Dead Men are Dangerous

Dead Men are Dangerous is a 1939 British noir crime film directed by Harold French and starring Robert Newton, Betty Lynne, John Warwick, and Peter Gawthorne. It was released in the U.S. as Dangerous Masquerade. Its plot concerns an unsuccessful writer who is wrongly accused of a murder.

Plot

Penniless and debt ridden writer Aylmer Franklyn happens upon a dead man lying under the branch of a tree, apparently killed during a violent storm. Swapping clothes and identities with the corpse seems like a way out of his troubles, and Franklyn even attends his own inquest; but little does he know the man had a criminal history and he soon finds the police on his trail.

Cast

Robert Newton as Aylmer Franklyn
Betty Lynne as Nina
John Warwick as Goddard
Peter Gawthorne as Conray
Merle Tottenham as Gladys
John Turnbull as Inspector Roberts
Aubrey Mallalieu as Coroner
Kynaston Reeves as James T. Franklyn
Winifred Oughton as Mrs Blagden
Cyril Chamberlain as George Franklyn
Charles Mortimer as Policeman
John Salew as Tramp
Anita Sharp-Bolster as Spinster Resident

Critical reception

In a contemporary review, The Leicester Daily Mercury found "Fast moving action, a goodly sequence of thrills, and some splendid acting by Robert Newton, characterises Dead Men are Dangerous, a film with a clever plot and a strong taste of the mysterious"; while more recently, Vintage 45 wrote, "No great acting to speak of and no real depth to the story but it’s fun to watch it all unfold. Don’t expect anything exceptional and you’ll probably like it."