Copyright 15 September 1934 by Monogram Pictures Corp. No New York opening. U.S. release: 20 August 1934. U.K. release: 23 March 1935. Australian release: 17 July 1935. 7 reels. 62 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: A guest steals a valuable jewel from the daughter of the house. Inspector (sic) Cuff nails the culprit.
NOTES: Despite the novel's enormous popularity, The Moonstone has only been filmed twice, firstly in 1915 and then on Poverty Row in 1934. Although Sergeant Cuff was eliminated from the silent version, the popular Eugene O'Brien made a dashing Franklin Blake, whilst the lovely Elaine Hammerstein was equally delightful as the heroine. An expensive production, this Moonstone was often inventively directed by Frank H. Crane.
Like his other famous mystery thriller, The Woman in White (1860), The Moonstone was not only based on real people and actual events, but no attempts were made to disguise these facts. Contemporary readers were well aware that Sergeant Cuff was the well-known Scotland Yard inspector, Jonathan Whicher, and that dull- witted Superintendent Seegrave was actually an Inspector Foley.
Both novels are cleverly built up from complex plots that encompass many cliff-hanging thrills before being finally resolved into satisfying, high-tension climaxes.
COMMENT: Just about what you might expect from a Monogram interpretation. A great novel is here reduced in size and stature until its bare bones are scarcely recognizable. The setting has been updated, the plot grossly over-simplified and its unique characters transformed into the formula creations of Hollywood-land.
With two or three exceptions, all the players stand around, declaiming their lines to an invisible gallery. Bunston, Barry and Thomas are the worst offenders. Although he doesn't the least resemble the novel's Cuff, Charles Irwin registers fairly well; whilst David Manners proves his usual mildly personable self; but it is Evelyn Bostock who makes off with the picture's acting honors, such as they are.
Stiff direction and impoverished production values don't help, though ace photographer Robert Planck has managed a few welcome atmospheric effects, despite being forced to shoot in obvious haste.
OTHER VIEWS: The credit titles, suitably framed within the borders of the novel, promise much, but the picture delivers disappointingly little. Good players are worn down by tepidly repetitious dialogue and an even more feeble plot. After a few initial sparks of inventiveness, the direction dies too. — G.A.
SYNOPSIS: A guest steals a valuable jewel from the daughter of the house. Inspector (sic) Cuff nails the culprit.
NOTES: Despite the novel's enormous popularity, The Moonstone has only been filmed twice, firstly in 1915 and then on Poverty Row in 1934. Although Sergeant Cuff was eliminated from the silent version, the popular Eugene O'Brien made a dashing Franklin Blake, whilst the lovely Elaine Hammerstein was equally delightful as the heroine. An expensive production, this Moonstone was often inventively directed by Frank H. Crane.
Like his other famous mystery thriller, The Woman in White (1860), The Moonstone was not only based on real people and actual events, but no attempts were made to disguise these facts. Contemporary readers were well aware that Sergeant Cuff was the well-known Scotland Yard inspector, Jonathan Whicher, and that dull- witted Superintendent Seegrave was actually an Inspector Foley.
Both novels are cleverly built up from complex plots that encompass many cliff-hanging thrills before being finally resolved into satisfying, high-tension climaxes.
COMMENT: Just about what you might expect from a Monogram interpretation. A great novel is here reduced in size and stature until its bare bones are scarcely recognizable. The setting has been updated, the plot grossly over-simplified and its unique characters transformed into the formula creations of Hollywood-land.
With two or three exceptions, all the players stand around, declaiming their lines to an invisible gallery. Bunston, Barry and Thomas are the worst offenders. Although he doesn't the least resemble the novel's Cuff, Charles Irwin registers fairly well; whilst David Manners proves his usual mildly personable self; but it is Evelyn Bostock who makes off with the picture's acting honors, such as they are.
Stiff direction and impoverished production values don't help, though ace photographer Robert Planck has managed a few welcome atmospheric effects, despite being forced to shoot in obvious haste.
OTHER VIEWS: The credit titles, suitably framed within the borders of the novel, promise much, but the picture delivers disappointingly little. Good players are worn down by tepidly repetitious dialogue and an even more feeble plot. After a few initial sparks of inventiveness, the direction dies too. — G.A.