''Dead Men are Dangerous'' is a 1939 British noir

crime film Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combin ...

directed by

Harold French Harold French (23 April 1897 – 19 October 1997) was an English film director, screenwriter and actor. Biography After training at the Italia Conti School, he made his acting debut age 12, in a production of ''The Winter's Tale''. As an ...

and starring

Robert Newton Robert Guy Newton (1 June 1905 – 25 March 1956) was an English actor. Along with Errol Flynn, Newton was one of the more popular actors among the male juvenile audience of the 1940s and early 1950s, especially with British boys. Known for hi ...

, Betty Lynne,

John Warwick John McIntosh Beattie (4 January 1905 – 10 January 1972), known professionally as John Warwick, was an Australian actor, and television dramatist. Early life He was born John McIntosh Beattie (many sources give "Beattle") at Bellingen, New S ...

, and Peter Gawthorne. It was released in the U.S. as ''Dangerous Masquerade''. Its plot concerns an unsuccessful writer who is wrongly accused of a murder.

Plot

Penniless and debt ridden writer Aylmer Franklyn (Robert Newton) happens upon a dead man lying under the branch of a tree, apparently killed during a violent storm. Swapping clothes and identities with the corpse seems like a way out of his troubles, and Franklyn even attends his own inquest; but little does he know the man had a criminal history and he soon finds the police on his trail.

Cast

as Aylmer Franklyn * Betty Lynne as Nina *

as Goddard * Peter Gawthorne as Conray *

Merle Tottenham Merle Tottenham (22 January 1901 – 18 July 1958) was a British stage and film actress. Her stage work included the original West End production of Noël Coward's ''Cavalcade'' in 1931; and she reprised her role as Annie the servant in the sub ...

as Gladys * John Turnbull as Inspector Roberts *

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 Coroner *

Kynaston Reeves Philip Arthur Reeves (29 May 18935 December 1971), known professionally as Kynaston Reeves, was an English character actor who appeared in numerous films and many television plays and series. Early life Reeves was born in London on 29 May 1893 ...

as James T. Franklyn * Winifred Oughton as Mrs Blagden *

Cyril Chamberlain Cyril Chamberlain (8 March 1909 – 5 December 1974) was an English film and television actor. He appeared in a number of the early ''Carry On'', ''Doctor'' and '' St. Trinian's'' films. Chamberlain was born on 8 March 1909 in London and died ...

as George Franklyn (uncredited) *

Charles Mortimer Charles Mortimer (1885–1964) was a British actor. Son of Charles Neil Mortimer - actor. Husband of Greta Wood - actress. Filmography * ''Watch Beverly'' (1932) (film debut) * '' You Made Me Love You'' (1933) * ''Sometimes Good'' (1934) * ' ...

as Policeman (uncredited) *

John Salew John Rylett Salew (1902 (some sources state 1 January 1897)14 September 1961) was an English stage film and TV actor. Salew made the transition from stage to films in 1939, and according to Allmovie, "the manpower shortage during WWII enabled ...

as Tramp (uncredited) *

Anita Sharp-Bolster Anita Sharp-Bolster (28 August 1895 – 1 June 1985) was an Irish-born American actress who appeared in 88 films and 12 TV series from 1928 to 1978. She was sometimes billed as Anita Bolster. Early life She was born 28 August 1895 in Glen ...

as Spinster Resident (uncredited)

Critical reception

In a contemporary review, '' The Leicester Daily Mercury'' found "Fast moving action, a goodly sequence of thrills, and some splendid acting by Robert Newton, characterises ''Dead Men are Dangerous'', a film with a clever plot and a strong taste of the mysterious"; while more recently, ''Vintage 45'' wrote, "No great acting to speak of and no real depth to the story but it’s fun to watch it all unfold. Don’t expect anything exceptional and you’ll probably like it."

References

External links

* 1939 films 1939 crime films British crime films 1930s English-language films Films directed by Harold French British black-and-white films 1930s British films {{1930s-crime-film-stub