THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD (Universal, 1935), directed by Stuart Walker, is a complete motion picture taken from an incomplete final story written by Charles Dickens (1812-1870). Being Universal's second contribution to Dickens' novels captured on film, the first being the little known nor seen GREAT EXPEXCTATIONS (1934) starring Henry Hull and Phillips Holmes, also directed by Stuart Walker, EDWIN DROOD contains many performers in the cast usually associated with horror movies of recent years, which somewhat explains why this production is often part of fright night/shock theater on commercial television during the 1960s and 1970s, as well as distribution on video cassette in 1996 as part of Universal Horror Classics. Bearing a fine cast of Claude Rains ("The Invisible Man" 1933); David Manners ("Dracula" (1931), "The Mummy" (1932) and "The Black Cat" (1934)); Valerie Hobson (1935 "Bride of Frankenstein" and "Werewolf of London"); E.E. Clive and Forrester Harvey (both from "The Invisible Man" and others), one cannot help but assume this to be a horror film. Though there are no monsters nor mad scientists involved, there is the frightening presence of an insanely jealous choirmaster who happens to be an opium addict (Rains), but its basically a story of jealousy and mystery story with a surprise twist.
Set in 19th century England, the story revolves around John Jasper (Claude Rains), a cathedral choirmaster of Cloisteram desperately in love with his music pupil, Rosa Bud (Heather Angel), a beautiful girl just turned 18, engaged to marry his 21-year-old nephew, Edwin "Ned" Drood (David Manners). Entering the scene are Neville Landless (Douglass Montgomery), and his sister, Helena (Valerie Hobson), arriving from Ceylon on a carriage to live under the wing of the Rev. Mr. Crisparkle (Francis L. Sullivan) and his wife (Louise Carter). Neville meets and immediately falls in love with Rosa, which leads to heated anger and near fights between the two men. Neville finds Edwin's vanity intolerable and not worthy of Rosa's hand in marriage. With a reputation of having a violent temper, as told to Crisparkle, Neville, in a drunken rage, takes a knife to Edwin, but holds back his anger and goes away. Realizing he is right in his assumption, Edwin breaks his engagement to Rosa, with Edwin and Neville later parting simply as friends. Jasper, unaware about the broken engagement, spots Ned kissing Rosa as they part company, assuming their embrace to be love and affection. With careful planning, Jasper murders Ned on Christmas Eve. The following day Jasper reports Ned missing to the authorities and accuses Neville of his nephew's murder, even though Ned's body has yet to be found. While all the evidence is now against Neville, especially after leaving town and adding to his "guilt," Jasper posts a $200 pound reward on Neville's return and arrest. Later a mysterious white haired/-bearded old man named Mr. Thackeray arrives, arousing suspicion to John Jasper as to why this mysterious old man is so much interested in the mystery of Edwin Drood.
Others seen in the cast include Zeffie Tilbury (the opium den hag who predicts harm will come to anyone by the name of "Ned"); E.E. Clive (Mayor Thomas Sapsea); Walter Kingsford (Grengious, Rosa's guardian); Forrester Harvey (Durdles); Georgie Ernest (The Boy Deputy); J.M. Kerrigan (Chief Vergon Tope); and Ethel Griffies (Miss Twinkledon). Look quickly for Walter Brennan appearing briefly as the cockney town gossip. Claude Rains is perfectly cast in the lead as John Jasper, the one whom Rosa Bud (Heather Angel) describes as one "haunting her thoughts like a dreadful ghost." Much of the story rightfully belongs to Montgomery, as the accused, who goes to extreme measures to clear himself of a crime for which he is innocent. While Hobson has little to do as Angel's roommate and companion, the story is also helped by the angelic beauty of Heather Angel and Edward Ward's stock background music.
It's a wonder had Charles Dickens lived to complete his novel of "The Mystery of Edwin Drood," would he have come up with a surprise twist ending as depicted in this motion picture or something completely different? It's also a wonder how the 1914 silent screen adaptation to the same story was handled? Notably the novel had been completed and published in 1980 by another author over century after Dickens' death, yet this climax itself is enough to indicate its satisfying conclusion. Regardless the familiar background settings used in other horror films produced at the same time, this production does capture the essence of Gothic 19th century England and anything else associated with Dickens' work.
