Death at Broadcasting House *** [Death at a Broadcast] (1934, Ian Hunter, Austin Trevor, Henry Kendall, Jack Hawkins, Donald Wolfit, Elizabeth Welch) – Classic Movie Review 7994

Director Reginald Denham’s light-hearted 1934 British mystery thriller Death at Broadcasting House [Death at a Broadcast] is a sprightly BBC radio murder mystery in which an actor is strangled while broadcasting at Broadcasting House, the BBC’s new broadcasting centre, and a Scotland Yard detective Inspector arrives to investigate.

The wireless setting is fascinating, particularly as we get to glimpse lots of radio celebrities of the day, including Hannen Swaffer (radio personality), Vernon Bartlett (news broadcaster), Eric Dunstan (radio personality), Gillie Potter (radio personality), Elisabeth Welch (singer), Eve Becke (singer), Gershom Parkington (musician), Ord Hamilton (band leader) and Percival Mackey (band leader).

Death at Broadcasting House [Death at a Broadcast] is closely based on the 1934 novel of Val Gielgud (brother of Sir John Gielgud and then the BBC’s Head of Productions) and Holt Marvell, who was actually Eric Maschwitz, a lyricist and writer for films and the BBC.

Val Gielgud also appears in the cast as the drama producer Julian Caird, and there are also appearances by Ian Hunter as the Scotland Yard detective Inspector Gregory who investigates the many suspects, Donald Wolfit (in his second film) as the murder victim Sydney Parsons, Austin Trevor as Leopold Dryden, young Jack Hawkins as Herbert Evans and Elizabeth Welch singing ‘Lazy Lady’ (written by Ord Hamilton).

Also in the cast are Lilian Oldland as Joan Dryden, Henry Kendall as Rodney Fleming, Peter Haddon as Guy Bannister, Betty Ann Davies as Poppy Levine, Robert Rendel as Sir Herbert Farquharson, Gordon McLeod as Chief Commissioner, Bruce Lester as Peter Ridgewell, Ivor Barnard, Howard Douglas, Arthur Hambling, Vincent Holman, Bruce Lester, Percy Rhodes and Mary Newland.

Death at Broadcasting House [Death at a Broadcast] is directed by Reginald Denham, runs 71 minutes, is made by Phoenix Films, is released by Associated British, is written by Basil Mason, based on the 1934 novel of Val Gielgud and Holt Marvell [Eric Maschwitz], is shot in black and white by Gunther Krampf, is produced by Hugh Perceval, is scored by Geoffrey Goodhardt (musical director), with additional music by Percival Mackey, and is designed by R Holmes Paul.

To play back the radio programme when the murder occurred, the detective uses the Blattnerphone, one of the first sound-recording machines, which was installed at Broadcasting House in March 1932.

Ian Hunter is perhaps best known as King Richard I in the 1938 Errol Flynn The Adventures of Robin Hood.

The first radio broadcast from BBC Broadcasting House, in Portland Place and Langham Place, London, was made on 15 March 1932.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7994

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