The Barton Mystery (1932 film)
| The Barton Mystery | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Henry Edwards |
| Based on | The Barton Mystery by Walter Hackett |
| Produced by | Herbert Wilcox |
| Starring | Ursula Jeans Ellis Jeffreys Lyn Harding |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Paramount British Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 76 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Barton Mystery is a 1932 British crime film directed by Henry Edwards and starring Ursula Jeans, Ellis Jeffreys and Lyn Harding.[1][2] It was written by Walter Hackett based on his 1916 play The Barton Mystery.
Plot
Cast
- Ursula Jeans as Ethel Standish
- Ellis Jeffreys as Lady Marshall
- Lyn Harding as Beverly
- Ion Swinley as Richard Standish
- Wendy Barrie as Phyllis Grey
- Joyce Bland as Helen Barton
- Tom Helmore as Harry Maitland
- O. B. Clarence as Sir Everard Marshall
- Franklyn Bellamy as Gerald Barton
- Wilfred Noy as Griffiths
Production
The film was made at British and Dominions Studios, Elstree, as a second feature for release by Paramount Pictures.[3] At the time Paramount was spending more on its quota films than other Hollywood companies.
Reception
Film Weekly wrote: "Thin and unbelievable murder mystery, devoid of the necessary element of suspense and with ridiculous slices of broad farce interpolated. Everybody concerned with The Barton Mystery must take a share of the blame for a poor production. The story is weak in the extreme, and not one of those involved in the unravelling of what plot there is does anything to help by his or her acting, which is without depth of feeling."[4]
Kine Weekly wrote: "The story is ingeniously constructed, but the development is too leisurely for suspense to be built up with full dramatic effect, and the continuity is uneven. However, a strong and amusing performance by Lyn Harding, as a charlatan, helps to hold the loose ends firmly together and make the film a useful supporting attraction."[5]
Picturegoer wrote: "Slow development and rather ragged continuity militate against the effect of an otherwise ingeniously constructed and strongly dramatic story."[6]
References
- ^ "The Barton Mystery". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- ^ "BFI | Film & TV Database The Barton Myatery (1932)". BFI. Archived from the original on 17 January 2009. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- ^ Chibnall, Steve. (2007). Quota Quickies: The Birth of the British 'B' Film. British Film Institute. p. 266. ISBN 978-1844571550.
- ^ "The Barton Mystery". Film Weekly. 9 (238): 38. 5 May 1933. ProQuest 1771132545.
- ^ "The Barton Mystery". Kine Weekly. 189 (1336): 35. 24 November 1932. ProQuest 2322715757.
- ^ "The Barton Mystery". Picturegoer. 2: 20. 2 May 1933. ProQuest 1771130166.
External links