The River Wolves

The River Wolves
The River Wolves
	Helga Moray and John Mills in the film.
Directed by	George Pearson
Written by	Edward Dignon (play); Geoffrey Swaffer (play); Terence Egan;
Produced by	Julius Hagen
Starring	Helga Moray; Michael Hogan; John Mills;
Cinematography	Ernest Palmer
Production; company	Real Art Productions
Distributed by	RKO Radio Pictures
Release date	18 June 1934;
Running time	56 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

The River Wolves (also known as Lion and Lamb) is a 1934 British crime film, directed by George Pearson and starring Helga Moray, Michael Hogan and John Mills. It was written by Terence Egan based on a play by Edward Dignon and Geoffrey Swaffer, and produced at Twickenham Studios as a quota quickie.

Preservation status

The British Film Institute National Archive holds a collection of ephemera and stills but no film or video materials.

Plot

Captain David Guest, a sailor with a fearsome reputation, befriends young Peter Farrell, from a wealthy family, who has got involved with crook Flash Lawson. Believing he has killed a man, Farrell is holed up in a riverside pub, waiting for Lawson to smuggle him out of the country. Guest is kidnapped by Lawson, but escapes and has him arrested, and clears Farrell of the murder charge by revealing the alleged victim to be alive and well.

Cast

Helga Moray as Moira Clare
Michael Hogan as Captain David Guest
John Mills as Peter Farrell
Ben Welden as Flash Lawson
Hope Davey as Heather Patton
Martin Walker as Trevor Rowe
Norman Shelley as Jim Spiller
D.J. Williams as Tod
Mark Daly as Jock Brodie
Edgar Driver as George
Barbara Everest

Reception

Kine Weekly wrote: "Hearty British melodriama, placed agamst realistic waterfront backgroands. The story, although good, takes some time to get into its stride, but after the slow opening the picture gets well under way and rides steadily to a hectic climax. The principal players acquit themselves adequately."

The Daily Film Renter wrote: "First reels are tedious, but action picks up towards climax ... Helga Moray gives good performance as vamp, while Mark Daly is amusingly alcoholic. For the masses."

Picturegoer wrote: "It is one of those pictures which if not taken seriously provides quite fair entertainment."

References

1 2 Chibnall, Steve (2007). Quota Quickies: The Birth of the British 'B' Film. British Film Institute. p. 275. ISBN 978-1844571550.
1 2 3 "The River Wolves". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
↑ Wood, Linda (1986). British Films, 1927–1939 (PDF). British Film Institute. p. 79. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2022.
1 2 "The River Wolves". The Daily Film Renter (2145): 4. 11 January 1934. ProQuest 2594623998.
↑ "The River Wolves". Kine Weekly. 203 (1396): 22. 18 January 1934. ProQuest 2338090349.
↑ "The River Wolves". Picturegoer. 4 (160): 28. 16 June 1934. ProQuest 1771149810.

External links

The River Wolves at IMDb

[:0-1] 1 2 Chibnall, Steve (2007). Quota Quickies: The Birth of the British 'B' Film. British Film Institute. p. 275. ISBN 978-1844571550.

[BFIsearch-2] 1 2 3 "The River Wolves". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 24 June 2026.

[3] Wood, Linda (1986). British Films, 1927–1939 (PDF). British Film Institute. p. 79. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2022.

[:1-4] 1 2 "The River Wolves". The Daily Film Renter (2145): 4. 11 January 1934. ProQuest 2594623998.

[5] "The River Wolves". Kine Weekly. 203 (1396): 22. 18 January 1934. ProQuest 2338090349.

[6] "The River Wolves". Picturegoer. 4 (160): 28. 16 June 1934. ProQuest 1771149810.