The Mystery Of Edwin Drood is an odd little film. This 1935 drama premiered just two years after Claude Rains had his iconic turn as the titular role in The Invisible Man, and by all accounts Universal was keen on playing the film up as a mystery-thriller to coax in audiences looking for a jolt. This seems nearly counterintuitive for a work that was being adapted from a text by Charles Dickens, but the fact that it remained unfinished gave the creatives a bit of room to keep people on the hook regarding who murdered the titular victim. The studio sensed an opportunity, and they invested in building their largest set since the memorable work on The Hunchback Of Notre Dame. The only problem was, the script never really left any room for mystery as to who committed the crime. The end result was far from a horror film, and barely left room to be classified as a thriller. This was a melodrama that just so happen to involve murder, and it had enough Dickens in its DNA to set itself apart from similar films. Despite the talent behind it, The Mystery Of Edwin Drood is simply a decent film elevated by strong individual performances.
Rains is a standout as John Jasper, a moody choirmaster at a finishing school in Victorian England who is most connected to his nephew, Edwin Drood (David Manners, Dracula). Edwin has been destined to marry the young Rosa Bud (Heather Angel, Peter Pan) since they were young, but it has become more and more clear that these two might be better off as friends. This has not stopped immense feelings of jealousy from bubbling within John, who harbors an unhealthy fixation on Rosa. Not all are oblivious to John, as whenever he is anywhere near Rosa she gets visibly upset by the energy radiating off of him. The one person she does respond to favorably is Neville Landless (Douglass Montgomery, Waterloo Bridge), who makes an impression when he rides into town with his twin sister, Helena (Valerie Hobson, The Bride Of Frankenstein). The dynamic he brings to the story goes beyond love interest, as his mixed-heritage brings about an undue suspicion of him which is exploited when Edwin ends up dead. The undercurrent of class structures and xenophobia adds to the paranoia of the picture.
On a mystery level, The Mystery Of Edwin Drood fails to ignite much of a spark. The perpetrator is telegraphed from the beginning and attempts are not made to make anyone else seem like a serious suspect. As a melodramatic attempt to scapegoat an innocent person, this film fares much better. Rains is the reason to take note of this picture, as he continues to command every frame in which he appears. The remainder of the ensemble are all quite capable in their performances, but they almost seem at a disadvantage when compared to Rains. The characters have not been given enough depth to make them worthy of intense dissection. The actors are left to elevate the material they are given rather than strive to live up to the words on the page. The film is fitfully entertaining, but one cannot help but believe that there was more potential for this project than was realized on the screen. If you are a fan of Rains it is worth a watch, but do not be tricked into believing this is a pulse-pounding thriller.
Video Quality
The Mystery Of Edwin Drood makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to Kino Classics with a brand new 1080p master from a 2K scan. For a film that is over 85 years old, this is a very fetching presentation. The gorgeous black-and-white photography shot by George Robinson shines in high definition with natural grain intact. There is a pleasing amount of detail present with nice textures on the clothing and within the production design. The new transfer shows off a great amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition. Black levels are very deep with no overwhelming occurrence of black crush or compression artifacts. That is not to say the track is without its faults, though. The contrast is mostly well defined, but the track experiences a minor amount of flicker at times and a pretty steady stream of minor damage to the print throughout. There are also stray, faint vertical lines that make quick appearances without ruining the overall aesthetic of the film. Kino Classics has given this film a pretty solid presentation, but some additional cleanup on the damage would have done wonders for the film.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a solid enough DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that serves this movie well considering its place in early sound recording. Dialogue and background noises are represented in pleasing harmony with all competing elements. This track does present with a minor amount of age related wear and tear including some faint hissing and crackles that likely date back to the source elements. The music from Edward Ward never overpowers the dialogue or other important information. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. The good folks at Kino Classics have done their best to prove the most stable track possible for this one.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Film Historian David Del Valle delivers a very lively and informative commentary track in which he discusses the source material, the unique quality of Claude Rains and his output at Universal, the personal connection he has with some of the performers in the film, the careers of the creatives involved with the project, accounts of how certain actors felt about working in Hollywood and more.
- Trailers: This disc provides trailers for Supernatural, The Undying Monster, The Spider Woman Strikes Back, The Mad Doctor and The Eagle And The Hawk.
Final Thoughts
The Mystery Of Edwin Drood is an unlikely Charles Dickens adaptation which attempts to finish out an incomplete story to middling results. The lead performance from Claude Rains is spectacular, but the material itself is merely adequate instead of transcendent. Marketing this movie as a thriller is a mistake considering it is best enjoyed knowing it is a straightforward melodrama going into it. Kino Classics has released a Blu-Ray featuring a pretty good A/V presentation and an informative commentary track. If you are a Claude Rains fan, this one is at least worth a look.
The Mystery Of Edwin Drood is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
