A huge thank you to the kind soul who posted this film on Youtube, which allowed me to see it. The other review on here tells all you need to know really, and thank you for that too.
Fans of James Mason will want to see this because his youthful performances were as solid as all of his work, and for the ladies, he's just pleasant to watch. Watching him work on the farm in the beginning of the film, the viewer wonders why his character ever married that miserable wife. When his real future-wife appears, viewers can wonder about that attraction too. I believe that in fan fiction, Pamela would be known as "Mary Sue." She crops up again in a LOT more of his work (groan).
James Mason does a lot of running in this film, literally, but does not get to really showcase his strong points. He might not have thought too highly of the Gainsborough Melodramas, but those are what made him # 1 with British female audiences. For a non-period piece of his early work, I would recommend "The Night Has Eyes." He's dark, brooding, rather scary, and possibly a fiend in it: that is an enjoyable performance piece for him, and the leading lady is likable. "I Met a Murderer" might have been intended as promotion for James Mason, but seems more like an ego piece for Pamela.
This is the first of three Mason films that I've watched where people's pets get killed. Boo-hiss to that! I could NOT recommend this film to the casual viewer or fan of British 30s films. As a James Mason performance, it's a 6 or 7. He simply didn't have much to work with. As a story, it's a 2.
Fans of James Mason will want to see this because his youthful performances were as solid as all of his work, and for the ladies, he's just pleasant to watch. Watching him work on the farm in the beginning of the film, the viewer wonders why his character ever married that miserable wife. When his real future-wife appears, viewers can wonder about that attraction too. I believe that in fan fiction, Pamela would be known as "Mary Sue." She crops up again in a LOT more of his work (groan).
James Mason does a lot of running in this film, literally, but does not get to really showcase his strong points. He might not have thought too highly of the Gainsborough Melodramas, but those are what made him # 1 with British female audiences. For a non-period piece of his early work, I would recommend "The Night Has Eyes." He's dark, brooding, rather scary, and possibly a fiend in it: that is an enjoyable performance piece for him, and the leading lady is likable. "I Met a Murderer" might have been intended as promotion for James Mason, but seems more like an ego piece for Pamela.
This is the first of three Mason films that I've watched where people's pets get killed. Boo-hiss to that! I could NOT recommend this film to the casual viewer or fan of British 30s films. As a James Mason performance, it's a 6 or 7. He simply didn't have much to work with. As a story, it's a 2.