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The Dummy Talks
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Wikipedia article
'The Dummy Talks' is a 1943 British crime film directed by Oswald Mitchell and starring Jack Warner, Claude Hulbert and Beryl Orde. It marked the film debut of Jack Warner.
Synopsis
Set over the course of one night, the story takes place in and around a London theatre. A series of contemporary acts are seen both performing on stage and socialising backstage. The murder of a ventriloquist takes place and two policemen, who happen to be at the theatre tracking a banknote forger, set to work finding the culprit. Ultimately, the key suspects are rounded up and a mind-reader puts on a show to reveal the killer. He's helped by a midget dressed as the dummy, hence the title.
Cast
* Jack Warner - Jack
* Claude Hulbert - Victor Harbord
* Beryl Orde - Beryl
* Evelyn Darvell - Peggy
* Hy Hazell - Maya (credited as Derna Hazell)
* Manning Whiley - Russell Warren
* Charles Carson - Marvello ("The Man With the Radio Mind")
* G. H. Mulcaster - Piers Harriman
* John Carol - Jimmy Royce
* Gordon Edwards - Marcus
* Max Earl - Yates
* Ivy Benson and her all Ladies Band - Themselves
* Frederick Sylvester & Nephew (Eric Mudd also played the "dummy") - Themselves
* Tommy Manley & Florence Austin ("Music Hath Charms") - Themselves
* Cecil Ayres with the Skating Avalons - Themselves
* Mann & Read ("Jugglers with Fun")- Themselves
* Five Lai Founs (" Modern Chinese Wonders") - Themselves
* Jeannie White and her Stepsisters - Themselves
Critical reception
'Britmovie' noted "a number of genuine variety acts add a flavour of the period, although they provide rather too much of the films running time" ; and 'TV Guide' called it "a weird but engaging second feature."
References
Bibliography
* Murphy, Robert. 'Realism and Tinsel: Cinema and Society in Britain 1939-48'. Routledge, 1989.
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