Star of Midnight
Encyclopedia
Star of Midnight is an American
mystery
-comedy
film released by RKO Pictures
in 1935. William Powell
was loaned out in this movie from MGM to star with Ginger Rogers
.
) is visited by old friend Tim Winthrop, whose girlfriend Alice has mysteriously disappeared in Chicago.
Along with lovely Donna Mantin (Ginger Rogers
), who has romantic designs on him, "Dal" attends a stage show called "Midnight" that stars a masked actress, Mary Smith, who also vanishes in mid-performance.
Gossip columnist Tommy Tennant has discovered a clue to the mystery, but before he can reveal it, Tommy is shot and Dal goes to the top of the police's list of suspects. Inspector Doremus doesn't believe Dal to be guilty, however, and gives the resourceful lawyer the freedom to investigate on his own.
The trail leads Dal to a gangster, Kinland, and to an old flame, Jerry, now wed to a wealthy man named Classon. In time, Dal sets up a trap in a Greenwich Village apartment, pretending to have the missing Mary there and inviting each of the suspects to come find her. The killer indeed turns up -- in a mask -- putting Dal and Donna in grave danger.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
mystery
Mystery film
Mystery film is a sub-genre of the more general category of crime film and at times the thriller genre. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of a crime by means of clues, investigation, and clever deduction.The...
-comedy
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
film released by RKO Pictures
RKO Pictures
RKO Pictures is an American film production and distribution company. As RKO Radio Pictures Inc., it was one of the Big Five studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheum theater chains and Joseph P...
in 1935. William Powell
William Powell
William Horatio Powell was an American actor.A major star at MGM, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the popular Thin Man series in which Powell and Loy played Nick and Nora Charles...
was loaned out in this movie from MGM to star with Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers was an American actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in film, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century....
.
Plot
New York lawyer and playboy Clay Dalzell (William PowellWilliam Powell
William Horatio Powell was an American actor.A major star at MGM, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the popular Thin Man series in which Powell and Loy played Nick and Nora Charles...
) is visited by old friend Tim Winthrop, whose girlfriend Alice has mysteriously disappeared in Chicago.
Along with lovely Donna Mantin (Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers was an American actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in film, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century....
), who has romantic designs on him, "Dal" attends a stage show called "Midnight" that stars a masked actress, Mary Smith, who also vanishes in mid-performance.
Gossip columnist Tommy Tennant has discovered a clue to the mystery, but before he can reveal it, Tommy is shot and Dal goes to the top of the police's list of suspects. Inspector Doremus doesn't believe Dal to be guilty, however, and gives the resourceful lawyer the freedom to investigate on his own.
The trail leads Dal to a gangster, Kinland, and to an old flame, Jerry, now wed to a wealthy man named Classon. In time, Dal sets up a trap in a Greenwich Village apartment, pretending to have the missing Mary there and inviting each of the suspects to come find her. The killer indeed turns up -- in a mask -- putting Dal and Donna in grave danger.
Cast
- William PowellWilliam PowellWilliam Horatio Powell was an American actor.A major star at MGM, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the popular Thin Man series in which Powell and Loy played Nick and Nora Charles...
as Clay "Dal" Dalzell - Ginger RogersGinger RogersGinger Rogers was an American actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in film, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century....
as Donna Mantin - Paul KellyPaul Kelly (actor)Paul Michael Kelly was an American child actor who later as an adult became a stage, film, and television actor.-Child actor:...
as Jim Kinland - Gene LockhartGene LockhartEugene "Gene" Lockhart was a Canadian character actor, singer, and playwright. He also wrote the lyrics to a number of popular songs.-Early life:...
as Horace Swayne - Ralph MorganRalph MorganRalph Morgan was a Hollywood film, stage and character actor, and the older brother of Frank Morgan .-Early life:...
as Robert Classon - Leslie FentonLeslie FentonLeslie Fenton was an English-born American actor and film director. He appeared in 62 films between 1923 and 1945....
as Tim Winthrop - J. Farrell MacDonaldJ. Farrell MacDonaldJoseph Farrell MacDonald was an American character actor and director. He played supporting roles and occasional leads. MacDonald, who was sometimes billed as "John Farrell Macdonald", "J.F...
as Police Inspector Doremus - Russell HoptonRussell HoptonRussell Hopton was an American film actor. He appeared in 110 films between 1926 and 1945.He was born in New York, New York and died of an overdose of sleeping pills in North Hollywood, California....
as Tommy Tennant - Vivien OaklandVivien OaklandVivien Oakland , was an American actress best known for her work in comedies in Hollywood in the 1920s and 1930s, most notably with the Hal Roach Studios...
as Jerry Classon - Robert Emmett O'Conner as Police Sargent Clearey