The Black Abbot ** (1934, John Stuart, Judy Kelly, Richard Cooper) – Classic Movie Review 13,427

The 1934 British quota quickie comedy crime mystery thriller film The Black Abbot stars John Stuart, Judy Kelly, Richard Cooper and Edgar Norfolk.

Director George A Cooper’s 1934 British comedy crime mystery thriller film The Black Abbot stars John Stuart, Judy Kelly, Richard Cooper and Edgar Norfolk. It is made by Julius Hagen Productions [Real Art Productions] at Twickenham Studios as a quota quickie for release by RKO Pictures.

The Black Abbot is a primitive 1930s British B-movie crime melodrama, based on Philip Godfrey’s novel The Grange Mystery about a bunch of criminals demanding ransom money for a wealthy victim they have seized at his home.

It is eerily set at the old dark house of the book’s title, The Grange, and the next-door monastery, said to be afflicted by the ghost of the film’s title, The Black Abbot.

A thin yarn is held back by mild star acting and flaccid direction, plus a lack of famous names, but some fruity playing in the smaller parts (especially Drusilla Wills as Aunt Mary, campy Farren Soutar as John Hillcrist, John Turnbull as the inspector, Earl Grey as the butler and Davina Craig as the maid) helps to keep it amusing. American comedy actor Ben Welden as Charlie Marsh would have been cast to appeal in the US.

It is very stagey and dialogue heavy, and there are lots of slowly delivered long speeches in such a short movie running only 56 minutes. The minimal sets are designed on the cheap by James A Carter.

The Black Abbot is a 1926 crime novel by Edgar Wallace. The 1934 film The Black Abbot is an unrelated British film borrowing its title. And 1963 film The Black Abbot is a German crime film based on Edgar Wallace’s novel.

This is one of many films made by British studios specialising in making quota quickies for distribution by American film companies to circumvent the provisions of the notorious protectionist 1928 Quota Act. As the film is 56 minutes long, the UK’s Julius Hagen Productions would have been paid £5600 by America’s RKO Radio Pictures to make the film.

The cast

The cast are John Stuart as Frank Brooks, Judy Kelly as Sylvia Hillcrest, Richard Cooper as Lord Jerry Pilkdown, Edgar Norfolk as Brian Heslewood, Drusilla Wills as Mary Hillcrist, Farren Soutar as John Hillcrist, Cyril Smith as Alf Higgins, Davina Craig as the maid Jane, Earl Grey as the butler Phillips, Ben Welden as Charlie Marsh, and John Turnbull as Inspector Lockwood.

The Black Abbot is directed by George A Cooper, runs 56 minutes, is made by Julius Hagen Productions [Real Art Productions], is released by RKO Radio Pictures (UK), is written by Terence Egan and H Fowler Mear, based on Philip Godfrey’s novel The Grange Mystery, is shot by Ernest Palmer, is produced by Julius Hagen, and is designed by James A Carter.

Release date: January 8, 1934 (London) and May 21, 1934 (US).

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,427

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