''The First Offence'' is a 1936 British low-budget "

quota quickie The Cinematograph Films Act of 1927 ('' 17 & 18 Geo. V'') was an act of the United Kingdom Parliament designed to stimulate the declining British film industry. It received Royal Assent on 20 December 1927 and came into force on 1 April 1928. De ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Herbert Mason Samuel George Herbert Mason (1891 – 20 May 1960) was a British film director, producer, stage actor, army officer, presenter of some revues, stage manager, stage director, choreographer, production manager and playwright.McFarlane, 2005, p. ...

, produced by

Michael Balcon Sir Michael Elias Balcon (19 May 1896 – 17 October 1977) was an English film producer known for his leadership of Ealing Studios in West London from 1938 to 1955. Under his direction, the studio became one of the most important British film ...

for

Gainsborough Pictures Gainsborough Pictures was a British film studio based on the south bank of the Regent's Canal, in Poole Street, Hoxton in the former Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch, north London. Gainsborough Studios was active between 1924 and 1951. The c ...

and distributed by Gaumont-British Distributors. The cast includes

John Mills Sir John Mills (born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills; 22 February 190823 April 2005) was an English actor who appeared in more than 120 films in a career spanning seven decades. He excelled on camera as an appealing British everyman who often portray ...

Lilli Palmer Lilli Palmer (; born Lilli Marie Peiser; 24 May 1914 – 27 January 1986) was a German actress and writer. After beginning her career in British films in the 1930s, she would later transition to major Hollywood productions, earning a Golden Glob ...

and

Bernard Nedell Bernard Jay Nedell (October 14, 1898 – November 23, 1972) was an American film actor. He appeared in 50 films between 1916 and 1972. He was born in New York, New York and died in Hollywood, California. He was married to actress Olive Bla ...

. The story was written by Stafford Dickens and

Austin Melford Austin Melford (1884—1971) was a British screenwriter and film director. He was the older brother of actor Jack Melford. Partial filmography Director * ''Car of Dreams'' (1935) * ''Oh, Daddy!'' (1935) * ''Radio Lover'' (1936) Screenwriter * '' ...

. It is a remake of the 1934 French film ''

Mauvaise Graine ''Mauvaise Graine'' (English: ''Bad Seed'') is a 1934 French drama film directed by Billy Wilder (in his directorial debut) and Alexander Esway. The screenplay by Wilder, , Max Colpet, and Claude-André Puget focuses on a wealthy young playboy ...

'', directed by

Billy Wilder Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-American filmmaker. His career in Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Classic Holl ...

Plot

A wealthy doctor's rich and spoiled son, Johnnie Penrose joins a gang of car thieves in France after being denied a car by his father.

Cast

as Johnnie Penrose *

as Jeanette *

as The Boss * Michel André as Michel * H. G. Stoker as Doctor Penrose * Jean Wall as The Zebra * Paul Velsa as Peanuts *

Marcel Maupi Marcel Maupi, stage name of Marcel Louis Alexandre Barberin or Maupi, (6 November 1881, Marseille – 4 January 1949, Antibes) was a French actor. Selected filmography * ''Dance Hall'' (1931) * '' Marius'' (1931) * ''Fanny'' (1932) * '' The Ironm ...

as Man in Panama Hat *

Judy Kelly Julie Aileen Kelly (1 November 1913 – 22 October 1991), known professionally as Judy Kelly, was an Australian-born British actress. She arrived in Britain in 1932 after winning a competition organised by the Australian British Empire Films, w ...

as Girl in Garage * Marcel André as Michel

Production

The film was originally called ''Bad Blood'' and was going to star

Paul Robeson Paul Leroy Robeson ( ; April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an American bass-baritone concert artist, stage and film actor, professional football player, and activist who became famous both for his cultural accomplishments and for his ...

. Filming took place in London.Neale, 2012, p. 138

References

Bibliography

* Bergfelder, Tim & Cargnelli, Christian. ''Destination London: German-speaking emigrés and British cinema, 1925-1950''. Berghahn Books, 2008. * Neale, Stephen. (2012). ''The Classical Hollywood Reader.''

Routledge Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law, ...

External links

* *
''The First Offence''
at Britmovie , Home of British Films
''The First Offence''
at AllMovie 1936 drama films 1936 films British drama films British black-and-white films 1930s English-language films Films directed by Herbert Mason British remakes of French films Gainsborough Pictures films Quota quickies Films produced by Michael Balcon 1930s British films {{1930s-UK-film-stub