The Case of the Frightened Lady *** (1940, Marius Goring, Penelope Dudley Ward, Helen Haye, Patrick Barr, Felix Aylmer) – Classic Movie Review 13,088

Danish poster for The Case of the Frightened Lady (1940).

George King’s venerable 1940 British mystery thriller film The Case of the Frightened Lady is based on the 1931 play by Edgar Wallace and stars Marius Goring as Lord Lebanon, Helen Haye as Lady Lebanon, and Penelope Dudley Ward as Isla Crane.

Director George King’s venerable 1940 British black-and-white crime drama mystery thriller film The Case of the Frightened Lady is based on the 1931 play by Edgar Wallace and stars Marius Goring as Lord Lebanon, Helen Haye as Lady Lebanon, Penelope Dudley Ward as Isla Crane, George Merritt as Detective Inspector Tanner, Ronald Shiner as Detective Sergeant Totty, Patrick Barr as Richard Ferraby and Felix Aylmer as Dr Amersham.

It is produced by Pennant Picture Productions (aka George King Productions) and released by British Lion Film Corporation.

The Case of the Frightened Lady is a jolly good Edgar Wallace mystery tale about an English lord’s dowager mother Lady Lebanon (Helen Haye) who tries to stop her crazed son ‘Willie’, Lord Lebanon (Marius Goring) from killing his cousin Isla Crane (Penelope Dudley Ward) who doesn’t seem to want to marry him as the mother has arranged – and he doesn’t seem to want to marry her either.

At the Lebanon family home of Mark’s Priory, Lady Lebanon orders her son Willie to marry his cousin Isla to continue the family line, but has no intention of marrying her and she falls in love with Richard Ferraby (Patrick Barr), the young architect who has arrived to sketch renovation plans. Isla Crane is Lady Lebanon’s niece and secretary.

With two creepy footmen, Gilder (Roy Emerton) and Brooks (George Hayes), behaving oddly, Isla Crane (Ward) is the Frightened Lady, and she becomes understandably even more scared when the chauffeur Studd (John Warwick) and the family physician (Felix Aylmer as Dr Amersham) tragically bite the dust.

The bright playing, eerie atmosphere and gripping yarn all combine to make this an expertly handled, above-average little vintage chiller.

Jack Beaver’s notable score includes the Denham Concerto, played by Marius Goring, an accomplished player whose mother Kate Winifred was a professional pianist who studied with Clara Schumann.

The Case of the Frightened Lady being shown at The City Theater cinema in Amsterdam.

The cast are Marius Goring as ‘Willie’, Lord Lebanon, Penelope Dudley Ward as Isla Crane, Helen Haye as Dowager Lady Lebanon, Felix Aylmer as Dr Lester Charles Amersham, George Merritt as Detective Inspector William Tanner, Ronald Shiner as Sergeant Totty, Patrick Barr as Richard Ferraby, Roy Emerton as Gilder, George Hayes as Brooks, John Warwick as the chauffeur Studd, Elizabeth Scott as the maid Jackson, Torin Thatcher as the gamekeeper Jim Tilling, Mavis Clair as Mrs Tilling, and Roddy Hughes as vicar.

The film was out of circulation since its original release until in 2008 it was released on DVD by Odeon Entertainment in their Best of British collection.

The Case of the Frightened Lady [The Frightened Lady] is directed by George King, runs 81 minutes, is made by Pennant Picture Productions, is released by British Lion Film Corporation, is written by Edward Dryhurst and Robert Stevenson (uncredited), based on the play by Edgar Wallace, is shot in black-and-white by Hone Glendinning, is produced by George King and S W Smith, and is scored by Jack Beaver.

It was previously filmed in 1932 by director T Hayes Hunter, starring Emlyn Williams.

It was made for TV in 1938 and again in 1983, starring Warren Clarke and Virginia McKenna.

Goring previously played Lord Lebanon on the London stage.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 13,088

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