The Viper (film)
Encyclopedia
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 sidekick Stiffy. Lesley Brook
also features in both films, but in unconnected roles. Directorial duties passed to Neill as Ralph Ince
, the director of The Vulture, had been killed in a road accident shortly after the film's release.
observed that the film held little appeal other than to Hulbert's die-hard fans and that "considerable expense has apparently gone in the production of gadgets and stunts for this picture which would have been better devoted to a more humorous story and funnier dialogue". The Monthly Film Bulletin
found the film "absurd and confusing...the slapstick episodes are embarrassing".
No print of The Viper is known to survive, and the film is included on the British Film Institute
's "75 Most Wanted
" list of missing British feature films.
1938 in film
The year 1938 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*January — MGM announces that Judy Garland would be cast in the role of "Dorothy" in the upcoming Wizard of Oz motion picture. Ray Bolger is cast as the "Tinman" and Buddy Ebsen is cast as the "Scarecrow". At Bolger's insistence,...
British slapstick comedy film, directed by Roy William Neill
Roy William Neill
Roy William Neill was a film director best known today for directing several of the Sherlock Holmes films starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, made between 1943 and 1946 and released by Universal Studios....
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....
and 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...
. The film was a sequel to the previous year's very successful The Vulture
The Vulture (1937 film)
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...
, with Hulbert and Walters reprising their roles as hapless private detective Cedric Gull and his sidekick Stiffy. 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...
also features in both films, but in unconnected roles. Directorial duties passed to Neill as 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....
, the director of The Vulture, had been killed in a road accident shortly after the film's release.
Reception
The Viper fared significantly less well than The Vulture both critically and commercially. The film was not the box-office success its predecessor had been, and it was suggested that cinemagoers were beginning to tire of Hulbert's disguises and slapstick routines. Reviews were almost entirely negative in tone. 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:...
observed that the film held little appeal other than to Hulbert's die-hard fans and that "considerable expense has apparently gone in the production of gadgets and stunts for this picture which would have been better devoted to a more humorous story and funnier dialogue". The 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...
found the film "absurd and confusing...the slapstick episodes are embarrassing".
No print of The Viper is known to survive, and the film is included on 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...
'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.
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 Jenny - Betty Lynne as Gaby
- Fred Groves as Inspector Bradlaw
- Dino Galvani as The Viper
- Boris Ranevski as Carlos
- Harvey Braban as Jagger
- Reginald PurdellReginald PurdellReginald Purdell was an English actor and screenwriter who appeared in over 40 films between 1930 and 1951...
as Announcer