The Avenging Hand ** (1936, Noah Beery Sr, Kathleen Kelly, Louis Borel) – Classic Movie Review 13,471

Noah Beery Sr stars as a Chicago gangster trying to track down crooks and solve a murder, in the 1936 British crime film thriller The Avenging Hand.

Directors Frank Richardson and (uncredited) Victor Hanbury’s 1936 British black and white quota quickie crime film thriller The Avenging Hand stars American actor Noah Beery Sr, Kathleen Kelly, and Dutch actor Louis Borel.

A band of villains check into a London hotel intent on finding a hidden stash of cash and a Chicago gangster (Noah Beery Sr) staying there tries to track down the crooks and solve the murder of an innocent match-seller (James Harcourt).

The Avenging Hand is a short, small-time, but moderately slick and entertaining British B-movie, or double feature film, competently handled by directors Frank Richardson and Victor Hanbury, though it is quite a scramble with a such lot of plot to tackle in just 64 minutes. The pacing is jumpy. Maybe it has been too heavily cut for its required cinema programme slot.

It is one of a small handful of films American character actor star Noah Beery Sr made in Britain between 1935 and 1937. He was the older brother of Wallace Beery and father of Noah Beery Jr.

Louis Borel (6 October 1905 – 24 April 1973) appeared in a number of British films in the 1930s.

Forgotten British actress Kathleen Kelly (born 9 December 1912) had a busy career in the 1930s.

The Avenging Hand is also known as Paradise Hotel.

It is written by Reginald Long (adaptation, scenario and dialogue) and Ákos Tolnay (uncredited writer).

It is shot in the studio as a black and white quota quickie at Welwyn Studios, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England.

Release date: April 16, 1936 (London).

It may have disappeared from view for many years, but in 2025 it is happily back on screens thanks to talking Pictures TV.

The cast

The cast are Noah Beery as Lee Barwell, Louis Borel as Pierre Charrell, Kathleen Kelly as Gwen Taylor, Charles Oliver as Toni Visetti, Reginald Long as Charles Mason, Tarva Penna as Conrad Colter, Penelope Parkes as Elizabeth, Billie de la Volta as Muriel, Henry B Longhurst as Streeter, Joan Kemp-Welch as Madame Ambrosia, Fred Bush as hotel manager, Bela Mila as Mrs Penworthy, and James Harcourt as Sam Hupp.

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,471

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