Behind That Curtain (film)

Behind That Curtain
Behind That Curtain
	Film poster
Directed by	Irving Cummings
Written by	Sonya Levien; George Middleton; Wilbur Morse Jr.; Clarke Silvernail
Based on	Behind That Curtain by Earl Derr Biggers
Produced by	William Fox
Starring	Warner Baxter; Lois Moran ; Gilbert Emery
Cinematography	Conrad Wells; Vincent J. Farrar; Dave Ragin
Edited by	Alfred DeGaetano
Production; company	Fox Film Corporation
Distributed by	Fox Film Corporation
Release date	June 30, 1929;
Running time	91 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Behind That Curtain is a 1929 American Pre-Code mystery film directed by Irving Cummings and starring Warner Baxter, Lois Moran and Gilbert Emery.^[1] It was the first Charlie Chan film to be made at Fox Studios. It was based on the 1928 novel of the same name. Charlie Chan, who is played by the Chinese American E. L. Park, gets one mention early in the film, then makes a few momentary appearances after 75 minutes. Park, in fact, was the first Chinese American to play Charlie Chan on-screen.^[2] Producer William Fox chose this film to open the palatial Fox Theatre in San Francisco on June 28, 1929. It was a sound film.

Synopsis

In London a fortune hunter Eric Durand is romancing the wealthy Sir George Mannering's niece Eve. He murders the solicitor who has hired by Mannering to investigate him, but is thwarted when explorer and old family friend Colonel John Beetham takes her away to British India. Later she leaves Beetham and goes to San Francisco, where she is followed by the dogged Sir Frederick Bruce of Scotland Yard who has Durand in his sights.

Cast

Warner Baxter as Col. John Beetham
Lois Moran as Eve Mannering Durand
Gilbert Emery as Sir Frederick Bruce
Claude King as Sir George Mannering
Philip Strange as Eric Durand
Boris Karloff as Beetham's Manservant
Jamiel Hasson as Sahib Hana
Peter Gawthorne as British Police Inspector
John Rogers as Alf Pornick
Edgar Norton as Hilary Galt
E.L. Park as Police Insp. Charlie Chan

References

^ "Progressive Silent Film List: Behind That Curtain". Silent Era. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
^ Salisbury, Katie Gee. "The Man Without a Face". The Believer. Retrieved July 25, 2024.

Bibliography

Backer, Ron. Mystery Movie Series of 1930s Hollywood. McFarland, 2012.
Solomon, Aubrey. The Fox Film Corporation, 1915-1935: A History and Filmography. McFarland, 2011.