One Frightened Night

Customer Reviews:

Fun "B" Mystery.......2006-06-21

This little "B" gem from Mascot Pictures, one of the "Poverty Row" studios who specialized in low-budget fillers for double-bills, is quite entertaining. While the storyline sounds familiar the execution is done with humor and flair, and an excellent cast.

It all begins on a dark, stormy night as Jasper Whyte (Charley Grapewin) reveals to his servants and relatives that he is giving them each one million dollars. Since his long-missing granddaughter, Doris Waverly, is the only one who could throw a monkey-wrench into the plan, their inheritance seems assured.

But Doris shows up, of course, in the form of Evalyn Knapp. As the old man dotes on her, grateful for her sweet return, the rest of the household fumes. Things take a u-turn when a second Doris Waverly (Mary Carlisle), an actress not nearly as passive as the first, appears right on her heels.

Before the first Doris can be exposed as an imposter, she is murdered and we have ourselves an old dark house murder mystery. Sheriff Jenks (Fred Kelsey) isn't that much help when he shows, nor is Doris' pal from the stage, the "Great Luvalle (Wallace Ford). Tom Dean (Regis Toomey), the easygoing and fun-loving member of the clan, takes a real shine to the second Doris (Mary Carlisle) and decides to do a little detecting.

An attempt on Doris' life by poison blowdart adds to the fun in this easy to like "B" mystery. This is great entertainment for late at night when you can't sleep. Famous gossip columnist Hedda Hopper plays the part of Laura Proctor in this one, for a little added nostagia.

Many of these "B" films are just slow-moving imitations of the real thing, but this one has some snappy dialog and a fun atmosphere to recommend it, not to mention a fine cast. A good rainy night time killer.

Old Dark House Style Thriller.......2004-11-24

One Frightened Night cannot hope to aim for the heights set by the more well known "Old Dark House" but for a cheapie released by "Mascot Pictures" it's not too bad.

An eccentric millionaire Jasper Whyte, unable to locate his only granddaughter, decides to divide his estate among a group of people less close to him: his niece and nephew, his attorney, his doctor, and his housekeeper. But complications and murder arise when two different women turn up, claiming to be the granddaughter.

Typical "reading of the will" type fare. The crotchety Jasper surprises his relations by promising them all $1,000,000, barring the return of wayward granddaughter Doris Waverly before midnight-- but come the witching hour, Jasper finds he must choose between two young women claiming to be the grown up Doris.

The movie does have a bit of that poverty row look to it but still rises above most others in the genre with some great atmosphere and strong performances. Among the co-stars are Wallace Ford, who would later co-star in two of Universal's Mummy movies As Babe Jensen and Hedda Hopper who would become Hollywood's leading gossip columnist.

Quite a well-done murder/Old Dark House Mystery. Surprisingly good!

One Of The Better Old Dark House Flicks.......2003-12-17

For what it is, a creaky Poverty Row old-dark-house whodunnit, this gets 4 out of 5. A group of people are gathered in a spooky old mansion on a stormy night to be told by an eccentric millionaire that they would all be given a million dollars that night. The rich guy's long lost granddaughter shows up and the offer is withdrawn. Then another babe shows up claiming to be the missing heir and the first woman is found murdered. So now we have a killer on the loose. Flying knives, blow darts, poison, secret passages and a villain in a hideous mask is what we're treated to in this 63-minute mystery with an abundance of comedy relief and a pretty good script. The picture and sound quality on the cheap Alpha DVD is VHS standard. The image could have been a little sharper and some of the dark scenes are a little murky, but overall.... not bad! One of the best of the genre. Fans of creaky old flicks will recognize some of the cast, Lucien Littlefield, Hedda Hopper, Regis Toomey, Wallace Ford, etc. Some nice twists and turns in the plot and all that is missing is a maniacal gorilla on the loose. Check it out!

Average customer rating:

One Frightened Night
Starring: Mary Carlisle , Wallace Ford , Charles Grapewin , Arthur Hohl , and Hedda Hopper
Manufacturer: Westlake
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000GFRDX6
Release Date: 2006-06-27

Mystery Movie Marathon Volume 3: 8 Movie Pack

Average customer rating:

Mystery Movie Marathon Volume 3: 8 Movie Pack

Manufacturer: RightNow Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video
Product Features:

BONUS: Each movie comes with a portable-media friendly version that can be downloaded to your Apple iPod!
Eight feature films on four DVDs
Bulldog Drummonds Secret Police;Sherlock Holmes: Dressed to Kill;Topper Returns;Detour;Midnight Manhunt;The Ghost Walks;One Frightened Night;Sherlock Holmes: The Sign of Four

ASIN: B000GW75EQ

Product Description

The legends of Mystery are gathered here for you in this definitive DVD collection of some of the greatest Mystery classics to ever come out of Hollywood. This 8 DVD collection is sure to provide you with countless hours of entertainment. Volume 2 includes: Bulldog Drummonds Secret Police directed by James Hogan and starring John Howard; Sherlock Holmes: Dressed to Kill directed by Roy William Neill and starring Basil Rathbone; Topper Returns directed by Roy Del Ruth and starring Roland Young; Detour directed by Edgar Ulmer and starring Tom Neal; Midnight Manhunt directed by William Thomas and starring Ann Savage; The Ghost Walks directed by Frank R. Strayer and starring John Miljan; One Frightened Night directed by Christy Cabanne and starring Hedda Hopper; Sherlock Holmes: The Sign of Four directed by Graham Cutts and starring Arthur Wonter

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