I Met a Murderer

My father was the stunt double for the scene were James Mason has to fall of a horse, my Father is 94 and and was an expert horseman. I have never seen him ride as he gave it up sadly when I was little, so it is a revelation to see him in action. Also the farmhouse featured heavily is my Grandfather's farm at Booker near Marlow which was demolished before the war. Again it's lovely to have it immortalised on film. My father is a very humble man and never one to boast or brag so I have requested a stunt credit for him as a tribute to his skills a young man. I am a filmmaker myself and I love our deep-seated history in the film business, we should be proud of our heritage and this is a classic example of a murder/thriller in the same vein as he first 2 version of the 39 steps. A jolly good film Tally Ho!

A semi-amateur production costing just £4,500 combining the visual beauty and Soviet-style editing of 'Earth' with the fatalism of 'La Bete Humaine', as well as the visual beauty of an unbelievably young and handsome James Mason against the unbelievably handsome backdrop of rural Buckinghamshire; doubtless all built up today.

Director Roy Kellino, being "an experienced cameraman with already the eye of a director" turned in a beautiful film which according to Mason was shot silent because on a such a tiny budget it "must perforce be more of a silent than a sound film". The burden of holding the film together thus fell upon Eric Ansell's music, and Mason later declared "I was deeply embarrassed by the loudness of the music, while lots of things that I did in it as an actor embarrassed me even more".

The music is is far too loud and there is a general clumsiness about the production. The prolonged twists and turns of the plot eventually become rather exhausting. But it is nevertheless a fascinating experience to see the young James Mason in action and to note that the role he plays foreshadows not only his performance in 'Odd Man Out' (1947) but also his final moments in 'A Star Is Born' (1954).

I love James Mason and really enjoy seeing his early films when possible, thanks to channels like Talking Pictures and TCM etc. This one is no exception, however, it is spoiled somewhat for me by the loud and rather irritating music all the way through and so only seven stars from me.

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.