Though "Crime Unlimited" has quite a different "feel" from what a Warners U.S. production on the same plot premise would have the American version would have moved a lot faster and would have had wall-to-wall background music (this one doesn't have an underscore at all!) it's quite a good movie and makes one wish more of the Teddington productions existed. (About 100 were made while Warners owned the studio but only about one-third of them survive and among the lost is the one most everyone would most want to see: "Murder at Monte Carlo," Errol Flynn's first starring role and the film that convinced Jack Warner that Flynn belonged in Hollywood.) Its debt to the Holmes-Moriarty story and especially to Fritz Lang's Dr. Mabuse films is pretty evident the villain is a man who, to preserve his incognito, meets his confederates in a secret room and communicates with them only by intercom but it's well plotted, the denouement makes sense and Esmond Knight is a personable hero, handsome but also quite a good actor who effectively projects the character's combination of courage and naïveté. But the film belongs to Lilli Palmer, whose performance would jump out at you even if you didn't know she would become a star later on; playing the most conflicted character in the story, she makes her rich and complex and brings her dilemmas home. Ralph Ince's direction could have used more of a sense of atmosphere (though it was clear from some of the setups in the villain's headquarters that he'd screened Lang's Mabuse films), and there are a few points where the pace slackened and the film seemed dull, but overall "Crime Unlimited" is quite a good piece of work and the British audiences who saw it in 1935 were probably entertained even while waiting for the big Warners Hollywood production they'd actually paid to see.
12 Reviews
Lilli Palmer makes debut in British crime melodrama...
Doylenf24 September 2007
Crisply paced British crime story about a gang of jewel thieves preying on high society is reminiscent of the David Niven/Olivia de Havilland caper RAFFLES. This one is about a man who appears to be a dapper thief eluding Scotland Yard. It turns out he is posing as a thief, but is really a lawman infiltrating a jewelry gang and working for Scotland Yard.
LILLI PALMER, looking almost unrecognizable in her first screen role with the usual plucked eyebrows of the '30s style, deftly handles the role of a girl who participates in the gang robberies. All of the Scotland Yard scenes are well handled by a cast of British actors.
ESMOND KNIGHT gives an appealing performance as the lawman impersonating a dapper jewel thief in true David Niven style, always fashionably attired. Palmer plays a girl who lives by her wits but wants out of the crime game and wants Knight to quit too. Both of them have never met Maddick, the head of the gang, but fear him. The surprise is in the revelation of Maddick.
Summing up: Routine story, very British style, offers nothing new in the way of crime capers.
LILLI PALMER, looking almost unrecognizable in her first screen role with the usual plucked eyebrows of the '30s style, deftly handles the role of a girl who participates in the gang robberies. All of the Scotland Yard scenes are well handled by a cast of British actors.
ESMOND KNIGHT gives an appealing performance as the lawman impersonating a dapper jewel thief in true David Niven style, always fashionably attired. Palmer plays a girl who lives by her wits but wants out of the crime game and wants Knight to quit too. Both of them have never met Maddick, the head of the gang, but fear him. The surprise is in the revelation of Maddick.
Summing up: Routine story, very British style, offers nothing new in the way of crime capers.
Ah, Lilli
blanche-210 February 2015
Lovely Lilli Palmer made her film debut in this routine British quota film, Crime Unlimited, from 1935.
She stars with Esmond Knight in this drama about an undercover police office infiltrating a gang of jewel thieves and attempting to meet the unseen leader, Maddick. Along the way, he meets Natacha (Palmer), part of the crime team, but who wants out.
This is a pretty good film, nothing special, but it was certainly fun to see the nearly unrecognizable Palmer. Esmond Knight, in his twenties here, lived to be 80 and worked until the very end, despite being blind for two years after the war and losing an eye.
She stars with Esmond Knight in this drama about an undercover police office infiltrating a gang of jewel thieves and attempting to meet the unseen leader, Maddick. Along the way, he meets Natacha (Palmer), part of the crime team, but who wants out.
