The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1935)

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

This film is now about 80 years old and it refers to a time about 80 years before that. Much of the dialog is kind of Dickensian and all spoken with British accents. Yes its slow developing at first but at least this gives you a good introduction to the characters, much as a novel might do. But it proves again one fact that has been well known for 150 years: Charles Dickens was a heck of a storyteller.One of the foundation stones of mystery film making, "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" still holds up in its mystery elements (murder, cemetery, crypt, fog, etc.)Claude Rains is bravura in a complex role. Sweet-faced Heather Angel, Douglass Montgomery and David Manners provide fresh, youthful energy. All of the performers bring Dickens' vivid characters to life.E.E.Clive gives one of his gem-like performances in a small part. Its a pleasure to let yourself go back in time as you enter the long-lost world of Dickens and this long-lost film making art.

Claude Rains, a consistently great actor, is reason enough to see any film. And Mystery of Edwin Drood is very good, it does a noble job adapting an unfinished book and works very well on its own. It does have pacing issues and the ending is far too melodramatic. The stylised Gothic sets though are very striking and the film is filmed most handsomely and further advantaged by generous direction from Stuart Walker. The atmosphere evoked really does give off a sense of unease. The dialogue is easy to follow and is written, while the story is tense and suspenseful. The film is short for a Dickens adaptation, but the mystery is always involving and respects the book, well with what they had to work with, rather than disembowelling it. The characters are believable, especially the tortured and creepy John Jasper. Claude Rains may have given better performances, but he is still exceptional, and from Rains you wouldn't expect any less. In fact all the cast acquits themselves well, particularly Douglass Montgommery and Heather Angel. David Manners doesn't have as much to do but is also good. To conclude, very good. 8/10 Bethany Cox

During the thirties film studios in Hollywood were going "classics crazy". Even poverty row studios such as Monogram were having a go as they plundered literary classics and bought out their own versions of "The Moonstone" (1934), "Jane Eyre" (1934)(beautiful Virginia Bruce was Jane Eyre) and "Oliver Twist" (1933) with Dickie Moore in the title role. It was only fitting that Universal, home of the horror movie, should tackle "Mystery of Edwin Drood" (although at the time they could not afford such a costly production) and with a plot involving murder, violence and drug addiction it was one of Charles Dickens darkest novels. It was unfinished at the time of Dickens' death - he had only finished 6 chapters of a 12 chapter serialization and no attempt was made to finish it.It was an ideal story for Universal's latest sensation - an actor who was to excel in some splendidly malevolent roles - Claude Rains. Respected choir master John Jasper (Claude Rains) has a secret - he is an opium addict and his warped dreams are all about Rosa Budd (Heather Angel). She has been engaged to Edwin Drood "Ned" (David Manners) since they were children and both of them are of the opinion that even though they feel only friendship toward each other, they may as well marry. The thought of their marriage is driving Jasper insane.Helena (Valerie Hobson) and Neville Landless (Douglass Montgomery), brother and sister, are surprise visitors to the village. They have come to England from Ceylon to study at Mr. Crisparkles but they have come out under a cloud. Neville has a violent temper and the reason they were sent to England is that Neville took a knife to his stepfather - after his sister was severely beaten by him. That night, at a welcoming dinner, Rosa faints - there is something about Jasper that repels her. Later, that same night, when Neville feels that Edwin is not speaking of Rosa with respect, his temper gets the better of him and he draws a knife. Jasper, who swears to keep the incident a secret, sees a way of making trouble and spreads the story throughout the village, giving Neville a reputation as hot tempered. Rosa and "Ned" have now called off their engagement but when they seal their friendship with a kiss Jasper sees them and jealously plots his revenge. "Ned" goes missing on the night of a fierce storm and Neville is bought in - he has just started a walking tour.This is just a terrific film and the ending concocted by scenarists John Balderston and Grace Unger met with universal approval from Dickens' fans, who thought it remained faithful to the novel's original intentions. Even though many of the colourful characters were left out due to the film's shorter running time, Francis L. Sullivan is a standout as Mr. Crisparkle. Although it is clear Jasper murdered Edwin, finding out how he did it, how the body was disposed and how he was found out will have you on the edge of your seat.If there was ever an actress who was born to play Victorian heroines, it was Heather Angel - she was absolutely gorgeous as Rosa Budd (even she makes a joke about the name in the film). I don't think Claude Rains was outshone by anyone in this film, I thought he was simply fantastic but he was definitely given a run for his money by Douglass Montgomery, who showed what he could do when given a role he could sink his teeth into. David Manners, who had never worn the mantle of movie star comfortably, was almost at the end of his career. Zeffie Tilbury gave a subdued performance as "the Opium Woman" - I was very surprised, considering the only time I have ever seen her - she was mugging for all she was worth in the ghastly "Mystery Liner" (1934).Highly Recommended.

Above all else, it was the promise of a hilariously young Claude Rains that prompted me to watch 'Mystery of Edwin Drood (1935),' a Universal adaptation of Charles Dickens' final, unfinished novel. Rains had, of course, appeared in Whales' 'The Invisible Man (1933)' a few years earlier, but, curiously, it was difficult to get a good look at him in that film, so this was my main opportunity to catch the excellent supporting actor before he was forever condemned to playing grey-haired characters. His role here as John Jasper is completely unforgettable, a riveting portrait of inner torment that communicates so much through every bodily twitch and strained facial expression. Just watch Rains as his character watches the beautiful Rosa through hungry, agonised eyes – the pure anguish rippling through Jasper's body is almost painful to behold, the image of a polluted mind and soul reaching the end of its tether. It's moments like this that made Rains one of the finest actors of Hollywood's golden age."The Mystery of Edwin Drood" is itself one of literature's greatest mysteries. Left unfinished in 1870 after Dickens' death, the story reaches no conclusion, leaving scholars to ponder endlessly about how the author intended to wrap up the novel's events. The murderer of Edwin Drood (if, indeed, he was ever murdered) will thus never been known for sure. Stuart Walker's adaptation attempts to fill in these gaps as best as it can, and this is accomplished quite well, indeed. Despite the high potential for failure, the story does feel as though it's flowing towards its logical conclusion, and John Jasper's guilt ultimately seems the only practical option. Also a product of the screenwriters' imaginations was the identity of Dick Datchery, a wheezing old stranger who arrives in town for a month or two – in the film, he is the incognito Neville Landless, determined to solve the mystery of Drood's disappearance, though Dickens' story reaches no such conclusions. Though we can never know the author's true intentions, these respectful suppositions are probably the best we're ever going to get.Claude Rains is clearly the film's standout performer, giving a edgy and tortured performance as the tormented soul who (in this version) enacts his frustrations through strangulation. David Manners, no stranger to Universal horror regulars, is quite good as the titular murder victim, though his character isn't all that interesting next to his deranged uncle. Douglass Montgomery, with distinctive chiselled facial features, plays the romantic lead with sufficient conviction, and his interpretation of Datchery is enjoyable, as well. I didn't recognise Heather Angel by sight, but she's appeared in several films with which I'm quite familiar – Ford's 'The Informer (1935)' and Hitchcock's 'Lifeboat (1944).' Her performance as Rosa Bud (yeah, I laughed, too) in 'Mystery of Edwin Drood' is perfectly serviceable, given that it demands nothing except that she look beautiful – and she does. For fans of Charles Dickens, fans of Claude Rains, or fans of good old-fashioned storytelling, this little-seen mystery drama is very much worth the effort it takes to track down.