The Bootleg Files: Room to Let

Posted on April 26, 2024 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 863: “Room to Let” (1950 British drama inspired by the Jack the Ripper murders).

LAST SEEN: We cannot confirm the last presentation of this film.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: On a collector-to-collector label.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: An obscure film that fell through the cinematic cracks.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.

Unless you are a scholar of either the Hammer Film Productions canon or cinematic endeavors inspired by the Jack the Ripper crimes, there is an excellent chance that you never heard of the 1950 British film “Room to Let.” And that would be a great shame, because “Room to Let” might be the greatest film you never saw.

In concept, there was little in “Room to Let” to inspire greatness. With a 68-minute running time, the film was never intended to be more than the lower half of a double feature bill in British cinemas. The film’s director, Godfrey Grayson, was not responsible for any work that could be mistaken for a classic. And the film covers territory that was previously plumbed in critically and commercially successful works by Alfred Hitchcock with “The Lodger” in 1927 and John Brahm with “The Lodger” in 1944.
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The Bootleg Files: The Lodger, aka The Phantom Fiend

Posted on April 5, 2024 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 860: “The Lodger,” also known as “The Phantom Fiend” (1932 thriller starring Ivor Novello and Elizabeth Allan).

LAST SEEN: On several online video sites.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: On public domain labels.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: A lapsed copyright in the United States.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely as a fully restored production.

During the 1920s, the British film industry was a mostly uninspired environment that failed to match the Hollywood film machine or the silver screen output from France, Germany and the Soviet Union in terms of artistry and commercial appeal. That situation shifted somewhat with the 1927 release of “The Lodger,” an adaptation of Marie Belloc Lowndes’ thriller inspired by the Jack the Ripper murders. Under the direction of the then-unknown Alfred Hitchcock, “The Lodger” was a visually imaginative study in fear and paranoia – and much of its appeal at the time was the against-type casting of matinee idol Ivor Novello as a mysterious figure suspected of being a serial killer.
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The Bootleg Files: Hello London

Posted on October 20, 2017 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 610: “Hello London” (1958 British feature starring Sonja Henie).

LAST SEEN: A copy can be found on YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Never released in the United States.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Unlikely.

During the late 1930 and early 1940s, the Norwegian ice skating champion Sonja Henie became an unlikely star in Hollywood movies. While she was no rival to Bette Davis or Barbara Stanwyck in terms of acting ability, she had a pert and bouncy personality that appealed to audiences, and her elaborate ice skating numbers helped to inspire the sport’s popularity among Americans. Her films, most notably “Second Fiddle” (1939) and “Sun Valley Serenade” (1941), were usually packed with musical and comedy co-stars that helped distract the audience from the stretches when Henie was not on the ice.

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The Bootleg Files: Murder in the Cathedral

Posted on May 19, 2017 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 590: “Murder in the Cathedral” (1951 British feature based on the T.S. Eliot drama).

LAST SEEN: We cannot confirm the last public exhibition of this film.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Out of circulation in the U.S. since its original theatrical release.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: It is possible.

The 12th century political battle between England’s King Henry II and Archbishop Thomas Becket was the subject of two magnificent dramas: T.S. Eliot’s “Murder in the Cathedral” and Jean Anouilh’s “Becket.” Today, most Americans are familiar with the Academy Award-winning 1964 film version of “Becket,” starring Richard Burton and Peter O’Toole. Sadly, there is much less familiarity on this side of the Atlantic with the 1951 film adaptation of “Murder in the Cathedral.”

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