The Terror *** (1938, Wilfrid Lawson, Arthur Wontner, Bernard Lee, Linden Travers, Alastair Sim) – Classic Movie Review 13,069

The 1938 British crime mystery thriller film The Terror – based on Edgar Wallace’s play about an unknown mad murderer dubbed The Terror hiding in the basement of a country mansion – stars Wilfrid Lawson, Arthur Wontner, Bernard Lee, and Alastair Sim. 

Director Richard Bird’s 1938 British black and white crime mystery thriller film The Terror – based on Edgar Wallace’s play about an unknown mad murderer dubbed The Terror hiding in the basement of a country mansion – stars Wilfrid Lawson, Arthur Wontner, Bernard Lee, Linden Travers, Henry Oscar, and Alastair Sim.

It is a rather creaky and unconvincing but still stalwart and enjoyable remake of the 1928 first all-talking horror film The Terror, based on the 1927 play by Edgar Wallace, this time featuring endearing performances from a fine British cast that includes Wilfrid Lawson as Mr Goodman, Arthur Wontner as Colonel Redmayne, Bernard Lee as Ferdy Fane, Linden Travers as Mary Redmayne, Henry Oscar as Joe Connor, and the unique Alastair Sim as Soapy Marks.

A criminal mastermind plots a daring gold robbery on an armoured van, but then gets his gang caught by the police, keeps the gold and disappears. Released after ten years in prison, the criminals search for the mastermind to exact revenge and get the loot.

The Terror may be long faded, but it still is fairly suspenseful and reasonably entertaining, though it is the super cast that is the main recommendation, with Bernard Lee, Henry Oscar and Alastair Sim outstanding, and it is a must-see for fans of ancient British black and white thrillers.

The 1928 film The Terror is the first all-talking horror film and is the second all-talking motion picture, released by Warner Bros, following Lights of New York, which still survives in complete form and is now widely available online after it entered the public domain on January 1, 2024.

However, the 1928 film The Terror was not so lucky. Two versions of the film were prepared. The all-talking version, with a Vitaphone sound-on-disc soundtrack, was released on 6 September 1928, and a silent version with printed titles for the dialogue, was released on 20 October 1928. But both versions have been lost films since the 1970s, though the soundtrack discs survive.

The Terror was also partly remade by First National as Return of the Terror (1934) (just loosely inspired by the play) and it was remade again in Germany (where Edgar Wallace was very popular) in 1965 as Der unheimliche Mönch [The Sinister Monk].

The cast are Wilfrid Lawson as Mr Goodman, Bernard Lee as Ferdy Fane, Arthur Wontner as Colonel Redmayne, Linden Travers as Mary Redmayne, Henry Oscar as Joe Connor, Iris Hoey as Mrs Elvery, Stanley Lathbury as the butler Hawkins,  Lesley Wareing as Veronica Elvery, Alastair Sim as Soapy Marks, John Turnbull as Superintendent Hallick, Richard Murdoch as Detective Lewis, Edward Lexy as Inspector Dobie, Kathleen Harrison as the maid Gladys, and Irene Handl as kitchen maid.

It is shot at Elstree Studios on sets designed by Cedric Dawe.

The Terror is directed by Richard Bird, runs 73 minutes, is made by Associated British Picture Corporation, is distributed by Associated British Film Distributors (UK) and Film Alliance of the United States (US), is written by William Freshman, based on The Terror by Edgar Wallace, is produced by Walter C Mycroft, is shot by Walter J Harvey, is scored by Marr Mackie, and is designed by Cedric Dawe.

Release date August 19, 1938 (London, UK) and July 29, 1941 (New York City).

Edgar Wallace’s 1927 play The Terror was adapted by him from his 1926 novel The Black Abbot. The play premiered at the Winter Gardens Theatre in New Brighton, and transferred to the Lyceum Theatre in London’s West End for 246 performances. The cast included John Turnbull, Felix Aylmer, Franklyn Bellamy, Dennis Neilson-Terry, Carol Reed and Mary Glynne.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 13,069

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