Mystery of Edwin Drood

1935
Approved
1h 27m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

An opium-addicted choirmaster develops an obsession for a beautiful young girl and will not stop short of murder in order to have her.An opium-addicted choirmaster develops an obsession for a beautiful young girl and will not stop short of murder in order to have her.An opium-addicted choirmaster develops an obsession for a beautiful young girl and will not stop short of murder in order to have her.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.4/10

637

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
Part of the original Shock Theater package of 52 Universal titles released to television in 1957, followed a year later with Son of Shock, which added 20 more features.

Goofs
After the first dinner party, as David Manners and Douglass Montgomery are walking down the street to go home, the shadow of the boom mike can be seen in the background on the side of the buildings.

Quotes
Rosa Bud: Oh, Helena, I'm frightened!
Helena Landless: Mr. Jasper?
Rosa Bud: He haunts my thoughts like a dreadful ghost!

Connections
Featured in Adventure Theater: The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1977)

Soundtracks
Silent Night
(uncredited)
Lyrics by Joseph Mohr
Music by Franz Xaver Gruber
Sung as Christmas carol

User reviews24

Review

Featured review

8/10

Mystery, Done Well...

Universal in 1935 took on 'The Mystery Of Edwin Drood' a uncompleted Dickens novel. This is the first sound version, after two (2) silent adaptations and made in their 'Classic Horror' style. The film featured their current stock company, including David Manners and Valerie Hobson and the powerful presence of free lancer Claude Rains. These are all professionals and deliver what is expected of them.

As in the other 'Classic Horror' adaptations of the time this film has a certain look. Every studio had a 'look' for their efforts. Grimy streets for Warner Brothers gangster films, pristine palaces and with C. B. DeMille, washrooms at Paramount. M.G.M. all gloss and polish in almost every production and R.K.O. art-deco grace. With Universal, decrepit buildings, cobwebs, drawing rooms with lots of stuff to knock over with crisp cinematography.

For details of the plot either watch the film or read one of the other reviewers, they give a blow by blow description and plenty of detail, more is not needed here. What can be said it is too bad that for some reason Universal keeps these films buried in their vaults along with some 600 films from Paramounts classic period. Shown today on TCM (12/05/2011) this is the first time I can recall seeing it since the early 1960s! It does not disappoint, the print being in excellent condition. Hopefully more of these efforts will be released for viewing on TCM and possibly DVD.