The Arsenal Stadium Mystery
Encyclopedia
The Arsenal Stadium Mystery is a 1939 British
mystery film
, and is one of the first feature films where football
is a central element in the plot.
The film is a murder mystery set, as the title suggests, at the Arsenal Stadium
, Highbury
, London
, then the home of Arsenal Football Club
, who were at the time the dominant team in English football
. The backdrop is a friendly match between Arsenal and The Trojans, a fictitious amateur side; one of the Trojans' players drops dead during the match, and when it is revealed he has been poison
ed, suspicion falls on his teammates as well as his former mistress. Detective Inspector Slade (Leslie Banks
) is called in to solve the crime.
The film stars several Arsenal players and staff (such as Cliff Bastin
and Eddie Hapgood
), although only manager George Allison
has a speaking part. The Trojans' body double
s on the pitch were players from Brentford
, who wore a special striped kit for the occasion, during the First Division
fixture between the two sides on 6 May 1939; this was the last match of the 1938–39 season and Arsenal's last official league fixture before the outbreak of the Second World War.
The film was directed by Thorold Dickinson
, and shot at Denham Film Studios
and on location at Arsenal Stadium. It was written by Dickinson, Donald Bull and Alan Hyman
, adapted from a novel by Leonard Gribble.
Dickinson planned a follow-up, The Denham Studio Mystery, which was intended to incorporate footage from the abortive film of I Claudius, but this fell through.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
mystery film
Mystery film
Mystery film is a sub-genre of the more general category of crime film and at times the thriller genre. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of a crime by means of clues, investigation, and clever deduction.The...
, and is one of the first feature films where football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
is a central element in the plot.
The film is a murder mystery set, as the title suggests, at the Arsenal Stadium
Arsenal Stadium
Arsenal Stadium was a football stadium in Highbury, North London, which was the home ground of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 and 7 May 2006...
, Highbury
Highbury
- Early Highbury :The area now known as Islington was part of the larger manor of Tolentone, which is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Tolentone was owned by Ranulf brother of Ilger and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Road. The manor house was situated by what is now...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, then the home of Arsenal Football Club
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, who were at the time the dominant team in English football
Football in England
Association football is a national sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game...
. The backdrop is a friendly match between Arsenal and The Trojans, a fictitious amateur side; one of the Trojans' players drops dead during the match, and when it is revealed he has been poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
ed, suspicion falls on his teammates as well as his former mistress. Detective Inspector Slade (Leslie Banks
Leslie Banks
Leslie Banks, CBE was an English theatre and cinema actor, director and producer, now best remembered playing gruff, menacing characters in black and white movies of the 1930s and 1940s.-Early life:...
) is called in to solve the crime.
The film stars several Arsenal players and staff (such as Cliff Bastin
Cliff Bastin
Clifford Sydney Bastin was an English football player.Born in Heavitree near Exeter, Bastin started his career at Exeter City, making his debut for the club in 1928, at the age of 16...
and Eddie Hapgood
Eddie Hapgood
Edris Albert "Eddie" Hapgood was an English footballer, who captained both Arsenal and England during the 1930s....
), although only manager George Allison
George Allison
George Frederick Allison was an English football journalist, broadcaster and manager. He was the BBC's first sports commentator and Arsenal's second longest serving manager.-Journalism career:...
has a speaking part. The Trojans' body double
Body double
A body double is a general term for someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character in any recorded visual medium, in shots where the character's body is shown but the face is either not visible or shown indistinctly, or in shots where the image of the credited actor's face is joined,...
s on the pitch were players from Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
, who wore a special striped kit for the occasion, during the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
fixture between the two sides on 6 May 1939; this was the last match of the 1938–39 season and Arsenal's last official league fixture before the outbreak of the Second World War.
The film was directed by Thorold Dickinson
Thorold Dickinson
Thorold Barron Dickinson was a British film director, screenwriter, producer, and Britains's first university Professor of Film.-Early life and career:...
, and shot at Denham Film Studios
Denham Film Studios
Denham Film Studios were a British film production studio operating from 1936 to 1952.The studios were founded by Alexander Korda, on a 165 acre site near the village of Denham, Buckinghamshire. At the time it was the largest facility of its kind in the UK, but it was merged with Rank's Pinewood...
and on location at Arsenal Stadium. It was written by Dickinson, Donald Bull and Alan Hyman
Alan Hyman (writer)
Alan Maurice Hyman was an English author, journalist and film writer.Hyman was the son of A Hyman, and was educated at St Cyprian's School, Repton School and Magdalene College, Cambridge. He became a journalist and worked on the staff of the Daily Sketch and Sunday Graphic from 1929 to 1932...
, adapted from a novel by Leonard Gribble.
Dickinson planned a follow-up, The Denham Studio Mystery, which was intended to incorporate footage from the abortive film of I Claudius, but this fell through.
Cast
- Leslie BanksLeslie BanksLeslie Banks, CBE was an English theatre and cinema actor, director and producer, now best remembered playing gruff, menacing characters in black and white movies of the 1930s and 1940s.-Early life:...
… Insp. Anthony Slade - Greta GyntGreta GyntGreta Gynt , born Margrethe Woxholt, was a Norwegian singer, dancer and actress. -Biography:Greta Gynt was born Margrethe Woxholt in Oslo, Norway. As a child, she came with her parents to England and started dancing lessons at the age of 5. Eventually, they moved back to Norway...
… Gwen Lee - Ian McLean … Sgt. Clinton
- Liane Linden … Inga Larson
- Anthony BushellAnthony BushellAnthony Bushell was an English film actor and director, who appeared in 56 films between 1929 and 1961. He also appeared on and directed various British TV series such as Danger Man.-Early life:...
… John Doyce - Esmond KnightEsmond KnightEsmond Penington Knight was an English actor.He was an accomplished actor with a career spanning over half a century. For much of his career Esmond Knight was virtually blind...
… Raille - Brian Worth … Phillip Morring
- Richard Norris … Setchley
- Wyndham Goldie … Kindilett
- Alastair MacIntyre … Carter
- George AllisonGeorge AllisonGeorge Frederick Allison was an English football journalist, broadcaster and manager. He was the BBC's first sports commentator and Arsenal's second longest serving manager.-Journalism career:...
… Himself