The Scotland Yard Mystery [The Living Dead] *** (1934, Gerald du Maurier, George Curzon, Grete Natzler, Belle Chrystall, Leslie Perrins) – Classic Movie Review 10,049

Directed with some flair by Thomas Bentley and acted with much enthusiasm, the vintage 1934 thriller The Scotland Yard Mystery [re-tilted The Living Dead in the US] is the entertaining story of a battle between a dogged detective and sinister swindler.

Gerald du Maurier stars as Commissioner Stanton, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner who sets out to uncover the secret of five empty coffins, and George Curzon plays Dr Charles Masters, the sinister mad doctor who uses his medical knowledge to devise a life-suspending formula to put people into a zombie-like trance – basically a drug-induced coma – to do his bidding and thus mastermind a life-insurance scam.

The Scotland Yard Mystery is released on Region 2 DVD by Network Distributing in a new transfer from the original film elements in its theatrical aspect ratio on 31 August 2015.

Other members of the cast are Grete Natzler, Belle Chrystall, Leslie Perrins, Frederick Peisley, Wally Patch, Henry Victor, Paul Graetz, John Turnbull and Herbert Cameron.

It is made by British International Pictures at its Elstree Studios.

The Scotland Yard Mystery is directed by Thomas Bentley, runs 76 minutes, is made by British International Pictures, is released by Wardour Films (1934) (UK) and First Division Pictures (1935) (US), is written by Frank Miller, based on play by Wallace Geoffrey, is shot in black and white by James Wilson, is produced by Walter C Mycroft, and scored by Herman Finck (stock music), with Art Direction by David Rawnsley.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,049

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