''Midnight Intruder'' is a 1938 American

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by

Arthur Lubin Arthur Lubin (July 25, 1898 – May 11, 1995) was an American film director and producer who directed several ''Abbott & Costello'' films, ''Phantom of the Opera (1943 film), Phantom of the Opera'' (1943), the ''Francis the Talking Mule'' series a ...

starring Louis Hayward, Eric Linden, J.C. Nugent and Barbara Read.

Plot

After losing all his money gambling on horses, former newspaper reporter Barry Gilbert and "Doc" Norton break into a vacant mansion belonging to the Reitters for shelter from the rain. Just as the pair are settling in, Willetts and three other servants arrive. Willetts, the butler, does not know what the long-absent, but expected John Clark Reitter Jr. looks like, so he assumes that Barry is him. Barry decides to impersonate young Reitter, the

black sheep In the English language, black sheep is an idiom that describes a member of a group who is different from the rest, especially a family member who does not fit in. The term stems from sheep whose fleece is colored black rather than the more comm ...

son of a wealthy New York newspaper publisher, for a while when he learns the family will be away for weeks. A neighbor, Patricia Hammond, develops an interest in Barry, while a showgirl, Peggy, wife of the real John Reitter Jr. (under the name Jay Rogers), shows up and tells him her husband is being framed for the murder of a political bigshot. Barry agrees to try to clear him in exchange for Peggy not revealing his masquerade. Barry reluctantly accepts a job on Reitter Sr.'s paper under an assumed name, and though editor Bill Harwood warns him not to play detective (a common tendency of new reporters), he does anyway. He gets into trouble with Patricia when he learns that her father, Judge Hammond, was with the victim the day he was killed. He jumps to the conclusion that the judge is the killer, but the real murderer - nightclub owner Luis Romano - is eventually caught (in spite of Barry's efforts), and John is released. When Patricia and her father are introduced to John by his father, who has returned early, they wonder who Barry really is. Meanwhile, Barry does his best to hide what has gone on and to present John in the best light to his family. John's mother learns the truth from John and Peggy, but is pleased to conceal the story from her husband, who is very proud of his reformed son. Harwood lets Barry keep his job and sends him to get the scoop on a rich widow's new husband, who turns out to be Doc Norton. Patricia catches up with him and demands to know what is going on. When Barry tells her it would take a lifetime to explain, she replies, "Darling, that's just what I mean."

Cast

* Louis Hayward as Barry Gilbert * Eric Linden as John Clark Reitter Jr. * J. C. Nugent aa "Doc" Norton * Barbara Read as Patricia Hammond *

Irving Bacon Irving Ernest Bacon (September 6, 1893 – February 5, 1965) was an American character actor who appeared in almost 500 films. Early years Bacon was the son of entertainers Millar West Bacon (who was a teenager) and Myrtle Vane. He was born ...

as Evans *

Robert Greig Robert Greig (December 27, 1879 – June 27, 1958) was an Australian-American actor who appeared in more than 100 films between 1930 and 1949, usually as the dutiful butler. Born Arthur Alfred Bede Greig, he was the nephew of Australian pol ...

as Willetts *

Pierre Watkin Pierre Frank Watkin (December 29, 1887 – February 3, 1960) was an American character actor best known for playing distinguished authority figures throughout the Golden Age of Hollywood. He is best remembered for his roles of Mr. Skinner the b ...

as Peter Winslow *

Sheila Bromley Sheila Bromley (born Louise Fulton; October 31, 1907 – July 23, 2003), also billed early in her career as Sheila LeGay, Sheila Manners, Sheila Mannors or Sheila Manors, was an American television and film actress. She is best known for he ...

as Peggy * Paul Everton as John Clark Reitter *

Nana Bryant Nana Irene Bryant (November 23, 1888 – December 24, 1955) was an American film, stage, and television actress. She appeared in more than 100 films between 1935 and 1955. Biography Bryant was born 1888 in Cincinnati, Ohio. She appeared in ...

as Mrs. Reitter *

Joseph Crehan Joseph A. Creaghan (July 15, 1883 – April 15, 1966) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 300 films between 1916 and 1965, and notably played Ulysses S. Grant nine times between 1939 and 1958, most memorably in ''Union Paci ...

as Bill Harwood (as Joe Crehan) *

Selmer Jackson Selmer Adolf Jackson (May 7, 1888 – March 30, 1971) was an American stage film and television actor. He appeared in nearly 400 films between 1921 and 1963. His name was sometimes spelled Selmar Jackson. Jackson was born in Lake Mills, Iowa ...

as Judge Hammond *

Jan Duggan Jan Duggan (born Genevieve Hussey; November 6, 1881 – March 10, 1977) was an American film and stage actress. Early life Duggan was born Genevieve Hussey in St. Louis, Missouri. She was the daughter of George W. Hussey Sr. and Mary E. Fl ...

as Mrs. Randolph

Production

The film was based on a novel ''Synthetic Gentleman'' by Channing Pollock. Pollock best known as a playwright and in June 1933 reported that he was working on the novel with a view to turning it into a play for London, where he felt critics were kinder, and because in England he would not have to share the movie rights with his manager as he would have to do in America. The novel was published in 1934 and the ''New York Times'' called it "a pleasing blend of romance, mystery and adventure and there is not a dull page in it." "This one clicks" said ''Los Angeles Times''. In February 1937 the film rights were bought by Universal. In March it was announced the film would be produced by Trem Carr; it would be a change of pace for Carr, who had been making "outdoor films" for Universal "with his own money" Several of these had been directed by

who would direct the film. The film had a working title of ''Welcome Imposter''. Filming was to start 22 November 1937. It eventually started December 1937. By November the title had been changed to ''Midnight Intruder''.

Reception

The ''Christian Science Monitor'' called it "mildly diverting." ''Diabolique'' magazine called it "terrific fun, a fast-paced, bright entertainment starring Louis Hayward as a gambler who poses as the son of a wealthy woman and gets involved in a murder case; the performances are full of energy, and it rockets along for its 67 minute running time. Lubin was coming into his own as director."

References

External links

*
Midnight Intruder
at Letterbox DVD
Welcome Imposter
at BFI
Midnight Intruder
at

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...

{{Arthur Lubin 1938 films 1930s crime comedy films American black-and-white films American crime comedy films Films directed by Arthur Lubin 1938 comedy films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films English-language crime comedy films