Poison Pen (1939) User Reviews (9)

All star cast lifts this period B yarn.

[khunkrumark · 7/10 · 15 September 2016]

More stars just for the star quality of the cast.

Enjoyable 'who-dunnit-' featuring some very well known faces from UK's stage and screen. Even a young Roddy McDowall sneaks into shot, as an un-credited choirboy! Other minor roles include Kenneth Conner connecting with the audience as a local telephone receptionist.

Even the delightful comedienne Esma Cannon has a small part (Mrs. Cannon). Don't know the name? Google it, you'll know exactly who I mean.

In fact, anyone who had any kind of contact with this movie went on to have successful acting careers.

By today's story-telling standards, the outcome does seem a bit obvious but that minor flaw is over-ruled by the magnificent performance of the guilty party.

Some fun moments include when the whole nosy crowd of villages gatecrash the post office and gather round to listen in on a phone call all the way from... Australia!

There is also some sharp dialog shared between the dancers at the charity shindig in aid of church restoration.

A must for film buffs but probably not so much for casual film watchers.

A pleasant enough and very English watch

[christopher-underwood · 6/10 · 3 February 2020]

Slight but likeable, cusp of the War, b&w 'B' movie made in Elstree, almost entirely in the studio but creating a believable enough feel of that archetypal English village of the period. The warm glow of the recognisable and friendly shopkeeper, priest and neighbours. But also the claustrophobia and the restrictions as the values and values of the many that can restrict the behaviour of the few. Here all is exasperated by the vindictive actions of the writer of poison pen letters. I have no idea whether Clouzot saw this before he made his classic Le Corbeau during the ensuing War but whilst this does not have quite the same sinister undertones of the French film this is still powerful enough with what one reviewer describes as 'several disturbing incidents'. The direction and acting are solid with plenty of recognisable old favourites but Flora Robson is particularly effective and if I have never understood the appeal of Robert Newton, he is prominently billed and certainly had his fans. It is interesting to see Ann Todd holding her own amidst distinguished company and about to become a star herself. A pleasant enough and very English watch.

An effective minor B movie.

[alexanderdavies-99382 · 7/10 · 13 December 2018]

A film such as "Poison Pen" would never have been made for much money, considering the running time, the plot and the fact it's a British film. The final results though are interesting. The peace and civility of an English village is shattered by a spate of poison pen letters which are in circulation. There soon begins a wave of bigotry, ignorance, prejudice attitudes and paranoia, amongst the residents. Those on the receiving end, are portrayed as vulnerable and frightened. The malicious gossip mongers are out in force, as they hail accusations at one or two of the locals. Soon, the situation reaches crisis point and all hell is let loose... This film doesn't pull its punches, storywise. We bear witness to scenes where so-called human beings are acting as judge and jury. Flora Robson gives an effective performance but she goes a bit far toward the end. The DVD sleeve of this movie shows Robert Newton billed second in the cast. This is not the case as he is very much a supporting character. He is actually placed about seventh amongst the actors. Regardless, Newton does well with the limited screen time he has. The pace rattles along effectively enough and there are one or two quite disturbing moments. Worth watching.

Malicious mail in a cozy English village

[greenbudgie · 7/10 · 9 October 2023]

A cozy English village can pride itself on being a well-knit community where most people get along well with each other. But the peaceful life of the village in 'Poison Pen' is disrupted by a spate of spiteful letters written to the inhabitants. Trust in their fellow-villagers is broken even though there is no proof that the letters are just rumor-mongering mischief. The women of the village band together led by the plain-speaking ringleader played by Marjorie Rhodes. But the situation gets worse and lead to a grisly suicide and a revenge killing. The police are called in to monitor the village mail. And to closely question the inhabitants. The village vicar and his charitable spinster sister are the pillars of the community. They try to help the police to track down the malicious culprit. Flora Robson leads the cast as Mary Rider who is the vicar's sister. She questions whether there may be some truth in the accusations that the poison pen writer is spreading. This film's popularity was initially marred somewhat by the negative Spectator review written by Graham Greene. But I think that mystery fans will probably like this movie because Agatha Christie covered the village 'poison pen' subject in 1942. That was in the Miss Marple mystery called 'The Moving Finger.' Also the same sort of scenario was done in the 1951 mystery film called 'The Thirteenth Letter' which starred Michael Rennie.

