Dir: Berthold Viertel | UK Drama 90’
Based a story by Jerome K. Jerome, The Passing of the Third Back is a highly theatrical piece that probably marked the apex of the British phase of Conrad Veidt’s career in British films.
Largely seen through the large hungry eyes of Renee Ray, Veidt obviously plays a Christ figure transforming the lives of the rest of the cast which interestingly contains a high proportion of women, notably Mary Clare as the ghastly landlady Beatrix Lehmann, a feline, chain-smoking Miss Kite, and the lovely Anna Lee; while Frank Cellier wheels out his usual venal, clammy-pawed capitalist who serves as Lucifer to Veidt’s Christ. @RichardChatten