''Dangerous Medicine'' is a 1938 British crime film, directed by

Arthur B. Woods Arthur Bickerstaffe Woods (17 August 1904 – 8 February 1944) was an English film director with 27 credits between 1933 and 1940. Woods' films were mainly quota quickies but were diverse in style, from light comedy and musicals to dark crime ...

and starring Elizabeth Allan and

Cyril Ritchard Cyril Joseph Trimnell-Ritchard (1 December 1898 – 18 December 1977), known professionally as Cyril Ritchard, was an Australian stage, screen and television actor, and director. He is best remembered today for his performance as Captain Hook in ...

. It is now classed as a

lost film A lost film is a feature Feature may refer to: Computing * Feature (CAD), could be a hole, pocket, or notch * Feature (computer vision), could be an edge, corner or blob * Feature (software design) is an intentional distinguishing char ...

.Missing Believed Lost
British Pictures Article Archive.

Plot

Secretary Victoria Ainswell (Allan) marries her wealthy elderly boss. Soon after the wedding he dies suddenly in suspicious circumstances, and the autopsy reveals that the police have a murderer on their hands. Everything points to Victoria as the only person with means, opportunity and motive, and as she can provide no sensible explanation as to who else could have killed her husband, she is arrested and put on trial for murder. Victoria is found guilty and sentenced to hang. As she is being driven back to prison, the car is involved in a serious road accident. Victoria is critically injured and is rushed to hospital, where brilliant doctor Noel Penwood (Ritchard) fights desperately against the odds to save her life. He finds a shard of glass has pierced her heart, and has to perform extremely risky surgery to remove it. Once the operation is over and Victoria is off the danger list, Penwood learns that she faces execution. He is appalled by the horrendous irony that he has saved her life so heroically, only for it to soon be taken anyway through process of law. As Victoria recovers, he listens to her story, believes in her innocence and starts to fall in love with her. Against all ethics, he smuggles her out of the hospital and puts her in hiding. The now romantically-involved couple do some sleuthing of their own, and finally stumble on the identity of the real killer. The police are extremely grateful and apologetic, and Victoria is exonerated, leaving her free to pursue the romance with Penwood.

Cast

* Elizabeth Allan as Victoria Ainswell *

as Dr. Noel Penwood *

Edmund Breon Edmund Breon (born Iver Edmund de Breon MacLaverty; 12 December 1882 – 24 June 1953) was a Scottish film and stage actor. He appeared in more than 130 films between 1907 and 1952. Life and career Born in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Br ...

as Totsie Mainwaring * Anthony Holles as Alistair Hoard *

Aubrey Mallalieu Aubrey Mallalieu (8 June 1873 – 28 May 1948) was an English actor with a prolific career in supporting roles in films in the 1930s and 1940s. Mallalieu began life as George William Mallalieu, the son of William Mallalieu (c. 1845–1927), a ...

as Judge * Basil Gill as Sir Francis *

Leo Genn Leopold John Genn (9 August 190526 January 1978) was an English actor and barrister. Distinguished by his relaxed charm and smooth, "black velvet" voice, he had a lengthy career in theatre, film, television, and radio; often playing aristocr ...

as Murdoch * Gordon McLeod as Mr. Buller *

Frederick Burtwell Augustus Frederick Burtwell (23 December 1894 – 16 November 1948) was an English actor, on stage from 1914, who featured in supporting roles in over 40 British films of the 1930s and 1940s. Partial filmography * ''Other People's Sins'' ( ...

as Mr. George *

Allan Jeayes Allan John Jeayes (19 January 1885 – 20 September 1963) was an English stage and film actor. Jeayes was born in Barnet, Hertfordshire, the son of Isaac Herbert Jeayes, archivist and Assistant Keeper of Manuscripts at the British Museum. ...

as Superintendent Fox

Reception

The ''

Monthly Film Bulletin ''The Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 to April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those with ...

'' opined the film was a "improbable story" that was "briskly told, and opens with a clever and ingeniously staged scene at the Old Bailey." The review noted "resourceful direction, crisp and pointed dialogue" and that "the settings are varied and attractive and the production qualities excellent" The review commented on the acting noting that "Elizabeth Allen was "competent" while Edmond Breon "steals every scene in which he appears".

References

External links

*
''Dangerous Medicine''
at BFI Film & TV Database {{DEFAULTSORT:Dangerous Medicine 1938 films 1938 crime films British crime films Films directed by Arthur B. Woods Lost British films British black-and-white films 1938 lost films 1930s English-language films 1930s British films