicion and enter into conversation with the commissioner.
Some of this plan works out for Revel - and some of it doesn't. All in all it's a very interesting crime drama/romance from the 1930's. Lewis Stone as police superintendent Conner is also excellent here as usual, as he wages a passive-aggressive battle of wits with Revel. You see, Conner is on to Revel from the first time they meet and Revel realizes this. The film has a very satisfying precode ending, but not the kind you would normally think of when you mention precode.
Also, let me correct one common mistake. The leading lady here is Elizabeth Allan, a fine British film actress, not Elizabeth Allen the stage actress and wife of Robert Montgomery at the time this film was made.
helpful•51
- AlsExGal
- Jun 13, 2010
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- The Mystery of Mister X
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 24 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content