The Vulture (1937 film)
Encyclopedia
The Vulture is a 1937
British quota quickie slapstick comedy film, directed by Ralph Ince
and starring Claude Hulbert
, Hal Walters
and Lesley Brook
. The film proved very popular with audiences and the following year spawned a sequel The Viper
, although this was much less successful. Both films are now believed to be lost
.
Striking out on his own, Cedric becomes convinced that the robbery was the work of a notorious gang of East End Chinese jewel thieves led by a mysterious and sinister individual known as The Vulture. He takes on board his ex-con sidekick Stiffy (Walters) and the pair set off in pursuit of the criminals. Their plans come unstuck when their inept bungling lands them both in prison. However the police, aware of their interest in the case, agree to allow them out to act as decoys. Cedric learns that Sylvia has been abducted by the criminals. He decides to disguise himself as Chinese and try to infiltrate their hideout and rescue Sylvia. After a good deal of hapless buffoonery and narrow escapes from sticky situations, he and Stiffy finally succeed in freeing Sylvia, unmasking the thieves and uncovering the identity of the elusive Vulture.
noted: "The peculiar fecklessness of the star is well adapted to the super-inanity of the story, and the film, with its crazy humour and asinine 'hero' goes all out for the well-known Hulbert effects - and gets them", also praising "excellent production values". The notoriously hard-to-please Monthly Film Bulletin
was prepared to concede that it was "an amusing story...adequately directed and the fun well-timed" and that Hulbert "makes the most of his opportunities".
There is no indication of the film having been shown after its original cinema run and the British Film Institute
do not hold a print in the BFI National Archive
, although they do hold a number of production stills on file. The Vulture is included on the BFI's "75 Most Wanted
" list of missing British feature films.
1937 in film
The year 1937 in film involved some significant events, including the Walt Disney production of the first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.- Events :*April 16 - Way Out West premieres in the US....
British quota quickie slapstick comedy film, directed by Ralph Ince
Ralph Ince
Ralph Ince , was an American film director, actor and screenwriter of the silent era. He directed 171 films between 1910 and 1937. He also appeared in 110 films between 1907 and 1937....
and starring Claude Hulbert
Claude Hulbert
Claude Noel Hulbert was a British comic actor. He was the younger brother of Jack Hulbert. Like his brother, he was Cambridge educated and was a member of the Footlights comedy club as an undergraduate....
, Hal Walters
Hal Walters
-Selected filmography:* The Danger Zone * Riding for Life * Mistaken Orders * Dangerous Traffic * West of the Law * Verdict of the Sea * Great Stuff * The Perfect Flaw...
and Lesley Brook
Lesley Brook
-Selected filmography:* The Vulture * The Man Who Made Diamonds * The Viper * The Dark Stairway * The Nursemaid Who Disappeared * The Bells Go Down * When We Are Married...
. The film proved very popular with audiences and the following year spawned a sequel The Viper
The Viper (film)
The Viper is a 1938 British slapstick comedy film, directed by Roy William Neill and starring Claude Hulbert and Hal Walters. The film was a sequel to the previous year's very successful The Vulture, with Hulbert and Walters reprising their roles as hapless private detective Cedric Gull and his...
, although this was much less successful. Both films are now believed to be lost
Lost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
.
Plot
Hopeless but eager would-be private detective Cedric Gull (Hulbert) has just obtained a diploma from a backstreet 'School of Detection' and is keen to put his new qualification to good use. Fortuitously, he happens to stumble across a crime scene at the office of a diamond merchant, who has just been robbed and assaulted and is being tended by his secretary Sylvia (Brook). The police arrive on the scene, but despite Cedric's proud boasts about his sleuthing qualifications, they decline his kind offers of help.Striking out on his own, Cedric becomes convinced that the robbery was the work of a notorious gang of East End Chinese jewel thieves led by a mysterious and sinister individual known as The Vulture. He takes on board his ex-con sidekick Stiffy (Walters) and the pair set off in pursuit of the criminals. Their plans come unstuck when their inept bungling lands them both in prison. However the police, aware of their interest in the case, agree to allow them out to act as decoys. Cedric learns that Sylvia has been abducted by the criminals. He decides to disguise himself as Chinese and try to infiltrate their hideout and rescue Sylvia. After a good deal of hapless buffoonery and narrow escapes from sticky situations, he and Stiffy finally succeed in freeing Sylvia, unmasking the thieves and uncovering the identity of the elusive Vulture.
Cast
- Claude HulbertClaude HulbertClaude Noel Hulbert was a British comic actor. He was the younger brother of Jack Hulbert. Like his brother, he was Cambridge educated and was a member of the Footlights comedy club as an undergraduate....
as Cedric Gull - Hal WaltersHal Walters-Selected filmography:* The Danger Zone * Riding for Life * Mistaken Orders * Dangerous Traffic * West of the Law * Verdict of the Sea * Great Stuff * The Perfect Flaw...
as Stiffy Mason - Lesley BrookLesley Brook-Selected filmography:* The Vulture * The Man Who Made Diamonds * The Viper * The Dark Stairway * The Nursemaid Who Disappeared * The Bells Go Down * When We Are Married...
as Sylvia - George MerrittGeorge Merritt (actor)George Merritt was a British film and television actor.-Selected filmography:* The W Plan * The Lodger * I Was a Spy * Crime on the Hill * The Silver Spoon...
as Spicer - Arthur HardyArthur Hardy (actor)Arthur Hardy was a British actor, whose appearances include Atlantic and Dreyfus .-Filmography:*The Vulture - Li Fu*The Amazing Quest of Ernest Bliss - Crawley*Abdul the Damned - Ambassador...
as Li-Fu - Frederick BurtwellFrederick BurtwellFrederick Burtwell was an English actor who featured in supporting roles in over 40 British films of the 1930s and 1940s.-Partial filmography:*Down Our Street * Just My Luck...
as Jenkinson - Archibald Batty as McBride
- George Carr as Charlie Yen
Reception
As well as turning out to be a box-office hit, The Vulture received a generally favourable reception from critics. Kine WeeklyKine Weekly
The Kinematograph Weekly, popularly known as Kine Weekly, was a trade newspaper catering to the British film industry. It was published in Britain between 1889 and 1971.-Publication history:...
noted: "The peculiar fecklessness of the star is well adapted to the super-inanity of the story, and the film, with its crazy humour and asinine 'hero' goes all out for the well-known Hulbert effects - and gets them", also praising "excellent production values". The notoriously hard-to-please Monthly Film Bulletin
Monthly Film Bulletin
The Monthly Film Bulletin was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 to April 1991. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those with a narrow arthouse release. The MFB was edited in the mid-1950s by David Robinson, in the late...
was prepared to concede that it was "an amusing story...adequately directed and the fun well-timed" and that Hulbert "makes the most of his opportunities".
There is no indication of the film having been shown after its original cinema run and the British Film Institute
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...
do not hold a print in the BFI National Archive
BFI National Archive
The BFI National Archive is a department of the British Film Institute, and one of the largest film archives in the world. It was originally set up as the National Film Library in 1935; its first curator was Ernest Lindgren. In 1955 its name became the National Film Archive, and in 1992, the...
, although they do hold a number of production stills on file. The Vulture is included on the BFI's "75 Most Wanted
BFI 75 Most Wanted
The BFI 75 Most Wanted is a list compiled by the British Film Institute of their most sought-after British feature films not currently held in the BFI National Archive, and classified as "missing, believed lost". The films chosen range from quota quickies and B-movies to lavish prestige...
" list of missing British feature films.