The Old Man is a 1931 mystery play by the British writer Edgar Wallace. Its original production was staged at Wyndham's Theatre in London's West End for a ninety performance run.Wearing p. 117 It is set entirely in the "Coat of Arms" tavern where a mysterious old man lurks in the background, reputedly an escapee from a lunatic asylum.Kabatchnik p. 172 The original cast included Alfred Drayton, Jack Melford, Harold Warrender and Finlay Currie.Wearing p. 117
Film adaptation The same year the play was adapted into the film The Old Man directed by Manning Haynes.Goble p. 488 Wallace was closely associated with British Lion, which produced the film.
References
Bibliography Goble, Alan. The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Walter de Gruyter, 1999. Kabatchnik, Amnon. Blood on the Stage, 1975-2000: Milestone Plays of Crime, Mystery, and Detection : an Annotated Repertoire. Rowman & Littlefield, 2012. Wearing, J. P. The London Stage 1930–1939: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel. Rowman & Littlefield, 2014.