This is a pretty good film, nothing special, but it was certainly fun to see the nearly unrecognizable Palmer. Esmond Knight, in his twenties here, lived to be 80 and worked until the very end, despite being blind for two years after the war and losing an eye.
A Superior quota quickie
malcolmgsw4 January 2020
I am currently reading the autobiography of Edmond Knight.He was contracted by Irving Asher to make quota quickies.He considered this to be one of the better ones.He had done screen tests with four potential leading ladies when he was asked to do a fifth.The actress was Lilli Palmer.
The film used one of Edgar Wallace's favourite pot devices.The gang controlled by a mysterious unknown leader.
Ralph Ince,brother of Thomas,directs at speed
Lili and Esmond take on the Merrick Gang
theowinthrop25 September 2007
Warning: Spoilers
The situation was this. In 1927 (according to Robert Osborne in introducing this and two other films on TCM) a British law insisted that British casts and crews had to be used in films shown in the U.K. by foreign distributors. Warner Brothers - First National got around this by doing films at a British studio they bought at Teddington - so that they would show one of the British films with one of their American films on the same bill. This proved to be acceptable, and they would turn out about 100 films in the 1930s and 1940s, before the studio was closed due to bomb damage from a V-2 rocket. Later it was repaired, but the law was changed and Warners sold Teddington to British interest. It still is in use.
Only a third of the Warners Teddington films survive, and Turner Classics showed three last Monday, and three a week before - all shown the first time in the U.S. The first shown on Monday was CRIME UNLIMITED. This melodrama fits nicely into it's London locale, as it deals with a phenomenally successful jewelry gang under one "Merrick" that keeps beating Scotland Yard's attempts to stop it. When they kill an undercover cop (they've also killed three stool pigeons), the Yard knows it must crack the case to regain public trust in it's abilities. The dead detective held onto a clue that mentions "A D 1935 +" on it. Hopefully this taunting clue can be cracked.
The Assistant Commissioner (Cecil Parker) decides on another risky scheme. Again, plant a police inspector to spy and uncover the gang inside the gang. But to do this, the police inspector must appear to be a really clever jewel thief - one that "Merrick" would consider for his gang. Shortly afterward we see Esmond Knight as Pete Borden, pulling off a clever jewelry snatch of three expensive bracelets worth 3,000 pounds. He manages to go to a gambling den to try to fence the jewels. There he meets one Natasha (Lili Palmer), who is one of the members of "Merrick"'s gang. He is taken (blindfolded) to Merrick's headquarters, and speaks to him over an intercom. Given little option (join or be killed), he joins the gang.
From that point on he acts totally as a member of the gang, but their well organized heists keep going awry. "Merrick" is increasingly suspicious of Borden, as all the mistakes occurred after he joined. The climax is when Borden and Natasha steal a famous necklace at a society party, although Borden's alias is revealed to be false. He escapes. But although Natasha gets a piece of jewelry, it turns out to be a paste imitation. At which point "Merrick" decides Borden (and possibly Natasha) are expendable.
It's actually not a bad little mystery, as we keep wondering who is "Merrick", and as we see each of Borden's leads passed to the police get stymied by this criminal genius and his gang. If the conclusion seems a trifle melodramatic (the actor who is Merrick seems too giggly when uncovered - the role called for Henry Daniell if possible for perfect affect). Knight is a feisty little actor (with sufficient English restraint, believe it or not). As for Lili Palmer, Natasha was a good early role as a bad girl who reforms in time. But she did go on to better things - and for awhile so did Knight.
