''The Unholy Night'' is a 1929 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorshi ...

mystery film A mystery film is a genre of film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur Detective, sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means ...

directed by

Lionel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blythe; April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''A Free Soul'' (1931) ...

and starring

Ernest Torrence Ernest Torrence (born Ernest Torrance-Thomson, 26 June 1878 – 15 May 1933) was a Scottish film character actor who appeared in many Hollywood films, including '' Broken Chains'' (1922) with Colleen Moore, '' Mantrap'' (1926) with Clara Bow a ...

Plot

The well-to-do Lord Montague is assaulted on a fog enshrouded London street on his way to his club, but manages to escape death. He later learns that some unknown assailant is killing off the members of his old army regiment from the Indian War. A Scotland Yard inspector investigating the homicides asks Montague to have the nine remaining members of his regiment assemble at his estate, so as to protect them from being murdered one by one, and so that he can hopefully learn the identity of the assassin, assuming the killer may be one of them.

Cast

as Dr. Richard Ballou *

Roland Young Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the ...

as Lord 'Monte' Montague *

Dorothy Sebastian Dorothy Sebastian (born Stella Dorothy Sabiston; April 26, 1903The book ''Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory'' gives Sebastian's date of birth as April 26, 1907. – April 8, 1957) was an American film and stage actress. Ear ...

as Lady Efra Cavender *

Natalie Moorhead Natalie Moorhead (born Nathalian Morehead, July 27, 1901 – October 6, 1992) was an American film and stage actress of the 1920s and 1930s. She was known for distinctive platinum blond hair. Early years Moorehead grew up in Pittsburgh. ...

as Lady Violet 'Vi' Montague * Sydney Jarvis as Jordan, the butler *

Polly Moran Pauline Theresa Moran (June 28, 1883 – January 25, 1952) billed as Polly Moran, was an American actress of vaudeville, stage and screen and comedian. Career Born in Chicago, Illinois, Moran started in vaudeville, and widely toured North A ...

as Polly, the maid * George Cooper as Fry the Orderly *

Sōjin Kamiyama Sōjin Kamiyama or just Sōjin (; 30 January 1884 – 28 July 1954) was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in more than 70 films between 1917 and 1954. He was the subject of a 1995 TV documentary by the Japanese film director Nobuhiro Suwa. ...

as Lee Han, the mystic *

Claude Fleming Claude Flemming (1884–1952) was an Australian actor, writer, producer and director of theatre and film whose varied stage career spanned the first half of the 20th century. He performed in Shakespeare and other drama, as well as opera, and bec ...

as Sir James Rumsey *

Clarence Geldart Clarence Geldart (June 9, 1867 – May 13, 1935) was an American film actor. He appeared in 127 films between 1915 and 1936. He was sometimes credited as C.H. Geldart or Charles H. Geldart. He was born in New Brunswick, Canada, and died i ...

as Inspector Lewis *

John Miljan John Miljan (November 9, 1892 – January 24, 1960) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1924 and 1958. Biography Born in 1892, Miljan was the tall, smooth-talking villain in Hollywood films for almost four deca ...

as Major Arthur Mallory *

Richard Tucker Richard Tucker (August 28, 1913January 8, 1975) was an American operatic tenor and cantor. Long associated with the Metropolitan Opera, Tucker's career was primarily centered in the United States. Early life Tucker was born Rivn (Rubin) Ticker ...

as Colonel Davidson * John Loder as Captain Dorchester *

Philip Strange Philip Strange (4 June 1884 – 5 January 1963) was a British actor. Selected filmography * ''The Ace of Cads'' (1926) * '' Broadway Nights'' (1927) * ''Nevada'' (1927) * ''Wall Street'' (1929) * '' The Unholy Night'' (1929) * '' The Rescue'' (1 ...

as Lieutenant Williams * John Roche as Lieutenant Savor *

Lionel Belmore Lionel Belmore (12 May 1867 – 30 January 1953) was an English character actor and director on stage for more than a quarter of a century. Life and career Onstage, Belmore appeared with Wilson Barrett, Sir Henry Irving, William Faversham, Lil ...

as Major David Endicott * Gerald Barry as Captain Bradley *

Richard Travers Richard Travers (15 April 1885 – 20 April 1935) was a Canadian film actor of the silent era. He appeared in more than 140 films between 1912 and 1930. Selected filmography *''Homespun'' (1913) short for Essanay *''The Ambition of the Ba ...

