Twice Branded

FATHER AND SON is a stolid little family drama from 1936, notable only for featuring a pre-stardom James Mason in his second screen role. Mason is so youthful here that he looks unrecognisable, although that plum voice is present and correct. Mason stars in support, playing the son of a jailbird father, played by Robert Rendel. Rendel is released from prison only to discover that his own family would rather forget about him.

To his surprise they make him pose as a long lost uncle rather than head of the family. Meanwhile, a minor crime sub-plot arises which involves a fraudster getting Mason's character involved in the same dodgy business schemes that saw the father jailed in the first place. Sadly, FATHER AND SON is very slow and not very interesting, aside from the acting of Mason and Rendel, so it's really only a film for connoisseurs of the era.

Having made his screen debut at the age of 26 in 'Late Extra', James Mason plays Henry Hamilton in this his second film, who is sent to prison for twelve years. He returns into the bosom of his family, but they refuse to absorb the shame of his conviction.