Only a third of the Warners Teddington films survive, and Turner Classics showed three last Monday, and three a week before - all shown the first time in the U.S. The first shown on Monday was CRIME UNLIMITED. This melodrama fits nicely into it's London locale, as it deals with a phenomenally successful jewelry gang under one "Merrick" that keeps beating Scotland Yard's attempts to stop it. When they kill an undercover cop (they've also killed three stool pigeons), the Yard knows it must crack the case to regain public trust in it's abilities. The dead detective held onto a clue that mentions "A D 1935 +" on it. Hopefully this taunting clue can be cracked.
The Assistant Commissioner (Cecil Parker) decides on another risky scheme. Again, plant a police inspector to spy and uncover the gang inside the gang. But to do this, the police inspector must appear to be a really clever jewel thief - one that "Merrick" would consider for his gang. Shortly afterward we see Esmond Knight as Pete Borden, pulling off a clever jewelry snatch of three expensive bracelets worth 3,000 pounds. He manages to go to a gambling den to try to fence the jewels. There he meets one Natasha (Lili Palmer), who is one of the members of "Merrick"'s gang. He is taken (blindfolded) to Merrick's headquarters, and speaks to him over an intercom. Given little option (join or be killed), he joins the gang.
From that point on he acts totally as a member of the gang, but their well organized heists keep going awry. "Merrick" is increasingly suspicious of Borden, as all the mistakes occurred after he joined. The climax is when Borden and Natasha steal a famous necklace at a society party, although Borden's alias is revealed to be false. He escapes. But although Natasha gets a piece of jewelry, it turns out to be a paste imitation. At which point "Merrick" decides Borden (and possibly Natasha) are expendable.
It's actually not a bad little mystery, as we keep wondering who is "Merrick", and as we see each of Borden's leads passed to the police get stymied by this criminal genius and his gang. If the conclusion seems a trifle melodramatic (the actor who is Merrick seems too giggly when uncovered - the role called for Henry Daniell if possible for perfect affect). Knight is a feisty little actor (with sufficient English restraint, believe it or not). As for Lili Palmer, Natasha was a good early role as a bad girl who reforms in time. But she did go on to better things - and for awhile so did Knight.
Great Film Classic
whpratt124 September 2007
This film is a mystery which concerns a rather sick man who loves to play chess and laughs like a Bela Lugosi who loves to cause all kinds of problems and is being investigated by Pete Borden, (Esmond Knight) as an undercover police man and gets deeply involved with Natasha, (Lilli Palmer) who made her first film debut and adds a great deal of charm to this rather old B picture from England and produced by First National Pictures. If you are interested what woman's hairs styles looked like and the clothes that they wore, this is a great film to enjoy along with the old automobiles that were driven during the Year 1935. Lilli Palmer was so well liked, she eventually came to the United States and married Rex Harrison and the both of them had a great career together.
Routine B Crimebuster.
rmax30482324 September 2007
Warning: Spoilers
It zips along quickly, like most B productions, with little wasted motion and no time spent on incidental events or reality intrusions. It's a British crime thriller starring Esmond Knight and Lilli Palmer and was made in 1935, about the time Hitchcock was hitting his stride in the same arena.
You can't help wondering, as this thing rolls along in its complicated but uninspired way, like any cheap second feature starring Boston Blackie or Charlie Chan, what Hitchcock would have done with it. There's even a scene shot in an illegal casino in which one of the villains is eating a meal. And that's it. He just eats. All the scenes show about as much interest on the part of the participants as this one, as exciting as watching a barnacle clinging to a rock.
Lilli Palmer plays a slightly tarnished moll who falls for the hero and turns good. She's recognizable to those familiar with her later films only because her voice is the same. It's really strange. She was 21 when this was released and quite pretty. Ten or fifteen years later she was beautiful. Did she get a nose job, or what? Unless you have a taste for old-fashioned crime films with the undercover Scotland Yard agent finally trapping the cackling villain -- "Of course, you think I'm mad. I prefer to call it genius." -- you might better think about spending your time doing something other than this absolutely formulaic B film.
