''Ask Beccles'' is a 1933 British

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

crime film Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...

directed by

Redd Davis Redd Davis (1896–?) was a Canadians, Canadian film director and film producer, producer who directed more than twenty films between 1932 and 1942. He was born in Canada in 1896, but he moved to Britain where he directed his first film ''The Spar ...

and starring

Garry Marsh Garry Marsh (21 May 1902 – 6 March 1981) was an English stage and film actor. Biography Born Leslie March Gerahty on 21 May 1902 in St Margarets, Middlesex, his parents were George and Laura. His elder brothers were the author Digby George ...

Lilian Oldland Lilian Mary Oldland (later Newland, 7 February 1903 – 29 September 1984) was an English actress who appeared in more than twenty films between 1925 and 1935. Biography Born in Gloucester in 1903, she made her film debut in '' The Secret Ki ...

Abraham Sofaer Abraham Isaac Sofaer (1 October 1896 – 21 January 1988) was a Burmese-born British actor who began his career on stage and became a familiar supporting player in film and on television in his later years. Life and career Sofaer was born in R ...

and John Turnbull. The film was based on a play by

Cyril Campion Cyril Theron Campion (1894–1961) was an English playwright and screenwriter. He was the father of the actor Gerald Campion Gerald Theron Campion (23 April 1921 – 9 July 2002) was an English actor. He is best remembered for his role as ...

. It was made at

British and Dominions Elstree Studios Imperial Studios were the studios of the British and Dominions Film Corporation, a short-lived British film production company located at Imperial Place, Elstree Way, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. The studios (one of several facilities historical ...

as a

quota quickie The Cinematograph Films Act 1927 ( 17 & 18 Geo. 5. c. 29) was an act of the UK Parliament designed to stimulate the declining British film industry. It received royal assent on 22 December 1927 and came into force on 1 April 1928. Description T ...

for release by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

Premise

A man steals a priceless

diamond Diamond is a Allotropes of carbon, solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Diamond is tasteless, odourless, strong, brittle solid, colourless in pure form, a poor conductor of e ...

, but returns it when an innocent man is arrested for the theft.

Cast

as Eustace Beccles *

as Marion Holforth *

as Baki *

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 Matthew Blaise * John Turnbull as Inspector Daniels *

Evan Thomas Evan Welling Thomas III (born April 25, 1951) is an American journalist, historian, lawyer, and author. He is the author of 11 books, including two ''New York Times'' bestsellers. Early life and career Thomas was born in Huntington, New York, ...

as Sir Frederick Boyne * Eileen Munro as Mrs. Rivers *

Fewlass Llewellyn Fewlass Llewellyn (5 March 1886 – 16 June 1941) was an English actor, playwright and theatrical producer. Previously an engineer, he made his stage debut in 1890, and appeared in various film roles, often as authority figures. A play he co-wro ...

as Sir James Holforth

References

Bibliography

* Low, Rachael. ''Filmmaking in 1930s Britain''. George Allen & Unwin, 1985. * Wood, Linda. ''British Films, 1927-1939''. British Film Institute, 1986.

External links

* 1933 films Films directed by Redd Davis British black-and-white films British and Dominions Studios films Films shot at Imperial Studios, Elstree British films based on plays Quota quickies British crime comedy films 1930s crime comedy films 1933 comedy films 1930s English-language films 1930s British films English-language crime comedy films {{Crime-comedy-film-stub