“The Riverside Murder” (1935)

The Riverside Murder

Brief Description:

When a financier is murdered in his home, a new detective and a budding journalist clash. Inspector Winton has only so long to unravel a complex mystery involving five friends, an estranged son, a pact that ends at midnight, a family fortune, and a killer that keeps striking. Meanwhile, Claire Haines is trying to get a scoop, hoping to convince her boss to let her be a crime journalist. But time is running out for both of them… 

(written by me)

Date: 1935

Genre: crime mystery British film 

Running time: 1 hour 3 minutes 

Cast: 

Basil Sydney (Winton)

Judy Gunn (Claire)

Zoe Davis (Mrs. Harris)

Alastair Sim (Mac)

Reginald Tate (Perrin)

Ian Fleming (Sanders)

Tom Helmore (Jerome)

Martin Lewis (Gregg)

C. M. Hallard (Dickenson)

Aubrey Mallalieu (Norman)

Ernest Borrow (Field)

Sidney Monckton (Globe Reporter)

Director: Albert Parker

Production company: Fox Film

Based on: The Six Dead Men by Stanislas-André Steeman

Wikipedia page

Watch on Archive

(watched on Tubi)

Setting/Aesthetic/Feel: 5/5

I love me a good 1940s-1950s mystery film, and I’ve noticed a lot of 1930 films are meh. But this film fits right in with the ’40s ones! The setting of a little British town isn’t shown very much, but I still enjoyed it. And I loved the ’40s feel!

Characters: 5/5

Sydney was such a great inspector—not too nasty, but in control; not given to shooting his mouth, but brilliantly sarcastic; interesting, but not broody. He came across as a lot smarter because of his restraint. Claire was the typical smart, sassy girl who gets in the way to help solve the mystery, gets shoved around but always shows back up. They made a great couple! Mrs. H. was super sweet, Mac was hilarious, and the four financiers were quite interesting. And I liked Claire’s coworker somehow...

Plot: 5/5

Did I mention I love a good mystery? This was it, right here. A good set-up, several viable suspects, a twist ending I didn’t see coming but that made PERFECT sense, nonstop action, low violence but plenty of suspense… oh yeah, I loved it. 

Romance: 5/5

I honestly wasn’t sure Winton and Claire would end up as a couple, but I loved their romance because it was super cute. Cliché, perhaps, similar to many other 1930s-1950s detective films, but I enjoyed it a lot. The banter was epic. I LOVED the final scene. 

Content: 4/5 (low)

I remember only 2 uses of language (d**n); a few mentions of drinking; a kiss. 

Violence: 4/5 (low)

3-4 people are murdered, but it’s all nongraphic: just shots of someone shooting and the victim falling. One shot of a man showing his bleeding chest. 

Overall: 5/5

British humour is the best. Classic mystery films are the best. Police + journalist relationships are pretty near the best. Um, yes. This checks all the boxes for me and I absolutely love it.