THE LIVING DEAD (1933)
(a.k.a. THE SCOTLAND YARD MYSTERY)
Article #732 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 3-17-2003
Posting Date: 8-14-2003
Directed by Thomas Bentley
Featuring Gerald du Maurier, George Curzon, Grete Natzler

Scotland Yard investigates possible insurance fraud when a series of unexpected heart attacks occur among recently insured people.

The one title, THE SCOTLAND YARD MYSTERY, has to be one of the more generic film titles I’ve seen; don’t most British mysteries involve Scotland Yard at one point or another? So let’s check out the other title, THE LIVING DEAD. Are they zombies? Vampires? Ghosts? Something even more scary? No, something even less scary; it’s our old friend, the drug-that-makes-people-seem-to-be-dead-but-they-really-aren’t. This one definitely shows its age, but it has some nice performances, some novel ideas, and a smartass villain with a real sense of chutzpah; it’s not great, but it’s an entertaining little diversion in its way, with a great last line.