The Dummy Talks is a 1943 British crime film directed by Oswald Mitchell and starring Jack Warner, Claude Hulbert and Beryl Orde.[1] It marked the film debut of Jack Warner.[2]
| The Dummy Talks | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Directed by | Oswald Mitchell |
| Written by | Michael Barringer |
| Based on | the story by Jack Clifford & Con West |
| Produced by | Wallace Orton |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | James Wilson |
| Edited by | |
| Music by | Kennedy Russell (uncredited) |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Anglo-American Film Corporation (UK) |
Release date | 25 October 1943 (UK) |
Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Synopsis edit
Set over the course of one night, the story takes place in and around a London theatre. A series of contemporary acts are seen both performing on stage and socialising backstage. The murder of a ventriloquist takes place and two policemen, who happen to be at the theatre tracking a banknote forger, set to work finding the culprit. Ultimately, the key suspects are rounded up and a mind-reader puts on a show to reveal the killer. He's helped by a midget dressed as the dummy, hence the title.
Cast edit
- Jack Warner as Jack
- Claude Hulbert as Victor Harbord
- Beryl Orde as Beryl
- Evelyn Darvell as Peggy
- Hy Hazell as Maya (credited as Derna Hazell)
- Manning Whiley as Russell Warren
- Charles Carson as Marvello ("The Man With the Radio Mind")
- G. H. Mulcaster as Piers Harriman
- John Carol as Jimmy Royce
- Gordon Edwards as Marcus
- Max Earl as Yates
- Ivy Benson and her all Ladies Band as Themselves
- Frederick Sylvester & Nephew (Eric Mudd also played the "dummy") as Themselves
- Tommy Manley & Florence Austin ("Music Hath Charms") as Themselves
- Cecil Ayres with the Skating Avalons as Themselves
- Mann & Read ("Jugglers with Fun") as Themselves
- Five Lai Founs (" Modern Chinese Wonders") as Themselves
- Jeannie White and her Stepsisters as Themselves
Critical reception edit
Britmovie noted "a number of genuine variety acts add a flavour of the period, although they provide rather too much of the film’s running time" ;[2] and TV Guide called it "a weird but engaging second feature."[3]
References edit
- ^ "The Dummy Talks (1943)". Archived from the original on 17 January 2009.
- ^ a b "The Dummy Talks 1943 | Britmovie | Home of British Films". www.britmovie.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015.
- ^ "The Dummy Talks".
Bibliography edit
- Murphy, Robert. Realism and Tinsel: Cinema and Society in Britain 1939-48. Routledge, 1989.
External links edit
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