The Arsenal Stadium Mystery (1939)

Very best movie i ever watch

I wanted to but couldn't!

A Major Disappointment

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

I probably agree with most comments here: a good not great film but still interesting in so many ways, mainly from the historical perspective. The world depicted was on another planet - even though Britain was at war the lunatics would not start to take over the asylum for another 30 years or so.Professional Arsenal take on the amateur Trojans in special football match attended by millions of blue-chins in macs and hats live on BBC radio, and even commentated by legendary voice E.V.H. Emmett borrowed from Gaumont. One of the Trojans, a bit of a womaniser with a lot of enemies falls down dead at the beginning of the second half and the game is abandoned and is simultaneously on to find out whodunit. Slade of Scotland Yard is on the case, an inspector with eccentric and disconcerting habits played fantastically by Leslie Banks in a variety of appropriate hats. Although thousands of the Arsenal fans who saw todays game at the Emirates probably live in houses built before 1940 the "beautiful game" seems to have changed almost beyond recognition - capitalist business pressures seem to have atrophied everything that was once decent about it. The footballers played and the hordes watched as though it was only a game and didn't matter - the rich thugs who go to work on the pitch today present a completely different picture! Anyone fancy going back and practising heading those leather footballs? Surely they would miss the legalised GBH and sliding about in each others phlegm and spit! The mystery itself was simple but well padded out and entertaining, and the acting abilities veered from adequately professional to woodenly amateur.I never bothered taping or buying this because it's on UK Channel 4 every few years – I assume it's always been bought so regularly mainly as a laugh for hooligans by the schedulers and not just for film fans. Use the chance when they provide it to watch this enjoyable and decent film non-cynically instead.

If you live within striking distance of London you can see the film free at the National Film Theatre on the South Bank by Waterloo. It's one of the hundreds of films in their permanent 'Mediatheque' suite, which you can turn up and view for free on one of the video consoles. Phoning up to book a slot is a good idea though. Amusing and interesting stuff for anyone interested in footy history, or who remembers the Harry Enfield spoofs with affection. I recall that George Allison's book 'Allison Calling' (?1948) discusses the making of the film, though I don't have my copy to hand.Not much to add the other comments here, but don't a lot of the footy players in this film look so damn old? Not so much a dressing room as a Masonic Lodge.

The dialogue at the start of THE ARSENAL STADIUM MYSTERY had me lost: " Inside left..wing backs ... five forwards " it wasn't until the manager of the home team said " The Trojans don't play like us , they have an attacking team " that I realised the plot involved Arsenal football club . It's strange watching this movie nowadays since the game has changed so much . In 1940 all footballers were A ) White B) Spoke Queen's English C) Smoked a pipe . While all supporters A ) Engaged in cheeky banter with the ref B ) Didn't sing foul mouthed songs C ) Were members of British Equity . But it's when a Trojan team member dies that the amusement really kicks off because the man leading the murder investigation is none other that Harry Enfield's Grayson character . No seriously he is , watch an edition of HARRY ENFIELD AND CHUMS and you'll see where the idea came from . There's even a subplot involving a Swedish blond which just goes to show that Sven Goran Erickson is much older than he looks .

When it was shot, the tie up this film made with 'the Arsenal'- using their stadium and some of their players- must have seemed a good idea. Now, sadly, the main selling point that gives the movie is the unintentional humour of the short brilliantined hair and big baggy football shorts.The less said about the plot and the cinematography, the better!Leslie Banks as Inspector Slade is, however, another matter. He plays a curious character who we meet rehearsing policemen in full uniform AND tutus for some sort of theatrical performance! Further, he has a large selection of different hats that he self-consciously picks from every time he has to go and perform some task; when he has to delegate an arrest to his sergeant, he even delegates the appropriate (fishing) hat to him also! Altogether, the character played is fascinating and odd: an English eccentric or a (coded- it is 1939!) gay characterization? Either way, it is Leslie Banks' playing that makes this film at all worth watching...