This week’s mystery movie has been the 1942 Charter Film production “Thunder Rock,” an unusual British film that deals with a lighthouse on Lake Michigan north of Milwaukee, with Michael Redgrave, Barbara Mullen, James Mason and Lilli Palmer, from a screenplay by Jeffrey Dell and Bernard Miles based on a play by Robert Ardrey. It was photographed by Mutz Greenbaum, with art direction by Duncan Sutherland, music by Hans May, special effects by Tom Howard and Fred Ford, produced by John Boulting and directed and edited by Roy Boulting.
A review by P.P.K. in the New York Times (Sept. 15, 1944) says:
In the picture “Thunder Rock,” which came to the World yesterday, the social-conscious young journalist, as played by Michael Redgrave, falters much and fumbles much, but the story indicates that eventually he finds his true course. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the picture itself. The film, produced by Charter Films Ltd., starts out promisingly but very quickly begins straying down tortuous paths, and before the long journey is finished it becomes irritrievably lost.
A review by G.K. in the Los Angeles Times (Oct. 21, 1944) called “Thunder Rock” “one of most noteworthy pictures to come out of England.”
“Thunder Rock” is available from Amazon UK for £9.99 (check compatibility with your DVD player before ordering).
“Thunder Rock” opened in Los Angeles on Oct. 20, 1944, at the Esquire Theater, and was advertised in the Los Angeles Times.
For Monday, we have a puzzled mystery guest.
Update: This actor, alas, remains unidentified. He plays a character named Jimmy.
For Tuesday, we have a mystery woman. And yes, she is in the same film as Monday’s mystery guest.
Update: This is Barbara Mullen.
For Wednesday, we have a mystery woman.
Update: This is Lilli Palmer.
Brain Trust roll call: Sheila (Tuesday’s mystery woman) and Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mystery woman).
For Thursday, we have some mystery folks and yes, this is still the same movie.
Update: This is Michael Redgrave, playing foreign correspondent David Charleston, and a group of unidentified actors in an extremely caustic sequence showing Charleston’s increasing concern over the rise of the Nazism, and Britons’ complete disinterest in world affairs.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery woman), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mystery woman), Jenny M. (Wednesday’s mystery woman) and Victor H. Brown (Tuesday’s mystery woman).
And for Friday, we have a totally non-mystery guest in this quite unusual mystery movie.
Update: A young James Mason (he’s in his early 30s here) is a bit worse for wear after tangling with Michael Redgrave.
Brain Trust roll call: Sheila (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mystery guest), Patrick (mystery movie, Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (mystery movie, Thursday’s mystery guest), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guest) and Megan (mystery movie and Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests).
Jeremy Spenser.
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An interesting guess, but I’m afraid not.
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A skinny Walter Tetley
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An interesting guess. But I’m afraid not.
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Barbara Mullen in THUNDER ROCK.
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Lilli Palmer.
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Barbara Mullen for Tuesday.
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Lilli Palmer in ????
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Lilli Palmer
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Tuesday lady very like Barbara Mullen.
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Lilli Palmer, ‘Thunder Rock’.
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Guessing here – Wednesday, June Haver in “Where do we Go from Here?”
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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So, who are the mystery arm wrestling man and woman from last week?
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They remain unidentified, alas.
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Anna Sten yesterday and THE MAN I MARRIED.
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Michael Redgrave, Lilli Palmer and Barbara Mullen in Thunder Rock from 1942.
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Michael Redgrave in THUNDER ROCK.
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Sybille Binder and Michael Redgrave.
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No, it’s not Sybille Binder. She’s in the period scenes.
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Is Thursday’s young lady Constance Dowling?
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Interesting guess, but alas, this movie predates her career.
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When I see how young James Mason is here, I see what you mean!
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This week’s movie is Thunder Rock, with Michael Redgrave today, Lilli Palmer for Wednesday, and Barbara Mullen for Tuesday. (I haven’t been around this week because I’m still getting used to teaching this semester.)
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James Mason today.
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Enter James Mason.
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James Mason.
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James Mason in Thunder Rock.
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Easy? It’s either James Mason or Farley Granger but it is not both.
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“Thunder Rock”
Monday – David Walbridge
Tuesday – Barbara Mullen
Wednesday – Lilli Palmer
Thursday – Olive Sloane, Jean Shepherd, Gerard Heinz, Victor Beaumont
Friday – James Mason
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Would this be Thunder Rock w/Michael Redgrave, Lili Palmer, James Mason, Barbara Mullen?
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Thunder Rock?
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Saw this on TCM, which seldom shows it.
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