Dangerous Corner (1934)

Watch this movie from 1934 (from a 1932 English play by J.B. Priestley)to see how early the English-speaking elite began to smash up their values, with a direct path to the mayhem and anomie of the 1960s/70s, and now the politically correct straightjackets of the early 21st century. I don't give it a 10 because of the excisions made to satisfy the censors - too bad for that, as it would have made the movie even more delicious.For delicious it is, watching people throw up on their values as they wear magnificent gowns, even if we are living with the consequences now. Watch it to see what we need to recover...Priestley is of the GB Shaw school - tradition and the wisdom of our ancestors is out the window, with no one knowing at the time what great new world awaits us. Unfortunately, we know now, and owe it all to these misguided geniuses for dramatic dialogue.

****SPOILERS**** It's just a typical day at the office with Ann and Charles, Virgina Bruce & Melvyn Douglas, horsing around with each other as the guy running the place, a big time New York publishing firm, Robert, Conrad Nagel, is hard at work in his business of getting clients with interesting and money making manuscripts to have him put their work on the market. It also happens to be Robert and his wife Frida's, Erin O'Brien-Moore, fifth wedding anniversary and the absent minded Robert, in him being reminded by Charles, had forgot to buy Fridaa a wedding present. What soon spoils everything is that one of the firm's client a Mr. McIntyre who's on a sea cruse sends a telegram wanting his payment for a book he's to have published. Looking for the US Government Bond locked in the company safe that to be McIntyre's fee it's found to be missing! This sets off a panic between those responsible for keeping McIntyre's money in a safe place with among the four who have the key to the safe Charles Robert Godon,Henry Wodsworth, and Martin, Ian Keith, it's Martin who's not accounted for at the office. When Martin is finally tracked down, by phone, at his country getaway he has no idea where Mr. McIntyre's bond is. With Charles driving over to Martin's place to see if he's holding something back from him Robert & Gordon he's found lying on the floor shot to death with a bullet in his chest!It's now a year later with Martin's death ruled a suicide by a court of inquiry everyone who was around on that fateful day including Gordon's 18 year old wife Betty, Betty Furness, get together for a nighttime tea party to talk over events of the day. It's when Gordon turns on the radio,the Victrola was on the brink, to have some music to listen too and sooth everyones nerves that things take a turn for the worse. The radio suddenly conks out and Gordon can't find a tube to replace the burned out one. With no music to relax and dance too all the people at the party start to run off their mouths about the only person not there Martin and what they did on the day of his death one year ago when he killed himself! And it's that loose talk that brings out the real truth of Martin's death that everyone at the party had kept hidden from both the court of inquiry as well as themselves!****SPOILERS**** The film "Dangerous Corner" brings out how people when not occupied with the trivial things in life can really put their minds to work and come up with thought-provoking ides and insights in their lives and the lives of others! Martin was dead and buried for a year with no one wanting to go beyond the fact that he killed himself when it was about to be discovered that he stole McIntyre's Bond. As the truth started coming out among those at the party the truth was far more different then what was publicly known about the dead Martin. And that truth would have never came to see the light of day, even though the events took place at night, if Gordon somehow found a new tube for the radio to keep the music playing and keep his as well as everyone else at the party occupied with it! *****MAJOR SPOILER**** It's then when you think that it's all over with the films sad and depressing ending you unexpectedly find out that there's another side to it! And then like radio commentator Paul Harvey used to say "Now here's the rest of the Story".

I passed by the bond theft and supposed suicide which were a spin of accusations,(secret loves are disclosed; sham marriages revealed; questions about who shot Martin fly everywhere) preferring to ponder on the character of Maude Mockeridge, famous author. (She reminded me of Joan Hickson as Miss Marple, though in a more glamorous tone).In the opening scene: Ann (a partner in a publishing business) is about to host a breakfast interview on her apartment balcony for romance author Maud Mockeridge. She carefully arranges the author's books in a flattering display. The English lady novelist has already published "A Flame", "Scarlet Flowers", "Burnt Wings" and "Paradise For Two". They discuss her new book "Ecstasy" and a possible contract.Later that morning Ann joins the publishing group and joyfully announces that she has secured a three year contact with Miss Mockeridge. Next month "Ecstasy" will be ready. Six months later "Emma The Passionate" and in one year "Sleeping Dog".The twist at the end? How it might have been followed by how it really ended… no body revealed anything!

This film is full of surprises, twists and turns. The whodunit theme has the added plus of making the viewer think about big issues like, "what is truth?" The Dangerous Corner is taken when the main characters "spill their guts out" -- telling secrets and hidden feelings that lead only to conflict, hurt and despair. The film supports the theory, "Let Sleeping Dogs Lie" -- purporting that the mind can only come up with meager "small truths". The mystery is eventually solved in this innovative, intriguing film. Wonderful Virginia Bruce is on hand to admire, along with dapper Melvyn Douglas, Conrad Nagel and hammy Ian Keith. I've watched this film many times and had great conversations with friends afterwards. Unusual!