A Shot in the Dark (1933 film)

A Shot in the Dark
Directed byGeorge Pearson
Written byGerard Fairlie
Terence Egan
Based onnovel by H. Fowler Mear
Produced byJulius Hagen
StarringDorothy Boyd
O. B. Clarence
Jack Hawkins
Michael Shepley
CinematographyErnest Palmer
Edited byLister Laurance
Production
company
Distributed byRadio Pictures
Release date
  • November 1933 (1933-11)
Running time
53 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

A Shot in the Dark is a 1933 British mystery film directed by George Pearson and starring Dorothy Boyd, O. B. Clarence, Jack Hawkins and Michael Shepley.[1] It was shot at Twickenham Studios in London as a quota quickie for release by RKO Pictures.[2]

Synopsis[edit]

When a wealthy old man dies suddenly, a local priest suspects something and begins to investigate.

Cast[edit]

Critical reception[edit]

Britmovie noted a "typical multi-suspect “quota quickie”";[3] and Classic Horror online wrote, "we nominate SHOT IN THE DARK as the worst film ever made! But this is not to detract anything from its entertainment value. Films such as these were produced on both a limited budget and a limited time scale. Taking this into consideration, these films are little marvels for what they could achieve, and earn themselves a position in the annals of film history. Many famous actors made their first film appearances in these pictures, but now that many of them are lost to us forever, the recognition of the remaining few becomes a necessity."[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "BFI | Film & TV Database | A SHOT IN THE DARK (1933)". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. 16 April 2009. Archived from the original on 3 September 2009. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  2. ^ Chibnall p.275
  3. ^ "A Shot in the Dark". britmovie.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  4. ^ "Shot in the Dark (1933)". free-online.co.uk.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Chibnall, Steve. Quota Quickies: The Birth of the British 'B' Film. British Film Institute, 2007.
  • Low, Rachael. Filmmaking in 1930s Britain. George Allen & Unwin, 1985.
  • Wood, Linda. British Films, 1927-1939. British Film Institute, 1986.

External links[edit]