You can't help wondering, as this thing rolls along in its complicated but uninspired way, like any cheap second feature starring Boston Blackie or Charlie Chan, what Hitchcock would have done with it. There's even a scene shot in an illegal casino in which one of the villains is eating a meal. And that's it. He just eats. All the scenes show about as much interest on the part of the participants as this one, as exciting as watching a barnacle clinging to a rock.
Lilli Palmer plays a slightly tarnished moll who falls for the hero and turns good. She's recognizable to those familiar with her later films only because her voice is the same. It's really strange. She was 21 when this was released and quite pretty. Ten or fifteen years later she was beautiful. Did she get a nose job, or what? Unless you have a taste for old-fashioned crime films with the undercover Scotland Yard agent finally trapping the cackling villain -- "Of course, you think I'm mad. I prefer to call it genius." -- you might better think about spending your time doing something other than this absolutely formulaic B film.
Quota Quickies were good films!
benoit-324 September 2007
I just saw this on TCM as part of six Teddington studios Warner Bros. made-in-England so-called Quota Quickies never meant for export outside England. I am very impressed. English actors are in every way superior to their American counterparts of the time. The dialogue is literate, as can be expected from a people who made "talking pictures" instead of "movies", like the expression goes. This undercover-cop-acting-as-a-jewel-thief story has all the action elements that one can expect from the Fritz Lang-inspired melodramas of the time and that have survived in the Adventures of Tintin: hidden lairs with two-way mirrors and secret passages, car pursuits, death by piped-in gas, an arch-villain with a double identity who happens to be bordering on lunacy, etc. But the proceedings are saved by the extreme intelligence of the principals: Lilli Palmer, in her first English-language film, and Esmond Knight, a Michael Powell regular, who had absolutely everything to become a sexier, more proactive and muscular Laurence Olivier, but whose career was cut short by his losing an eye in WWII, after which he took on extremely surprising and varied character roles. The films in the Paddington treasure trove are absolutely pristine in image and sound and put to shame many films of the period as far as conservation goes. The direction by a stalwart of the Hollywood system is also equally brilliant. In short, films like this one make it hard to understand why the British public would prefer the American product and the terrible things that have been written about them.
Edgar Wallace Sort Of Story
boblipton10 April 2023
A mysterious criminal mastermind has everyone in London in an uproar. Policeman Esmond Knight goes undercover as a crook to infiltrate the organization.
It's an Edgar Wallace sort of movie, with a villain so mad he plays chess and giggles at his own cleverness, with a nice cast, including Lilli Palmer and Cecil Parker. It's also pretty much impossible to figure out until you are told the ending. Still, it's well directed by Ralph Ince, who took his duties as Warner Brothers' Teddington studio seriously. They might be there to produce quota quickies, but there's no rule against doig a good job; and he signed Erroll Flynn to a contract and gave him his first substantial role (in a movie now lost).
Ince was the youngest of the three Ince Brothers; Thomas was the best remembered, as it was he who figured out how to produce movies on pretty much an assembly line. Ralph who an actor and director. His presence in England allowed him to direct three or four movies a year. He died in 1937 at the age of 50.
It's an Edgar Wallace sort of movie, with a villain so mad he plays chess and giggles at his own cleverness, with a nice cast, including Lilli Palmer and Cecil Parker. It's also pretty much impossible to figure out until you are told the ending. Still, it's well directed by Ralph Ince, who took his duties as Warner Brothers' Teddington studio seriously. They might be there to produce quota quickies, but there's no rule against doig a good job; and he signed Erroll Flynn to a contract and gave him his first substantial role (in a movie now lost).
Ince was the youngest of the three Ince Brothers; Thomas was the best remembered, as it was he who figured out how to produce movies on pretty much an assembly line. Ralph who an actor and director. His presence in England allowed him to direct three or four movies a year. He died in 1937 at the age of 50.
Doctor Mabuse in disguise!
JohnHowardReid21 December 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Crime Unlimited (1935) is a British film made by Warner Brothers at their Teddington studios,.