Magnificent Flora Robson!!

[kidboots · 10/10 · 29 December 2013]

Flora Robson gave everything she had, especially in the last ten minutes, for what was essentially a British "quota quickie". But even though it was a B production it had everything going for it from a novel by Richard Llewellyn (soon to hit pay dirt with his "How Green Was My Valley"), sustained tension and pace and a magnificent cast including the incomparable Robert Newton.

A little English village's peace is shattered when a series of anonymous letters start being delivered to various homes concerning terrible allegations about the recipients and their nearest and dearest. Respectable townspeople find themselves having to defend their lives when they are accused of sexual and criminal misconduct. The Reverend Rider (Reginald Tate) and his sister Mary (Robson) are at their wit's end as they attempt to pour cold water on the mounting hysteria by urging villagers to ignore what is just a malicious desire to stir up trouble but even Rider's daughter Ann (Ann Todd) becomes a target with lewd suggestions linking her to a man, not her fiancée.

The structured social life of the town falls apart, the letters bear a local postmark so no-one is above suspicion but the main brunt of ill feeling falls on "the Foreigner", Connie (Catherine Lacey), a shy Welsh girl, who seems completely bewildered. Considering the letter writer seems to have an insightful knowledge into everyone's personal circumstances, villagers begin to wonder if the letters bear some truth. Someone taking it completely to heart is Sam Hurrin (Newton) who is driven out of his mind by allegations that his young wife Sukel (Belle Chrystall) is carrying on with a very likable storekeeper who is completely innocent but that doesn't stop Sam rushing from the house with murder on his mind.

Things come to a head when Connie is found hanged in the church tower and Rider delivers a searing speech from the pulpit. That doesn't stop the letters, for by now the writer, according to the Scotland Yard man called in, is in a manic state obsessed with the village having to pay for their life as an unpaid drudge.

Just a great example of how with everything going right, British movie making could produce a pearl on a shoestring budget.

Time to write some letters

[AAdaSC · 5/10 · 24 November 2023]

Who is writing 'poison pen' letters to residents of a quaint, small village in the English countryside. It has to be someone immersed in village life as there seem to be detailed accusations across a wide spread of the local population. This leads to a crowd mentality trying to solve the mystery as well as friction between couples and a couple of tragic episodes.

I guessed who it was pretty quickly. If you are familiar with the cast, you might also get there. It's a British film, and whilst not, thankfully, completely in that tedious comedy oom-pah-pah music genre, it does drag a little until the ending section which is quite memorable.

Ann Todd (Ann) plays a naïve young teenager and her diction is terrible. She puts on a terrible upper-class British accent which nobody speaks in - not even the Queen - and she just sounds comically stupid. For a couple of better films with her, check out "So Evil My Love" and "Daybreak" both from 1948. So, she improved as her career progressed. Reginald Tate and Flora Robson (Mary) are both ok in the main 2 roles as the Vicar and his sister. The film should have been more interesting and we needed the tension to be cranked up by factor 10.

After watching this film, I've had an idea. I've just found some Basildon Bond writing paper and my neighbours are pissing me off a bit. I know what I'll do......

Poison Pen

[mcannady1 · 10/10 · 9 October 2016]

A gripping melodrama with an excellent cast. Though I began to have an inkling of the denouement toward the end, it was still an exciting film.

Great performances by all. Happy to see Flora Robson in another great film and Robert Newton and Ann Todd are always wonderful to see.

