Robert Newton was one of the finest actors of his generation.He gave some wonderfully restrained performances even though he is best remembered for his portrayal of long john silver.It is truly a tragedy that he drank himself into an early graves.His output is rather varied as it does depend on the director.Here Harold French does sometimes let Newton off the leash with unfortunate results.the scene in the coroners court is one instance.After all he could hardly have looked less obtrusive had he tried.The story is alas riddled with inconsistencies and is very muddled and poorly handled.If you are a fan of Newton you will enjoy this film otherwise you may find it slightly silly.
5 Reviews
Looking For A Man Who Murdered Himself
boblipton26 June 2022
Overwhelmed by debt, author Robert Newton is about to do away with himself when he comes across a corpse, apparently killed by a falling tree. Deciding to vanish, he switches clothes and possessions with the dead man and heads off to Pimlico. However a coroner's inquest demonstrates the dead man was actually murdered. The police pursue Newton, thinking him his own murderer, as do the actual murders.
It's an interesting situation for Harold French's second movie, but it quickly develops into a run-of-the-mill thriller. A good supporting cast, including Peter Gawthorne -- speaking in a posh voice for a change -- Betty Lynne, and John Warwick contribute nicely, although the scene in which dozens of policemen, including one on a horse, comb Hyde Park in search of Newton is more bizarre than thrilling.
It's an interesting situation for Harold French's second movie, but it quickly develops into a run-of-the-mill thriller. A good supporting cast, including Peter Gawthorne -- speaking in a posh voice for a change -- Betty Lynne, and John Warwick contribute nicely, although the scene in which dozens of policemen, including one on a horse, comb Hyde Park in search of Newton is more bizarre than thrilling.
A period piece identity thriller
robert-temple-122 October 2014
This is a charming period piece, made just before the War in Britain. Much of it was filmed in Hyde Park, both during the day and at night time, and there are some interesting shots of pre-War London. The film is an 'identity thriller' about a man who is depressed at his failure in life, and who changes identities with a man he finds lying dead in a forest. However, as is often the case with these identity switch dramas, the man whom he 'becomes' is a criminal, and things go very badly, with many dangerous situations. Robert Newton plays the lead. The character is meant to be overly excitable, verging continuously on hysteria, but in my opinion, Newton over-acts in the part. The film is known under two titles, its original being DEAD MEN ARE DANGEROUS, later changed to DANGEROUS MASQUERADE. It was the second feature film directed by Harold French, his next being THE HOUSE OF THE ARROW (1940), which I did not bother to review, as it was not very good. By 1942, French had become a much better director, and directed the wartime classic UNPUBLISHED STORY (1942, see my review). In 1952, he directed a Simenon tale, THE Paris EXPRESS (see my review), and in 1955 he directed THE MAN WHO LOVED REDHEADS, which was very disappointing and mediocre (see my review). It seems that his QUIET WEEKEND (1946) is a very good film, but I have not been able to obtain a copy. One of the fine performances in DEAD MEN ARE DANGEROUS is the maid Gladys, played by Merle Tottenham, a delightful character actress. The girl Newton is in love with but is too proud to marry because she is rich and he is poor is played by Betty Lynne, a nice English girl with a sweet smile and good manners who represented all that was desirable in thirties Britain. This film is good for a rainy afternoon to those who do not demand too much of old English movies.
Totally obscure, apart from the leading man.
alexanderdavies-9938211 December 2018
Robert Newton was an up and coming actor when this obscure "B" movie came out in 1939. He is the only reason to glance upon this rather confusing and contrived production.
Apparently, the story has something to do with Newton faking his own death after failing to succeed as a writer. He gives a more restrained performance and that works.
It all becomes too difficult to follow but the climax is quite effective.
"The Man in the Loud Check Suit"!!
kidboots5 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I always liked Robert Newton and I've never thought of him as over-
acting, maybe the people who do are clouded by his performance as
"Long John Silver" and his invention of "pirate talk"!! In the court room
scene which a reviewer mentions, his stress and anxiety are perfectly
understandable - he has just gone through an ordeal and on top of that
comes the realisation that the unknown man has been murdered and
he is the chief suspect!!
He plays Alymer Franklin, a struggling author who has a lot of faith in his new book - even though others haven't!! His world is crashing down, he arrives home in the drenching rain after being called an "incompetent good for nothing scribbler" by his exasperated uncle who refuses him a loan (but who is not above trying to get the book published when he thinks his nephew has died) to find his book has been rejected. He plans to do a runner but finds a dead man in the park, obviously felled by a tree and decides to switch identities but with the usual plotline, soon realises his old life was far more uncomplicated than the mysterious man in the park!! His curiosity gets the better of him and he attends the inquest in disguise where he learns that the victim, a Mr. Mueller, was murdered. Someone else at the inquest is very interested in both victim and Franklin - someone who is now following him where-ever he goes.
But for now all eyes are on Franklin and he must ditch the loud check suit that the news reporters have picked up on and because he now finds he is at the centre of a nationwide manhunt!!
The film climaxes with a huge police search through Hyde Park. Franklin, trapped like a rat in a trap is helped by an unlikely ally - the man who has been tailing him!! I was also wondering if the character of Alymer Franklin was going to feature in a series as the opening credits had "Robert Newton as Alymer Franklin" but maybe the war intervened.
Excellent Movie!!
He plays Alymer Franklin, a struggling author who has a lot of faith in his new book - even though others haven't!! His world is crashing down, he arrives home in the drenching rain after being called an "incompetent good for nothing scribbler" by his exasperated uncle who refuses him a loan (but who is not above trying to get the book published when he thinks his nephew has died) to find his book has been rejected. He plans to do a runner but finds a dead man in the park, obviously felled by a tree and decides to switch identities but with the usual plotline, soon realises his old life was far more uncomplicated than the mysterious man in the park!! His curiosity gets the better of him and he attends the inquest in disguise where he learns that the victim, a Mr. Mueller, was murdered. Someone else at the inquest is very interested in both victim and Franklin - someone who is now following him where-ever he goes.
But for now all eyes are on Franklin and he must ditch the loud check suit that the news reporters have picked up on and because he now finds he is at the centre of a nationwide manhunt!!
The film climaxes with a huge police search through Hyde Park. Franklin, trapped like a rat in a trap is helped by an unlikely ally - the man who has been tailing him!! I was also wondering if the character of Alymer Franklin was going to feature in a series as the opening credits had "Robert Newton as Alymer Franklin" but maybe the war intervened.
Excellent Movie!!
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