Rather flatly directed by Hollywood's Ralph Ince (if he'd shown me just one more close-up of Esmond Knight mouthing his dreary lines, I would certainly have clicked the exit button) from a neat screenplay by Brock Williams and Ralph Smart, based on a novel by David Hume that was obviously inspired by Fritz Lang's infamous Doctor Mabuse, the movie fortunately has at least three other points of great interest that will appeal to the majority of 1930's oriented film buffs.
Basil Emmott's noirish photography, for instance, helps to keep viewers on track, but the movie's number one best asset is the lovely, charismatic Lilli Palmer, here making her official movie debut (she had a bit part in a 1933 French production). Here she plays "Natasha".
Raymond Lovell is also to be top-rated. Here he is cast as a gangster, named "Delaney".
Rather flatly directed by Hollywood's Ralph Ince (if he'd shown me just one more close-up of Esmond Knight mouthing his dreary lines, I would certainly have clicked the exit button) from a neat screenplay by Brock Williams and Ralph Smart, based on a novel by David Hume that was obviously inspired by Fritz Lang's infamous Doctor Mabuse, the movie fortunately has at least three other points of great interest that will appeal to the majority of 1930's oriented film buffs.
Basil Emmott's noirish photography, for instance, helps to keep viewers on track, but the movie's number one best asset is the lovely, charismatic Lilli Palmer, here making her official movie debut (she had a bit part in a 1933 French production). Here she plays "Natasha".
Raymond Lovell is also to be top-rated. Here he is cast as a gangster, named "Delaney".
Trilby in disguise!
JohnHowardReid21 December 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Allegedly based on the 1933 play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Alexander Woollcott, the British movie "Ctime Unlimited" bears little resemblance to this source at all and in actual fact was based on the 1894 novel, Trilby, by George Du Maurier - a property that Warner Brothers also owned.
The most notable film version of Trilby was Svengali (1931) in which John Barrymore played the title character.
On this occasion, the role is played - and played well - by sanpaku-eyed Herbert Lom, while Anne Crawford makes a most effective Trilby and David Farrar a more powerful and charismatic Little Billee.
The setting has been cleverly changed from opera to a circus, enabling director Harlow to incorporate a number of genuine acts, including a thrilling sequence in which a clown performs a number of breathtaking high wire stunts.
Nominal star, Ben Lyon, doesn't get too much in the way. Production values impress and the noirish photography by Otto Heller is a stand-out, particularly in the Herbert Lom sequences.
The most notable film version of Trilby was Svengali (1931) in which John Barrymore played the title character.
On this occasion, the role is played - and played well - by sanpaku-eyed Herbert Lom, while Anne Crawford makes a most effective Trilby and David Farrar a more powerful and charismatic Little Billee.
The setting has been cleverly changed from opera to a circus, enabling director Harlow to incorporate a number of genuine acts, including a thrilling sequence in which a clown performs a number of breathtaking high wire stunts.
Nominal star, Ben Lyon, doesn't get too much in the way. Production values impress and the noirish photography by Otto Heller is a stand-out, particularly in the Herbert Lom sequences.
A Tense, Criminal, Mastermind Opus
zardoz-1323 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
German Jewish actress Lilli Palmer made her English-language film debut in "Murder at Monte Carlo," director Ralph Ince's 1935 law & order epic "Crime Unlimited" about a dame working for an anonymous criminal mastermind in London. This 71-minute film was adapted from David Hume's novel "Crime Unlimited," but Hume was a pseudonym for author John Victor Turner! He also penned novels under the alias David Hume as well as Nicholas Brady. This is a literate British crime thriller helmed by an American features a largely British cast. Some have said the plot, with its mysterious but omniscient villain, was written in the vein of an Edgar Wallace novel like "The Ringer." Not only has our genius criminal forged a thriving crime ring, but he has also run circles around Scotland Yard. The Maddick gang-as it is called in the press--has gotten away with a series of jewelry thefts and embarrassed the Yard. Frustrated by their lack of success, three of their finest undercover detectives were exposed and killed, the Assistant Commissioner (Cecil Parker of "Guns at Batasi") decides to use a cadet fresh out of the police academy.
