''A Midnight Bell'' is a 1921 American silent

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

. The film was directed and produced by its star, Charles Ray. His brother, Albert, is thought to have co-directed some scenes. The film is believed to be

lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

.Soister, John T. ''American Silent Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Feature Films, 1913-1929''. McFarland. p. 389. Web. Accessed June 24, 2015 The film is based on a play by the same name written by

Charles Hale Hoyt Charles Hale Hoyt (July 26, 1859 – November 20, 1900) was an American dramatist and playwright. He was married twice, to stage actresses Flora Walsh and Caroline Miskel Hoyt, both of whom died young. The shock of the death of his second w ...

that premiered on Broadway in 1889 with

Maude Adams Maude Ewing Adams Kiskadden (November 11, 1872 – July 17, 1953), known professionally as Maude Adams, was an American actress who achieved her greatest success as the character Peter Pan, first playing the role in the 1905 Broadway production ...

in a leading role and starred Eugene Canfield as Martin Tripp. Director Charles Ray went on to lose his entire fortune in 1923 when he produced ''The Courtship of Miles Standish'', which was a terrible flop at the box office. He later died in 1943 from a severe tooth infection.

Plot summary

Martin Tripp (Charles Ray) is a traveling salesman who turns a struggling small-town store into a successful business. He becomes involved in a mystery involving an old church that is supposed to be haunted. Tripp is challenged to spend a night in the old building. A group of criminals, pretending to manifest supernatural phenomena, are exposed by Tripp in the end.''A Midnight Bell''
at TCM.com

Cast

* Charles Ray as Martin Tripp * Donald MacDonald as Stephen Labaree *

Van Dyke Brooke Van Dyke Brooke, ''né'' Stewart McKerrow (22 June 1859–17 September 1921) was an early American actor, screenwriter and film director, whose works include '' The Reprieve: An Episode in the Life of Abraham Lincoln'' (1908) and '' Lights of New ...

as Abner Grey *

Doris Pawn Doris Pawn (born Doris Alice Pahn; December 29, 1894 – March 30, 1988) was an American silent era film actress. Early life Pahn was born on December 29, 1894, to Louise Marie Hasse (1867–1925) and Martin Pahn. She had three sister ...

as Annie Grey *

Clyde McCoy Clyde Lee McCoyE. Bennett, Joseph (July 2004). Knight Templar Magazine. Accessed from March 20, 2013. (December 29, 1903 – June 11, 1990), was an American jazz trumpeter whose popularity spanned seven decades. He is best remembered for his theme ...

as Mac *Jess Herring as Spike *S.J. Bingham as 'Bull' Barton *Bert Offord as 'Slick' Sweeney *

Monte Collins Monte Collins (also credited as Monty Collins; December 3, 1898 – June 1, 1951) was an American film actor and screenwriter. He appeared in more than 160 films between 1920 and 1948. He also wrote for 32 films between 1930 and 1951. Career ...

(bit part, uncredited)

References

External links

* * * 1921 films 1921 comedy films American black-and-white films Silent American comedy films American silent feature films Lost American comedy films First National Pictures films 1921 lost films English-language comedy films Films directed by Charles Ray 1920s American films 1920s English-language films {{1920s-silent-comedy-film-stub