Friday, January 4, 2019

One Frightened Night (1935)

Millionaire Jasper Whyte (Charley Grapewin) decides to divide his fortune between his relations, friends and staff - who he has touchy relationships with to various degrees - before a new inheritance tax comes into force. He'd rather give the money to his granddaughter Doris but he can't locate her. But then, just after he has shared out his millions, two women (Mary Carlisle and Evalyn Knapp) turn up that stormy night who both claim to be her...

Obviously this throws the night into confusion and those suddenly disinherited rather put out. One of the Dorises then turns up dead.

This is a fun film (which plays up to the stereotypes of the genre nicely) with some good performances - especially by the rather ropey magician Luvalle (Wallace Ford). Set on a stormy night in a creepy old house to give it the required atmosphere the film has plenty of red herrings, murders, mysterious ways to commit them and suspects which results in a true Golden Age type romp.