Louis Hayward
Barry Gilbert
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A former actor poses as the son of a wealthy man and gets involved in a murder in which the real son is the suspect.
Top Billed Cast
| Release Date | 1938-02-06 |
|---|---|
| Runtime | 1h 8m |
| Directors | Arthur Lubin, Milton Krasner, Charles Previn |
| Producers | Trem Carr, Paul Malvern |
| Writers | George Waggner, Channing Pollock, Lester Cole |
"Resting" actor, Louis Hayward ("Barry") and his pal "Doc" (J.C. Nugent) are a bit down on their luck when they take shelter in a big house one rainy night. About to leave the next morning, they are spotted by staff who mistake him for the long-absent son of the house, and when he finds a letter from his "assumed" mother (Nana Bryant) containing $500, they decide to string out their new existence for a while... Snag is, the real "Reitter" (Eric Linden) turns up, shortly afterwards - in jail accused of murder. A sense of decency overwhelms the young man and he sets out to prove his double's innocence. It's a bit far fetched, but Hayward is on good form and the pace is quick, humorous at times and there's even a bit of romance for the star with Barbara Read ("Patricia"). There are too many characters in this film, they over-complicate what is essentially a rather simple, engaging whodunit a bit - but it's still a decent, suspenseful, adaptation of the Pollock novel that passes the time well for 70 minutes.
— CinemaSerf