Nearly forgotten through the absence from television revivals in later years, THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD did surface again on Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: December 5, 2011), and later on DVD as part of Universal's Vault Collection, the movie itself is a worthy rediscovery to an outlook of now forgotten films outside Frankenstein, Dracula or The Werewolf productions produced by Carl Laemmle's for which Universal is known for today. (***)
Set in 19th century England, the story revolves around John Jasper (Claude Rains), a cathedral choirmaster of Cloisteram desperately in love with his music pupil, Rosa Bud (Heather Angel), a beautiful girl just turned 18, engaged to marry his 21-year-old nephew, Edwin "Ned" Drood (David Manners). Entering the scene are Neville Landless (Douglass Montgomery), and his sister, Helena (Valerie Hobson), arriving from Ceylon on a carriage to live under the wing of the Rev. Mr. Crisparkle (Francis L. Sullivan) and his wife (Louise Carter). Neville meets and immediately falls in love with Rosa, which leads to heated anger and near fights between the two men. Neville finds Edwin's vanity intolerable and not worthy of Rosa's hand in marriage. With a reputation of having a violent temper, as told to Crisparkle, Neville, in a drunken rage, takes a knife to Edwin, but holds back his anger and goes away. Realizing he is right in his assumption, Edwin breaks his engagement to Rosa, with Edwin and Neville later parting simply as friends. Jasper, unaware about the broken engagement, spots Ned kissing Rosa as they part company, assuming their embrace to be love and affection. With careful planning, Jasper murders Ned on Christmas Eve. The following day Jasper reports Ned missing to the authorities and accuses Neville of his nephew's murder, even though Ned's body has yet to be found. While all the evidence is now against Neville, especially after leaving town and adding to his "guilt," Jasper posts a $200 pound reward on Neville's return and arrest. Later a mysterious white haired/-bearded old man named Mr. Thackeray arrives, arousing suspicion to John Jasper as to why this mysterious old man is so much interested in the mystery of Edwin Drood.
Others seen in the cast include Zeffie Tilbury (the opium den hag who predicts harm will come to anyone by the name of "Ned"); E.E. Clive (Mayor Thomas Sapsea); Walter Kingsford (Grengious, Rosa's guardian); Forrester Harvey (Durdles); Georgie Ernest (The Boy Deputy); J.M. Kerrigan (Chief Vergon Tope); and Ethel Griffies (Miss Twinkledon). Look quickly for Walter Brennan appearing briefly as the cockney town gossip. Claude Rains is perfectly cast in the lead as John Jasper, the one whom Rosa Bud (Heather Angel) describes as one "haunting her thoughts like a dreadful ghost." Much of the story rightfully belongs to Montgomery, as the accused, who goes to extreme measures to clear himself of a crime for which he is innocent. While Hobson has little to do as Angel's roommate and companion, the story is also helped by the angelic beauty of Heather Angel and Edward Ward's stock background music.
It's a wonder had Charles Dickens lived to complete his novel of "The Mystery of Edwin Drood," would he have come up with a surprise twist ending as depicted in this motion picture or something completely different? It's also a wonder how the 1914 silent screen adaptation to the same story was handled? Notably the novel had been completed and published in 1980 by another author over century after Dickens' death, yet this climax itself is enough to indicate its satisfying conclusion. Regardless the familiar background settings used in other horror films produced at the same time, this production does capture the essence of Gothic 19th century England and anything else associated with Dickens' work.
Nearly forgotten through the absence from television revivals in later years, THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD did surface again on Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: December 5, 2011), and later on DVD as part of Universal's Vault Collection, the movie itself is a worthy rediscovery to an outlook of now forgotten films outside Frankenstein, Dracula or The Werewolf productions produced by Carl Laemmle's for which Universal is known for today. (***)