The Phantom Light
| The Phantom Light | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Michael Powell |
| Produced by | Jerome Jackson |
| Written by |
Evadne Price (novel "The Haunted Light") J Jefferson Farjeon Ralph Smart Austin Melford |
| Starring |
Binnie Hale Gordon Harker Donald Calthrop Milton Rosmer Ian Hunter |
| Distributed by | Gainsborough Pictures |
Release dates | 5 August 1935 |
Running time | 76 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Phantom Light is a 1935 British thriller film, a low-budget "quota quickie",[1] directed by Michael Powell and starring Binnie Hale, Gordon Harker, Milton Rosmer and Herbert Lomas.[2] Criminals pose as ghosts to scare a lighthouse keeper on the Welsh coast, in attempt to distract him.[3]
Cast
- Binnie Hale as Alice Bright
- Gordon Harker as Sam Higgins
- Donald Calthrop as David Owen
- Milton Rosmer as Dr. Carey
- Ian Hunter as Jim Pearce
- Herbert Lomas as Claff Owen
- Reginald Tate as Tom Evans
- Barry O'Neill as Captain Pearce
- Mickey Brantford as Bob Peters
- Alice O'Day as Mrs. Owen
- Fewlass Llewellyn as Griffith Owen
- Edgar K. Bruce as Sergeant Owen
- Louie Emery as Station Mistress
Development
Location
The opening scenes were filmed at Tan y Bwlch station on the Festiniog Railway.[4] The station is actually 7.5 miles from the coast.
DVD
The film has been released on Region 1 DVD by MPI along with Red Ensign (1934) and The Upturned Glass (1947).
The film has been released on Region 2 DVD by Opening in the "Les films de ma vie" series. The DVD has non-removable French subtitles for the original English soundtrack.
Reception
Writing for The Spectator, Graham Greene described the film as "an exciting, simple story" and compared its plot to that of Gibson's "Flannan Isle". Specific praise was given to actors Harker (for a "sure-fire Cockney performance") and Calthrop (whom Greene favorably compared to Charles Laughton).[5]
References
- ↑ Dave Kehr. "Early British Cinema". The New York Times.
- ↑ The Phantom Light at the Internet Movie Database
- ↑ The Phantom Light at the BFI's film & TV database
- ↑ http://www.festrail.co.uk
- ↑ Greene, Graham (12 July 1935). "St Petersburg/Paris Love Song/The Phantom Light". The Spectator. (reprinted in: John Russel, Taylor, ed. (1980). The Pleasure Dome. p. 7. ISBN 0192812866.)
External links
- The Phantom Light at the Internet Movie Database
- The Phantom Light at AllMovie
- The Phantom Light at the British Film Institute's Screenonline
- Reviews and articles at the Powell & Pressburger Pages