The Green Cockatoo – 1937 | 65 mins | Crime, Drama | B&W

Plot Synopsis

The Green Cockatoo suffered a troubled production. Shot in 1937, it was not cinematically released until 1940 after some re-shooting and re-editing. It was re-issued in 1942 as Race Gang.  Despite being adapted from a Graham Greene story, director William Cameron Menzies was perhaps best known for his work as a production designer. The story opens brightly, but after that focus and suspense are lost, and John Mills is hampered by laughable American-gangster imitation lines.

Eileen, a naive young girl from Devon,heads by train to London and during the course of the journey is warned by a doom-mongering philosopher that the capital is as den of iniquity. Meanwhile, at the London dog track, petty crook Dave Connor (Robert Newton) accepts a bribe from the Terrell gang, a crooked gambling syndicate, to ensure hot favourite Huntsman doesn’t win. But Dave double-crosses them and cleans up at the bookies when the favourite crosses the line first. Dave goes to his brother, nightclub singer Jim(John Mills), with news of his win, but word reaches them that the Terrell gang are on the prowl and thirsty for revenge.

As Eileen arrives at the station, she meets the fatally-wounded Dave attempting to get out of London but the gang prevent him.Before Dave dies, with his dying breath he tells Eileen to go to the Green Cockatoo nightclub in Soho and seek a Connor – his brother. As Eileen was the last person seen with Dave, she falls under the suspicion of the police as the chief suspect. Jim supports Eileen in her efforts to establish her innocence and avoid the Terrell gang.