The Commissioner suspects the villains know everybody on the force. Presumably, a fresh face may fool these felons. Initially, Pete Borden (Esmond Knight of "Robin and Marian") comes across a cigarette smoking dame, Natacha (Lilli Palmer of "Cloak and Dagger"), in one of the London casinos. These two find common ground but Natacha isn't sure Borden is being truthful to her. Meantime, the Maddick gang take in Pete and house him in a backwater flat. Initially, Pete refused to work with them, but the mastermind of the outfit warned him that he wouldn't tolerate a loose cannon in London. Either Pete joins Maddick or he will wind up in the Thames. Our resourceful hero provides the Yard with clues as to his whereabouts. Eventually, after they locate Peter in a secluded boarding house, the Yard rents an apartment across the street from Peter's room. They set up a detective with a pair of binoculars who lip reads Peter while Peter stands in front of his apartment window. At the same time, another man transcribes Pete's words. As it turns out, this is the safest method for staying in touch with his superiors.
Eventually, Pete and Natacha link up again. Scotland Yard's best laid plans backfire on him. One of Maddick's henchmen suspects Pete is an undercover cop, and our hero is driven to a remote house where Maddick himself finally agrees to meet with Pete. Natacha is taken by another gang henchmen to kill. As they are cruising through London, Natacha does the unexpected. She wrenches the steering wheel of the car and the vehicle careens off the road and plows through a fence. Inevitably, a British policeman intervenes and Natacha warns him about Peter's dilemma. Maddick is usually shown playing a game of chess by himself while he transmits orders over a radio. Nobody has ever seen what this devious criminal looks like until Pete manages to meet him at the climax of the action.
"Crime Unlimited" qualifies as an exciting, above-average crime yarn with good production values, robust performances, great editing by Bert Bates, and atmospheric black and white cinematography.
The Commissioner suspects the villains know everybody on the force. Presumably, a fresh face may fool these felons. Initially, Pete Borden (Esmond Knight of "Robin and Marian") comes across a cigarette smoking dame, Natacha (Lilli Palmer of "Cloak and Dagger"), in one of the London casinos. These two find common ground but Natacha isn't sure Borden is being truthful to her. Meantime, the Maddick gang take in Pete and house him in a backwater flat. Initially, Pete refused to work with them, but the mastermind of the outfit warned him that he wouldn't tolerate a loose cannon in London. Either Pete joins Maddick or he will wind up in the Thames. Our resourceful hero provides the Yard with clues as to his whereabouts. Eventually, after they locate Peter in a secluded boarding house, the Yard rents an apartment across the street from Peter's room. They set up a detective with a pair of binoculars who lip reads Peter while Peter stands in front of his apartment window. At the same time, another man transcribes Pete's words. As it turns out, this is the safest method for staying in touch with his superiors.
Eventually, Pete and Natacha link up again. Scotland Yard's best laid plans backfire on him. One of Maddick's henchmen suspects Pete is an undercover cop, and our hero is driven to a remote house where Maddick himself finally agrees to meet with Pete. Natacha is taken by another gang henchmen to kill. As they are cruising through London, Natacha does the unexpected. She wrenches the steering wheel of the car and the vehicle careens off the road and plows through a fence. Inevitably, a British policeman intervenes and Natacha warns him about Peter's dilemma. Maddick is usually shown playing a game of chess by himself while he transmits orders over a radio. Nobody has ever seen what this devious criminal looks like until Pete manages to meet him at the climax of the action.
"Crime Unlimited" qualifies as an exciting, above-average crime yarn with good production values, robust performances, great editing by Bert Bates, and atmospheric black and white cinematography.
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