''Midnight Mystery'' is a 1930 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was an era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry that occurred between the widespread adoption of sound in film in the late 1920s and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship gui ...

mystery film A mystery film is a 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 of clues, ...

directed by

George B. Seitz George Brackett Seitz (January 3, 1888 – July 8, 1944) was an American playwright, screenwriter, film actor and director. He was known for his screenplays for action serials, such as '' The Perils of Pauline'' (1914) and ''The Exploits of ...

, from a screenplay by

Beulah Marie Dix Beulah Marie Dix (December 25, 1876 – September 25, 1970) was an American screenwriter of the silent film, silent and sound film, sound film eras, as well as a playwright and author of novels and children's books. She wrote for more than 5 ...

, which was adapted from the play ''Hawk Island'' by Howard Irving Young.

Betty Compson Betty Compson (born Eleanor Luicime Compson; March 19, 1897 – April 18, 1974) was an American actress and film producer who got her start during Hollywood's silent era. She is best known for her performances in ''The Docks of New York'' and '' ...

starred, leading an ensemble cast which included

Hugh Trevor Hugh Trevor (born Hugh Trevor-Thomas; October 28, 1903 – November 10, 1933) was an American actor whose short career began at the very end of the silent era in 1927. He would appear in nineteen films in the scant six years during which he was ...

Lowell Sherman Lowell Sherman (October 11, 1888 – December 28, 1934) was an American actor and film director. In an unusual practice for the time, he served as both actor and director on several films in the early 1930s. He later turned exclusively to dire ...

Rita La Roy Rita La Roy (born Ina La Roi Stuart; October 2, 1901 – February 18, 1993) was an American actress and dancer, beginning her career in 1929, and having her last significant role in 1940. Career La Roy appeared in over 50 films, the best k ...

Ivan Lebedeff Ivan Lebedeff (born Ivan Vasilyevich Lebedev (), 18 June 1894 – 31 March 1953) was a Russian film actor, lecturer and writer. He appeared in 66 films between 1926 and 1953. In 1940, his novel, ''Legion of Dishonor'', was published. Biography ...

Raymond Hatton Raymond William Hatton (July 7, 1887 – October 21, 1971) was an American film actor who appeared in almost 500 motion pictures. Biography Hatton was born in Red Oak, Iowa. His physician father steered him toward a career in medicine. Howe ...

June Clyde June Clyde (born Ina Parton, December 2, 1909 – October 1, 1987) was an American actress, singer and dancer known for roles in such pre-Code films as '' A Strange Adventure'' (1932) and ''A Study in Scarlet'' (1933). Early years June Cly ...

and

Marcelle Corday Marcelle Corday (8 January 1890 – 25 June 1971) was a Belgian-born American actress. She mostly played character parts in silent and sound films. Biography Born in Brussels, Belgium, in 1890, Corday was a niece of violinist Eugène Ysa� ...

Plot

Gregory Sloane is a millionaire who lives in an isolated mansion on Hawk Island, off the coast of New England. He invites a disparate group of people to his home, who are soon cut off from the mainland when a fierce storm blows in. While confined, tensions erupt among the guests, leading to the murder of Mischa Kawelin. One of the other guests, Sally Wayne, an author who writes murder mysteries and Sloane's fiancée, takes it upon herself to solve the crime. Over the course of the evening, she uncovers and strategically puts together all the clues, culminating in her getting the murderer to confess.

Cast

as Sally Wayne *

as Gregory Sloane *

as Tom Austen *

as Madeline Austen *

as Mischa Kawelin *

as Paul Cooper *

as Harriet Cooper *

as Louise Hollister *

Sidney D'Albrook Sidney D'Albrook (May 3, 1886 – May 30, 1948) was an American actor. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, a son of Harry Dahlbruck, a musician, and Jennie McGuire. He was working as an actor in Davenport, Iowa, in 1910, living with his sister Rut ...

as Barker (cast list is per AFI Database)

Notes

The play ''Hawk Island'', from which this film was adapted, played at the

Longacre Theatre The Longacre Theatre is a Broadway theater at 220 West 48th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1913, it was designed by Henry B. Herts and is named for Longacre Square, the former ...

in 1929, starring

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American actor often referred to as the "King of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". He appeared in more than 60 Film, motion pictures across a variety of Film genre, genres dur ...

in the role of Gregory Sloane.

References

External links

* 1930 films 1930 mystery films American mystery films American black-and-white films Films directed by George B. Seitz American films based on plays 1930s American films {{mystery-film-stub