A Gaumont British Production. British title: Just Smith. Not copyrighted in the U.S.A. No New York opening. Released in the U.S.A. by Gaumont Film Distributors under the title "Leave It To Smith" in 1934. U.K. release through Woolf and Freedman: 11 November 1933. Australian release through Fox: 9 May 1934. 76 minutes. Cut to 69 minutes in the U.S.A.
SYNOPSIS: A gentleman thief teams up with an American colleague to rob a rich widow with social pretensions.
NOTES: One of Australia's top box-office successes for 1934.
COMMENT: Lonsdale's three-act play has been shortened to 76 minutes here (69 minutes in the USA). True, this does make the fun come faster, but leaves so many charming but subsidiary female characters flitting around on the screen, it's sometimes difficult to work out exactly who is related to who. Not that it matters all that much. The main plot is unscathed. But we would like to know the identity of that really attractive lass who encourages Reggie to race around the boat-deck.
As a director, Walls accomplishes wonders in keeping the drawing-room plot moving along smartly. Some inventively fluid camerawork helps. So does the picture's high-budget gloss in lighting, costumes, art direction and heaps of extras.
As an actor, however, Walls tends to over-favor himself, often engaging in amateurish mugging and overt scene-stealing. Although Hartley Power makes a good stooge for Walls, the only player who can really stand up to the star is our old friend, Peter Gawthorne. In his customary role as a police inspector, Gawthorne makes an extremely late entrance, but once on stage takes command. Mind you, the cat and mousing in the script places Gawthorne in a superior position, but Walls the director is astute enough to let him get away with leading the play into its agreeable fade-out.
Oddly, the somewhat dumpy Carol Goodner - who has the biggest part - is the least appealing of the remaining players. Reginald Gardiner (though minus his moustache) draws a typically sardonic characterization; as does (in a very small role) Basil Radford.
SYNOPSIS: A gentleman thief teams up with an American colleague to rob a rich widow with social pretensions.
NOTES: One of Australia's top box-office successes for 1934.
COMMENT: Lonsdale's three-act play has been shortened to 76 minutes here (69 minutes in the USA). True, this does make the fun come faster, but leaves so many charming but subsidiary female characters flitting around on the screen, it's sometimes difficult to work out exactly who is related to who. Not that it matters all that much. The main plot is unscathed. But we would like to know the identity of that really attractive lass who encourages Reggie to race around the boat-deck.
As a director, Walls accomplishes wonders in keeping the drawing-room plot moving along smartly. Some inventively fluid camerawork helps. So does the picture's high-budget gloss in lighting, costumes, art direction and heaps of extras.
As an actor, however, Walls tends to over-favor himself, often engaging in amateurish mugging and overt scene-stealing. Although Hartley Power makes a good stooge for Walls, the only player who can really stand up to the star is our old friend, Peter Gawthorne. In his customary role as a police inspector, Gawthorne makes an extremely late entrance, but once on stage takes command. Mind you, the cat and mousing in the script places Gawthorne in a superior position, but Walls the director is astute enough to let him get away with leading the play into its agreeable fade-out.
Oddly, the somewhat dumpy Carol Goodner - who has the biggest part - is the least appealing of the remaining players. Reginald Gardiner (though minus his moustache) draws a typically sardonic characterization; as does (in a very small role) Basil Radford.
