''Midnight Intruder'' is a 1938 American

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 ...

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), the '' Francis the Talking Mule'' series and created the talking-horse TV ...

starring

Louis Hayward Louis Charles Hayward (19 March 1909 – 21 February 1985) was a Johannesburg-born, British-American actor. Biography Born in Johannesburg, Louis Hayward lived in South Africa and was educated in France and England, including Latymer Upper Scho ...

Eric Linden Eric Linden (September 15, 1909 – July 14, 1994) was an American actor, primarily active during the 1930s. Early years Eric Linden was born in New York City to Phillip and Elvira (née Lundborg) Linden, both of Swedish descent. His father ...

, 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 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

as Barry Gilbert *

as John Clark Reitter Jr. * J. C. Nugent aa "Doc" Norton *

Barbara Read Barbara French Read, also known as Barbara Reed, (December 29, 1917 – December 12, 1963) was a Canadian-American film actress of the 1930s and 1940s, who appeared in 21 films during her career. Early life Born Barbara French Read on Decembe ...

as Patricia Hammond * Irving Bacon 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 as Peter Winslow *

Sheila Bromley Sheila Bromley (born Sheila LeGay; October 31, 1911 – July 23, 2003), (The reference work ''Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2003'' gave her birth date as October 31, 1907). sometimes billed as Sheila LeGay, Sheila Manners, Sheila Manno ...

as Peggy * Paul Everton as John Clark Reitter * Nana Bryant 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 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 Tremlet C. Carr (November 6, 1891– August 18, 1946) was an American film producer, closely associated with the low-budget filmmaking of Poverty Row. In 1931 he co-founded Monogram Pictures, which developed into one of the leading specialist pro ...

; 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 digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

{{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