Haunted Honeymoon

Haunted Honeymoon (1940)

Genres - Mystery  |   Sub-Genres - Detective Film, Haunted House Film  |   Release Date - Sep 20, 1940 (USA)  |   Run Time - 83 min.  |   Countries - United Kingdom  |   MPAA Rating - NR
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Review by Craig Butler

The character that Dorothy L. Sayers created and named Lord Peter Wimsey has, through the years, developed an extremely devoted following among lovers of good English mysteries. Aficionados will argue endlessly over the merits and demerits of Edward Petherbridge's and Ian Carmichael's interpretations of the role on television, with each actor have his strong adherents. Most do not even consider Robert Montgomery's performance in Haunted Honeymoon to be in the running -- as a matter of fact, most Sayers enthusiasts treat everything about this particular adaptation with disdain. It's true that the film plays fast and loose with the story and the characters, and not to good effect; the mystery has lost a lot of its edge, and Montgomery (and, to a lesser extent, the "naturalized" Briton Constance Cummings) seem hopelessly out of place among the otherwise British cast and atmosphere. But the basics of the plot are still there, and if the leads have been inevitably Americanized, at least they're played by two charming and engaging actors. The supporting cast is a delight, with solid turns from Googie Withers and surly Robert Newton. But the most enjoyable performance comes from the rather eccentric Bunter of Sir Seymour Hicks. Sayers fans are right to be disappointed in this Honeymoon, but it's still a moderately pleasant diversion.