The Man in Half Moon Street

Trailer—The Man in Half Moon Street

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source: The Man in Half Moon Street

Nils Asther (Julian Karell), Helen Walker (Eve Brandon), Reinhold Schunzel (Dr Kurt Van Bruecken), Paul Cavanagh (Dr Henry Latimer), Edmond Breon (Sir Humphrey Brandon), Morton Lowry (Allen Guthrie), Matthew Boulton (Inspector Garth), Brandon Hurst (Simpson, butler), Aminta Dyne (Lady Minerva Aldergate), Arthur Mulliner (Sir John Aldergate), Edward Fielding (Colonel Ashley), Reginald Sheffield (Mr Taper), Eustace Wyatt (Inspector Lawson), Forrester Harvey (Harris, a cabby), Konstantin Shayne (Dr Vishanoff), Gerald Oliver Smith (pharmacy clerk), Leyland Hodgson (Dr Albertson), Harry Cording (1st bobby), Clive Morgan (plainclothesman), Arthur Blake (man), Ernie Adams (porter), Norman Ainsley (butler), Edward Cooper (liveried servant), John Sheehan (expressman), Frank Baker (plainclothesman), T. Arthur Hughes (plainclothesman), Frank Moran (skipper), John Power (guard), Don Gallaher (ticket agent), Bob Stevenson (guard), Bobby Hale (deck hand), Cyril Ring (O'Hara), Wilson Benge (official), George Broughton (morgue official), Robert Cory, Frank Hagney, Al Ferguson (bobbies). Director: RALPH MURPHY. Screenplay: Charles Kenyon. Adaptation: Garrett Fort. Uncredited script contributors: Don Hartman, Albert Maltz. Based on the stage play by Barré Lyndon. Photographed in black-and-white by Henry Sharp. Film editor: Tom Neff. Art directors: Hans Dreier, Walter Tyler. Set decorator: Sam Comer. Costumes supervisor: Edith Head. Make-up: Wally Westmore. Music score: Miklos Rozsa. Orchestrations: Eugene Zador. Assistant director: John R. Coonan. Sound recording: Ferrol Redd, Philip Wisdom. Western Electric Sound System. Producer: Walter MacEwan. Copyright 19 October 1944 by Paramount Pictures, Inc. New York opening at the Rialto: 19 January 1945. U.S. release: October 1944. U.K. release: 26 February 1945. Australian release: 9 November 1944. 10 reels. 8,277 feet. 92 minutes. SYNOPSIS: A variant on "The Picture of Dorian Gray" . NOTES: Re-made by Hammer Films as "The Man Who Could Cheat Death" (1959). COMMENT: A stand-out cast, led by the remarkably charismatic Nils Asther, transform Lyndon's somewhat old-fashioned play into 92 minutes of solidly atmospheric suspense. Capable direction, superb photography and a marvellous music score help out considerably too.

A 90 year old man, played by an actor in his mid 40's, is said to look like he's in his mid 30's. This overly talkie melodrama has an intriguing plot but is one of the most dreadfully boring films to deal with the desire for eternal youth. Nils Asther plays the scientist who finds his time is running out after living as a thirty something for 55 years and turns to Dorian Gray like evils to retain that youth. It's an intriguing idea, but the film's pacing drags this way down, making it nearly impossible to get into. Reinhold Schünzel is very good as Asther's aging colleague (whom he went to school with) who offers wisdom as to why the desire for eternal youth is evil. There are some good moments of melodrama as well as a melodramatic ending, but that doesn't make up for the general lack of suspense and certain ridiculous moments, particularly the scenes with Helen Walker as the glamorous socialite in love with him but unaware of his deep, dark secret. So much potential, but a huge letdown.

This film from Paramount Studios follows a similar theme of eternal youth established in the more famous "Picture of Dorian Gray" and does it well on a limited budget. That it is based on a stage play is obvious as filming is mostly on indoor sets and dialogue takes the place of action scenes. But it is a forgivable sin. Nils Asther, unfamiliar to many, (as was Hurd Hatfield in "Picture of....") plays a man who has lived an unnaturally long life while remaining youthful (or so it appears). He must rely on an aged physician, well played by Reinhold Shunzel, for life prolonging treatments; however, the doctor is no longer able to assist Asther and other arrangements must be made. So begins a series of deaths through experimentation in an effort to keep Asther alive and youthful. Alas, time catches up with him and the last scene has him withering away before our eyes, utilizing fairly decent special effects considering the limited budget of the film. This little "B" movie is oddly compelling even though it can't decide to which genre it belongs.....horror?, noir?, suspense?. Regardless, it is worth a watch if you enjoy little known gems. Overlook its shortcomings........it will keep your attention.

This is one of the greatest films of all time. Precursor to the " The picture of Dorian Grey". The actor Nils Aster is one of the great English actors who takes on this role with great aplomb! The story is about a man who is 120 year old and is given an extended life through a doctor who has it in his his power to extend a persons life, though an operation where the renewable glands, are replaced into persons, who are extremely rich as will who will pay a hefty dollar to live forever. But circumstances happen where the hero is not able to get his life needed fix. He falls in love with a young women and needs his operation to finally find the true love he has been looking his whole live. Brilliant Film, A Must SEE for all film lovers. MAKE A BIG STIR OVER GETTING THIS FILM ON DVD!!!!!!!! THANKS, CHRISTOPHER FROST HARDING, FILM CRITIC FROM Florida, USA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought about DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE whilst I watched this old film, not the same scheme, story, but the same kind of topic. Or PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY too. From a bland director such as Ralph Murphy, I did not expect much, but my doubts were not justified after all. It is not at the scale of an Albert Lewin's film level, nor any great director, but I spent a good time. Maybe a bit too long, seventy minutes would have been far enough. It is rare and worth watching for gem diggers. I don't know any of the actors, never heard of them but the acting is good, convincing. And the topic is also unusual.

This is a great little underrated film with a beginning, middle and end. There are some great lines of dialogue and good solid performances by the whole cast especially the two leads and the police inspector, an early Columbo who smells a rat and won't give up. You cannot explain the fingerprints! There is a great scene where the main character walks along the road chatting and posts a letter, then the camera pans, to reveal a dead man sitting upright in the car, very sinister and cruel of the murderer to leave the body there.If you follow the scene you are not expecting it. This film has some relevance to today with the obsession with image and staying young forever if possible, never growing old. But there is always a price to pay! Well worth a viewing.

THE MAN IN HALF MOON STREET (later remade by Hammer Films as THE MAN WHO COULD CHEAT DEATH) is an overlooked and under-appreciated little horror-fantasy. Sometimes compared with Oscar Wilde's PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY, unlike many genre efforts of the era, the film rarely seemed to get the same airplay on late night TV or on any of the "Shock Theatre" programs that were so popular in the pre-cable/pre-VCR days of the 1960s & 1970s. With so many of the classic horror films of the '30s and '40s now on DVD, and since Paramount produced THE MAN IN HALF MOON STREET (as well as handled distribution for the Hammer Films remake), it would be nice to see this released to DVD (possibly as a double feature with the Hammer Film production).