I had actually seen this film at Cinefest film festival (Syracuse, NY) in 2005, but some temporary sound problems left me out of really enjoying the presentation. That's a shame. Nine years later, having tracked down a dark, dupey and splicey copy on DVD, I gave it another chance and I'm glad I did!
Spoilers: The story opens with a thief being publicly hanged in a small English village circa 1810 when the law said even a small theft was punishable by death. A young boxer returning from London to visit his innkeeper father is appalled and pleads for a more just society.
Young, handsome Douglas Fairbanks Jr. plays the young man (he was also one of the films producers through his own company Criterion.)
Well a wealthy family comes to stay at the inn and one of their own "noble" friends robs a Lord and frames the Innkeeper (father) who is quickly sent to jail to be later hanged.
With the help of an old family friend and his meager funds Fairbank's character (the son) plans to infiltrate the elite group and uncover the true criminal before his father can be executed.
This leads to a series of adventures for our young impromptu detective including; travel, comedy, friendship, drama, gambling, boxing, more secrets, love and violence. All in all, a fine entertaining film with high production values on a low budget.
I have heard thru the film buff rumor mill that this film may be soon preserved and restored via archives and film festivals and hopefully eventually a "quality" DVD release.
I'm a firm believer that films can pay their own way "if" the public has access to purchase good copies. And as film is quickly becoming digital copies of movies and "film" is disappearing – film preservation has become more important than ever.
P.S. - From what others have said it is different from the book! Aren't most films? A filmmaker first loves the story and then has to transfer it from the theater of the mind (your imagination) to the limits of the cinema. So if characters get added or dropped or plot devices get changed I can understand. I like this story in its cinematic form and I predict I may like the book, someday.
Spoilers: The story opens with a thief being publicly hanged in a small English village circa 1810 when the law said even a small theft was punishable by death. A young boxer returning from London to visit his innkeeper father is appalled and pleads for a more just society.
Young, handsome Douglas Fairbanks Jr. plays the young man (he was also one of the films producers through his own company Criterion.)
Well a wealthy family comes to stay at the inn and one of their own "noble" friends robs a Lord and frames the Innkeeper (father) who is quickly sent to jail to be later hanged.
With the help of an old family friend and his meager funds Fairbank's character (the son) plans to infiltrate the elite group and uncover the true criminal before his father can be executed.
This leads to a series of adventures for our young impromptu detective including; travel, comedy, friendship, drama, gambling, boxing, more secrets, love and violence. All in all, a fine entertaining film with high production values on a low budget.
I have heard thru the film buff rumor mill that this film may be soon preserved and restored via archives and film festivals and hopefully eventually a "quality" DVD release.
I'm a firm believer that films can pay their own way "if" the public has access to purchase good copies. And as film is quickly becoming digital copies of movies and "film" is disappearing – film preservation has become more important than ever.
P.S. - From what others have said it is different from the book! Aren't most films? A filmmaker first loves the story and then has to transfer it from the theater of the mind (your imagination) to the limits of the cinema. So if characters get added or dropped or plot devices get changed I can understand. I like this story in its cinematic form and I predict I may like the book, someday.