The story has pathos, romance, and melodrama. At the end of the film we are truly affected by the story of malice and its outcome as the Vicar attempts to calm the congregation and restore peace within the community.

As a big fan of British films of the 30's through the 50's, it was really fun to see all the familiar names at the beginning. The supporting actors and actresses are icing on the cake!

"Inhibition and repression"

[clanciai · 9/10 · 23 March 2023]

Flora Robson was always magnificent on screen, especially since she never repeated herself but always created new characters by her formidable art of acting, always with an integrity exploding within the character. This role was unique in her repertoire, she made Queen Elizabeth, she made a widow of Malta, she made the nun Philippa, she made the dowager empress Tzu Hsi, never beautiful but always prominent and striking. You will be surprised by her acting here, the ideal vicar's sister, taking tender care of everyone, protecting victims of persecution, while her double character fools everyone. She never gives herself away until at the crucial moment when Ann Todd's betrothed comes home from Australia, and it becomes clear that she will leave the vicarage. But only her face betrays her, no matter how stiff the poker face is. Reginald Tate is the reverend brother, who will face the most difficult crisis of his life, when truth breaks into his vicarage with devastating ruthlessness. The novel was written by Richard Llewellyn, and there you find all the terrible shattering psychology of the film. The best scene is in the beginning, when David phones his sweetheart all the way from Australia, and all the village gathers around the sensation of his coming home to marry Ann Todd. It's one of her earliest great roles, the same accounts for Robert Newton going on the rampage already here, and Wilfrid Hyde-White as the inimitable postman. No matter how shocking the cruelty of the story, it's a very enjoyable film for its excellent acting, its wonderful rendering of English village life and all the wonderful characters.

"No man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison."

[mark.waltz · 10/10 · 28 June 2022]

That passage from the book of James in the bible is the scripture that vicar Reginald Tate should have read after announcing the suicide of someone wrongly accused of sending accusatory letters in a small English village where people get along, as long as they are native born. Any newcomers are looked upon with suspicion and resentment, and rather than learn a lesson from the suicide, the majority of the people of the town become even worse, petty and filled with pride, creating a war amongst themselves to the point where they didn't need another world war which was lingering outside. Tate's sister, Flora Robson, is aghast by the attacks, and tells off the brigade of gossips, led by the paranoid Marjorie Rhodes who may look shocked and briefly guilt-stricken when she learns about the suicide, but doesn't remain contrite for long.

Assumptions of who the culprit writing these letters creates the most absurd of theories, laughable from the viewer's point of view, made all the more ridiculous because the people suggesting these things are supposed to be educated elders of the community, and the guiders of morality. The situation gets worse as the vicar's daughter (Anne Todd) gets the worst of the poison letters, creating scandal within the church, and by this time, the whole situation is completely out of control, turning a once peaceful town into the place where you do not want to raise your children.

An outstanding ensemble guides this movie, led by Robson's sensible performance and trickling down to the most minor of characters. Rhodes, whom I know I've seen in at least a dozen movies, became embedded in my memory for for all as the most hideous of all nagging wives and mothers in "Watch It Sailor", and here is equivalent to Margaret Hamilton in *Way Down East", although I've seen her in sympathetic roles as well. She reminds me of Siobhan Finneran's O'Brien from "Downton Abbey" in her dialect and similar character disposition.

Robert Newton, Wilfred Hyde White, Catherine Lacey and Geoffrey Toone are other familiar character actors in the movie, and coming out in 1939, the year considered the greatest in motion picture history, this has one of the greatest ensembles. The fact that it is not considered a classic among the dozens of films from that year isn't quite surprising, but it is certainly a terrific discovery. Robson, who want to claim as Ellen that year in "Wuthering Heights" and also played the vindictive wife of Paul Muni in "We Are Not Alone", certainly ranks among the year's best supporting actresses. Top notch production values and a gripping tension will keep the audience glued to the screen. Certainly one of the most unique mysteries ever made.