Friday, April 6, 2018

Alibi Breaker (1937)

Also known as "Double Exposures", this is a neat little film though plagued with a few annoying one-dimensional characters too many. It stars Basil Langton as a cheeky journalist who tries and fails to get an interview with a frightful pompous bore of an industrialist (Julien Mitchell) and his frightful bore of a snobby wife (Ruby Miller).

The industrialist's secretary (a rotter played by Brian Buchel) and lawyer are concocting a plan to rip him off and framing the industrialist's useless son for the crime. The crime is an ingenious one with cast iron alibis for the criminals... until Basil ruins the alibi with the help of some photographs.

It is an enjoyable and flighty little film with plenty of farce, just at times a little too annoying. It is also wrapped up a little too neatly (just in time for tea). As a period piece though it is wonderful.