| At the Villa Rose | |
| Director: | Maurice Elvey |
| Producer: | Oswald Stoll |
| Starring: | Norman Page Manora Thew Langhorn Burton Teddy Arundell |
| Cinematography: | Paul Burger |
| Studio: | Stoll Pictures |
| Runtime: | 6276 feet |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | Silent |
At the Villa Rose is a 1920 British silent detective film based on the 1910 novel At the Villa Rose by British politician and author A.E.W. Mason (considered his most famous mystery[1]). The feature was directed by Maurice Elvey and stars Manora Thew and Langhorn Burton. A print of the film survives at the British Film Institute archives.[2] [3]
The novel, which introduced the fictional character of French Police Inspector Hanaud, was so popular, it was filmed four times, the 1920 silent film being the first.[1] The other three film versions were sound versions, two appearing in 1930, and the last in 1940. Although the film is mainly a murder mystery, there are some horror-oriented moments such as a creepy seance scene and a somewhat violent strangulation scene in it as well.[1]
Inspector Hanaud is asked to investigate a murder in which a young female spiritualist is accused of murdering her wealthy employer in a Riviera mansion and then running away. She is innocent, but the villain is able to make her seem guilty. Hanaud uncovers the truth, that the murder was the result of a jewel robbery gone wrong.
Allmovie wrote, "British novelist A.E.W. Mason is best known for his jingoistic adventure story The Four Feathers. At the Villa Rose is a lesser but no less florid Mason work. Manora Thew stars as a phony medium, working the suckers in Monaco."[4]