Who Killed John Savage? Explained

Who Killed John Savage?
Director:	Maurice Elvey
Starring:	Nicholas Hannen Barry MacKay Edward Chapman
Cinematography:	Robert LaPresle
Editing:	Leslie Norman
Studio:	Warner Brothers-First National Productions
Distributor:	Warner Brothers (UK)
Runtime:	69 minutes
Country:	United Kingdom
Language:	English

Who Killed John Savage? is a 1937 British mystery film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Nicholas Hannen, Barry MacKay, Kathleen Kelly, Henry Oscar and Edward Chapman.^[1] The film is based on a novel by Philip MacDonald and is a remake of the 1932 Michael Powell-directed film Rynox.^[2]

Premise

A businessman is found dead, leaving police detectives to work out whether it was suicide or murder.^[3]

Cast

• • • • • • John Savage - Nicholas Hannen Anthony Benedict - Barry MacKay Inspector Chortley - Edward Chapman Kate Savage - Kathleen Kelly Woolrich - Henry Oscar Smith - Ross Landon
• Prout - George Kirby
• Scruggs - C. Denier Warren

Critical reception

TV Guide gave the film two out of four stars, and wrote, "though slow to develop, this is an interesting mystery with some nicely detailed moments. Some good thesping by the ensemble overcomes the directorial sluggishness to create an unusual whodunit."^[4]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Who Killed John Savage? (1937). 5 June 1938. IMDb.
2. Book: The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. 9783110951943. Goble. Alan. 8 September 2011.
3. Web site: Who Killed John Savage? (1937). https://web.archive.org/web/20090205125523/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/57989. dead. 2009-02-05. BFI.
4. Web site: Who Killed John Savage?. TVGuide.com.