Based on the novel by Russell Thorndike this is a good film set in the village of Dymchurch where a group of sailors led by Captain Howard Collyer R.N. arrrive to look for smugglers. It is the village where the once notorious Captain Clegg was buried and where on the salt marshes strange phantom riders have been seen. The titular Doctor Syn is the local vicar who watches over and helps his flock. The director Roy William Neill keeps a firm hand on the narrative and incident follows incident at a lively pace with amusing and interesting dialogue.
In his last film elderly George Arliss plays Dr. Syn and is OK. Margaret Lockwood and John Loder don't have much to do. Fortunately there are great character actors in support; Roy Emerton, Graham Moffatt, George Merritt, Wally Patch and Muriel George. Meinhart Maur mimes and moans as a mulatto. There is a character called Dr. Pepper but I don't think that was an early example of product placement.
The version I saw had poor picture quality which was a shame as some shooting was done on location but it was difficult to see. Roy William Neill went on to direct many Rathbone/Bruce Sherlock Holmes films, some of which were excellent.
In his last film elderly George Arliss plays Dr. Syn and is OK. Margaret Lockwood and John Loder don't have much to do. Fortunately there are great character actors in support; Roy Emerton, Graham Moffatt, George Merritt, Wally Patch and Muriel George. Meinhart Maur mimes and moans as a mulatto. There is a character called Dr. Pepper but I don't think that was an early example of product placement.
The version I saw had poor picture quality which was a shame as some shooting was done on location but it was difficult to see. Roy William Neill went on to direct many Rathbone/Bruce Sherlock Holmes films, some of which were excellent.