Death at Broadcasting House (1934)

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The acting in this movie is really good.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

It's great to see inside Art Deco Broadcasting House soon after it was built. It looks like a set from The Shape of Things to Come, while the male characters all wear faultless evening dress (not changed much since 1900) after six, and the ladies wear the rather frilly and fluffy fashions of the time.It is also illuminating if you are a fan of the detective stories of Ngaio Marsh, particularly Enter a Murderer (set in a theatre). Here we have the still rather melodramatic acting conventions, and a leading lady with a carefully genteel accent who strikes poses and delivers speeches in private life.Stock characters abound: the "silly ass" who gets lost on the way to the Variety show. (He's a terrible bore, though supposed to be funny.) Fortunately he hooks up with Miss Poppy Levene, a wise-cracking chorus girl who is going to get a few diamond bracelets out of him. She really is funny.Val Gielgud as the abrasive producer, explaining that you need to co-ordinate several studios to get "aural ambiance" or some such.The playwright, who is always ready with a Wildean wisecrack, puts literary characters like Lord Peter Wimsey and Inspector Alleyn in the context of their times.The gentlemen are unforgivably rude to "inferiors". As one of the doormen helps the leading actor on with his coat, the thespian snaps "Stop annoying me!" I rather liked Donald Wolfit as the bounder who is snubbed by the rest of the cast - shame he gets strangled so early.We get a good view of the chorus line rehearsing and performing just so that their taps could be heard behind the dance band.

DEATH AT BROADCASTING HOUSE is a film more interesting for its setting rather than its story, which takes the form of a rather routine murder mystery in which a group of assembled characters are investigated by the police force and various amateur detectives in turn. This film is set at the BBC with a murder taking place during a radio broadcast, a classic opening and by far the most interesting part of the production.The rest of the interest comes from seeing the BBC 'as was' back in the day. The viewer is treated to all kinds of outdated technology and the like and of course the manners and characteristics of the main players are completely alien to boot. However, with a short running time this is something of a snappy affair, enlivened by a handful of familiar faces dotted throughout the cast: Donald Wolfit is the murder victim, Jack Hawkins a would-be sleuth, Val Gielgud the producer, and one of my favourite actors of the era, Henry Kendall, playing a suspect. It's good fun for fans of this era of filmmaking.

Since having notice my dad pick up an increasing number of TV shows and films from a DVD company called Network,I decided to take a look at movies that the company has released,which led to me stumbling upon a Film Noir murder-mystery set in the-then newly built BBC studios,which led to me getting ready to take a dangerous tour of the beeb's broadcasting house.The plot:Rehearsing a radio play that is to be aired/played later that day,a group of actors find them selves becoming increasingly annoyed with the show's lead producer,due to him constantly demanding the cast to put more "life" into their performance.Being the only actor who seems happy with the way that the producer is treating him, (which leads to the other cast members being even more annoyed) Sydney Parsons enters a sound booth to play the part of the first murder victim.As Parsons begins to read a page in the script that involves his character being killed,a strange pair of hands wrap around Parsons neck,and strangle him to death.Rushing to congratulate Parsons on his amazingly realistic performance,the producer soon discovers that instead of life being brought into the play,a sound of death has been sent across the airwaves.View on the film:Before getting to the movie,I have to mention that whilst the film does have some snap,crackle & Pop,Network have given the 80 year title a clear,crisp picture,and a smooth soundtrack that allows for this deadly radio recording to be fully heard.Opening with a low-lit close up shot of a radio mic,director Reginald Denham gives the movie a frosty Film Noir atmosphere by using close up side angles to create an uneasy feeling of anyone of the cast being Sydney Parsons (played by a very good Donald Wolfit) deadly cast member.Whilst the title does have some nice moments of each cast member being set to stab the other in the back,the screenplay by writer/actor Val Gielgud, (who also wrote the novel that the title is adapted from)Basil Mason and Eric Maschwitz sadly decides to focus on the rather dry inner workings of the studio production,instead of the wonderfully cynical Film Noir aspects,which leads to this broadcast being one that is not played in a prime time slot.

This is a fascinating look at broadcasting in 1932.This film has what can only be described as an all star cast with 3 standouts.Ian Hunter before he went off to Hollywood to become King Richard;Donald Wolfitt to become very famous as one of Britains leading stage actors :Jack Hawkins who of course achieved stardom in the fifties.This is a whodunit allied to a sort of variety show and behind the scenes look at broadcasting.Being a whodunit it displays all the usual clichés including a denouement where all the suspects are present and the actual murderer draws a gun in an attempt to get away.There is a priceless exchange in the chase that follows.The police are chasing the suspect up a spiral staircase,the policeman asks one of the BBC producers "Where does this staircase lead"to which comes the immortal reply "upstairs".If you are as interested by this era as i am then i am sure that in the unlikely event of this film being shown again on TV don't miss it.