as Major 'Mac'. McDougal *

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established h ...

as Abdul, the lawyer (uncredited)

Production

According to ''Exhibitors Herald-World'' published on April 20, 1929, the film began production under the working title ''The Green Ghost'' on 1 March 1929. Initially,

Rupert Julian Rupert Julian (born Thomas Percival Hayes; 25 January 1879 – 27 December 1943) was a New Zealand cinema actor, director, writer and producer. During his career, Julian directed 60 films and acted in over 90 films. He is best remembered for di ...

was signed to direct the film as his first 100% dialogue feature. The film's screenplay was written by

Edwin Justus Mayer Edwin Justus Mayer (November 8, 1896 – September 11, 1960) was an American screenwriter. He wrote or co-wrote the screenplays for 47 films between 1927 and 1958. Edwin Justus Mayer worked on many screenplays but he is remembered now for h ...

and adapted by Dorothy Farnum based on the short story ''The Green Ghost'' by

Ben Hecht Ben Hecht (; February 28, 1894 – April 18, 1964) was an American screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, journalist, and novelist. A successful journalist in his youth, he went on to write 35 books and some of the most enjoyed screenplay ...

. The films intertitles were by Joe Farnum. An article in ''

Motion Picture News The ''Motion Picture News'' was an American film industry trade paper published from 1913 to 1930. History The publication was created through the 1913 merger of the ''Moving Picture News'' founded in 1908 and ''The Exhibitors' Times'', founded ...

'', Julian voluntarily withdrew from the production stating he was not comfortable directing a sound film, and wanted to earn more experience with shorts first. It has not been determined if any of Julian's work was retained in the released film.

took over as director, which would be his second sound film as a director.

Release

''The Unholy Night'' was distributed theatrically by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp. on 14 September 1929. Barrymore co-directed (with French director Jacques Feyder) a French-language version of the film called ''Le Spectre Vert'' (''The Green Ghost'') which was released in France. This French-language version was never released in the US. Dorothy Farnum and Yves Mirande adapted the screenplay. It was Feyder's first sound film, and the first French-language film ever made in Hollywood as well. It was released in France in 1930.

Reception

Contemporary reviews

From contemporary reviews, ''Photoplay'' declared the film a "Swell mystery story, artistically directed by Lionel Barrymore. Roland Young and Dorothy Sebastian are great." A review in ''Movie Age'' noted that "we have seen this on previous occasions in various forms as far as plot is concerned but treatment and direction lifts it out of the rut." A reviewer from ''Film Daily'' found that "the story has been done before in various forms" but that Ben Hecht's "masterly story telling style made it appear better than the theme and plot really are." ''New Movie Magazine'' stated that the film was "a bully mystery melodrama and the best of months. You will never guess the real murderer until the denouement" and praised the performances of Dorothy Sebastian. In contrast, ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' declared the film "a hopelessly involved script handled by Lionel Barrymroe in a way that would discredit a quickie director. Worse than the worst would-be thriller meller staged on Broadway and impressing as a pointless souffle burlesquing them all" concluding that the film was "a one hundred percent lemon." Film critic and historian Troy Howarth, declared that "If the film is any indication of Barrymore's overall directing talent, it's no surprise that he eventually returned his focus exclusively to acting." and found the film "painfully creaky and melodramatic....unfolding in painfully static medium and long shots".

Retrospective

Michael R. Pitts discussed in his book on obscure genre films between 1928 and 1936, that the film "consists of talk with little physical action" and that "the film moves at a fairly good pace, contains fine performances and is atmospheric in its London fog scenes and in the old mansion in which the story takes place". Pitts did note that the film was overlong and "somewhat static and a bit creaky" by contemporary standards, but that "it holds up well and provides several doses of cinematic chills, especially during the climactic seance." Critic Roy Kinnard commented "This melodramatic but rather tame detective mystery relied almost entirely on dialogue to advance its plot. Boris Karloff....is among the supporting players." Troy Howarth commented on

in the role of Abdul, the Hindu lawyer, who "takes advantage of his naturally dark complexion but... struggles terribly with the thick Indian accent." Leonard Maltin gave the film two stars, calling it a "stagy Ben Hecht melodrama with much hamming, especially by unbilled Karloff".

References

Sources

* *

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Unholy Night, The 1929 films 1929 mystery films 1920s English-language films American black-and-white films American mystery films Films directed by Lionel Barrymore Films set in London Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films 1920s American films