The Phantom Fiend (1932) is a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's silent film The Lodger: A Story Of The London Fog (1927), which was adapted from the novel The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes. It seems like this this was remade purely just to make a sound rendition of the silent one that was released 5 years earlier. To be honest I hated a lot of the dialogue and interactions between the characters in this. The cinematography can't match the previous versions standards and unfortunately the audio is poor. Ivor Norvello reprises his role as the lodger.
I haven't read the the book but from what I've heard about it, it's the subtlety and sense of ambiguity in which it was written that makes it such a suspenseful read. Alfred Hitchcock's 1927 silent film adaptation which I have seen, conveys that sense of suspense and mystery over really well I thought, up until the ending anyway. This talkie remake however has feels very ham-fisted and does not seem to understand subtlety. They practically point an arrow at Norvello's character that reads WATCH HIM, HE'S A BLOODY FOREIGNER!! Short of giving him a twirly moustache and an evil laugh they did everything they could to take the suspense and excitement out of this.
Then there's the tacked on "twist" Scooby-Doo-like ending. The equivalent of yelling HA! You were wrong all along, IDIOT. It was his evil long lost twin brother! DUN DUN DUUUUN.
That's great, you got me. Next film please..
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