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Crown v. Stevens is a 1936 British crime thriller film directed by Michael Powell. It was made as a quota quickie.[1]

Crown v. Stevens
Directed by	Michael Powell
Written by	Brock Williams
Based on	the novel Third Time Unlucky by Laurence Meynell (credited as Lawrence Meynell)
Produced by	Irving Asher
Starring	Beatrix Thomson Patric Knowles Glennis Lorimer
Cinematography	Basil Emmott
Edited by	Bert Bates
Production company	Warner Bros.
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date	3 August 1936 (1936-08-03)
Running time	66 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Plot

Ex-dancer Doris Stevens kills a moneylender who is pressing her for settlement of her debt and threatening to tell her respectable husband. Jansen, who also owes money, sees her there but does not report her. Later, Jansen finds out the woman is his employer's wife. He later accidentally intervenes when Doris attempts to also murder her dull and stingy husband.[2]

Cast

• Beatrix Thomson as Doris Stevens
• Patric Knowles as Chris Jensen
• Glennis Lorimer as Miss Molly Hobbes
• Reginald Purdell as Alf
• Allan Jeayes as Inspector Carter
• Frederick Piper as Arthur Stevens
• Googie Withers as Ella Levine
• Mabel Poulton as Mamie
• Morris Harvey as Maurice Bayleck (uncredited)
• Bernard Miles as Detective Wells (uncredited)

Critical reception

At the time of the film's release, Kinematograph Weekly called it a "Vivid portrayal of a young woman who commits murder and then tries to poison her husband, thereby involving his employee, a witness to the former crime. Plot is entirely suited to those who do not demand that a crime story should justify its existence by reaching too high an artistic level in theme, acting or presentation. Definitely unsuited to the family, the picture may nevertheless find a place in the average programme as a quota thriller";[3] while more recently, TV Guide called it "Occasionally suspenseful," though opined "the plot is soggy and the actors all wet";[4] whereas Dennis Schwartz noted "a very entertaining little melodrama," and concluded "The acting honors go to (Beatrix) Thomson. The stage actress was superb as the quintessential femme fatale, and easily steals this film from her capable co-stars."[5]

References

External links

• Crown v. Stevens at IMDb
• Crown v. Stevens at AllMovie
• Crown v. Stevens at the TCM Movie Database
• Crown v. Stevens at the BFI's Screenonline
• Reviews and articles at the Powell & Pressburger Pages

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