ONE FRIGHTENED NIGHT (Mascot Pictures, 1935), directed by Christy Cabanne, is a poverty row mystery film from an original story by Stuart Palmer, author of the crime solving heroine creation of those "Hildergard Withers" mysteries. Reminiscent to similar story ideas that developed into THE CAT AND THE CANARY (Universal, 1927) and THE THIRTEENTH GUEST (Monogram, 1932), involving the reading of the will to surviving relatives during a thunderous after midnight rainstorm followed by mysterious murder(s), ONE FRIGHTENED NIGHT, being its very own participation to this genre of horrors and comedy, is quite a satisfactory effort, even for a low-budget project. Featuring Charley Grapewin in a very rare leading role, offers an interesting insight to his character as "an old grouch," considering how hard it is to forget his lovable character of Uncle Henry from the now legendary 1939 classic of THE WIZARD OF OZ (MGM) starring Judy Garland.
Starting with the opening credits superimposing the visual of an old house at night during a thunderstorm where the actors are physically introduced from behind open shutters, the story gets underway where somebody starts off by saying, "What a swell night for a murder." Inside the mansion is old Jasper White (Charley Grapewin) hosting a late evening dinner for friends and relatives, consisting of Arthur and Laura Proctor (Arthur Hohl and Hedda Hopper), Tom Dean (Regis Toomey) and Doctor Denham (Lucien Littlefield), before the reading of his will. Jasper reveals that, to beat the new state inheritance tax effective at midnight, he's going to give them each a million dollars. They each get to have their individual share provided that Jasper's long lost granddaughter, Doris Waverly, is not found. Moments later, Doris Waverly (Evalyn Knapp), who has answered an ad placed in the newspaper by Felix (Clarence Wilson), Jasper's attorney, arrives, depriving the others from getting the money they have hoped to receive. With the intent to right the wrong he did to his daughter for marrying an actor, Jasper, having acquainted himself with his granddaughter, intends on giving her his entire fortune. Then another woman (Mary Carlisle) arrives with her vaudeville partner and magician, Joe Luvalle (Wallace Ford), addressed as The Great Luvalle, claiming to be the real Doris Waverly. After meeting with Jasper and insisting on meeting the impostor, they find the bedroom door locked. Forcing the door open, the body of the first Doris is found dead after reportedly drinking poison. Ruled a suicide by Sheriff Jenks (Fred Kelsey) and Deputy Sheriff Fabier (Adrian Morris), Jasper strongly believes the first Doris was murdered, and that the actual killer is one of them. Also taking part of the mystery is Elvira (Rafaela Ottiano) Jasper's creepy housekeeper.
Following the pattern of THE CAT AND THE CANARY or some other old dark house mysteries, during its brisk 65 minutes set completely inside the mansion where the guests spend a single night, in fact, one frightened night involving some sinister individual in cloak with devilish mask and hat roaming about, throwing knives and using a poison dart blow gun at his victims. To add to the suspense other than shadows on the wall are some weird oddities inside a room consisting of a tomb exposing a mummy and unusual looking wax figures. Unlike some other low-budget mysteries of this sort from other poverty row productions as Monogram or Chesterfield, this Mascot product consists of stock music to enhance the mood and favor. Scores are familiar for anyone having seen such films as THE VAMPIRE BAT (Majestic, 1933) or A SHRIEK IN THE NIGHT (Allied, 1933) where they have been lifted. Wallace Ford, billed as Wally Ford, as Luvalle, better known as "The Great Luvalle," is there for amusement purposes, even as a magician unable to release himself from handcuffs in one scene. Character performers as the sinister looking Arthur Hohl and Clarence Wilson are always a welcome advantage to the story to move it along. And of course the pretty face of Mary Carlisle and future Hollywood columnist Hedda Hopper in worthy supporting roles.
Very rarely shown since its earliest days of broadcast television dating back to the 1950s or so, ONE FRIGHTENED NIGHT surfaced after many years in the 1980s in the wake of both cable television and home video. It also played part of a 45-minute featurette on public television's weekly series of "Matinee at the Bijou" starting at around 1983. Later available onto DVD, and being public domain title, ONE FRIGHTENED NIGHT is another worthy discovery from the movie vaults as part of any fright night/old-style movie entertainment for its time. (**1/2)
Starting with the opening credits superimposing the visual of an old house at night during a thunderstorm where the actors are physically introduced from behind open shutters, the story gets underway where somebody starts off by saying, "What a swell night for a murder." Inside the mansion is old Jasper White (Charley Grapewin) hosting a late evening dinner for friends and relatives, consisting of Arthur and Laura Proctor (Arthur Hohl and Hedda Hopper), Tom Dean (Regis Toomey) and Doctor Denham (Lucien Littlefield), before the reading of his will. Jasper reveals that, to beat the new state inheritance tax effective at midnight, he's going to give them each a million dollars. They each get to have their individual share provided that Jasper's long lost granddaughter, Doris Waverly, is not found. Moments later, Doris Waverly (Evalyn Knapp), who has answered an ad placed in the newspaper by Felix (Clarence Wilson), Jasper's attorney, arrives, depriving the others from getting the money they have hoped to receive. With the intent to right the wrong he did to his daughter for marrying an actor, Jasper, having acquainted himself with his granddaughter, intends on giving her his entire fortune. Then another woman (Mary Carlisle) arrives with her vaudeville partner and magician, Joe Luvalle (Wallace Ford), addressed as The Great Luvalle, claiming to be the real Doris Waverly. After meeting with Jasper and insisting on meeting the impostor, they find the bedroom door locked. Forcing the door open, the body of the first Doris is found dead after reportedly drinking poison. Ruled a suicide by Sheriff Jenks (Fred Kelsey) and Deputy Sheriff Fabier (Adrian Morris), Jasper strongly believes the first Doris was murdered, and that the actual killer is one of them. Also taking part of the mystery is Elvira (Rafaela Ottiano) Jasper's creepy housekeeper.
Following the pattern of THE CAT AND THE CANARY or some other old dark house mysteries, during its brisk 65 minutes set completely inside the mansion where the guests spend a single night, in fact, one frightened night involving some sinister individual in cloak with devilish mask and hat roaming about, throwing knives and using a poison dart blow gun at his victims. To add to the suspense other than shadows on the wall are some weird oddities inside a room consisting of a tomb exposing a mummy and unusual looking wax figures. Unlike some other low-budget mysteries of this sort from other poverty row productions as Monogram or Chesterfield, this Mascot product consists of stock music to enhance the mood and favor. Scores are familiar for anyone having seen such films as THE VAMPIRE BAT (Majestic, 1933) or A SHRIEK IN THE NIGHT (Allied, 1933) where they have been lifted. Wallace Ford, billed as Wally Ford, as Luvalle, better known as "The Great Luvalle," is there for amusement purposes, even as a magician unable to release himself from handcuffs in one scene. Character performers as the sinister looking Arthur Hohl and Clarence Wilson are always a welcome advantage to the story to move it along. And of course the pretty face of Mary Carlisle and future Hollywood columnist Hedda Hopper in worthy supporting roles.
Very rarely shown since its earliest days of broadcast television dating back to the 1950s or so, ONE FRIGHTENED NIGHT surfaced after many years in the 1980s in the wake of both cable television and home video. It also played part of a 45-minute featurette on public television's weekly series of "Matinee at the Bijou" starting at around 1983. Later available onto DVD, and being public domain title, ONE FRIGHTENED NIGHT is another worthy discovery from the movie vaults as part of any fright night/old-style movie entertainment for its time. (**1/2)