Wonderful Movie

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

A humorous whodunit with Charley Grapewin as the wisecracking patriarch, Toomey, Hedda Hopper, and Evalyn Knapp in a supporting role (as the impersonator of the prodigal granddaughter), directed by Christy Cabanne. Fred Kelsey plays the sheriff.It's a Mascot movie from '35 (I would of supposed a later year).Good score.There's a more ambitious scene, that of the granddaughter's fright, when she leaves the trophies room, a dart is blown, etc.. Some of the elements, like the scary mask, or the secrets of people's lives, will return in a later movie of Cabanne, one with Lugosi.Structurally, there are a few resemblances with a movie made by the same mindless director, with Lugosi, the one I already alluded to: a magician, a physician, a mask.Another resemblance may be the slightly ambiguous relation of an oldster (the naughty tycoon here, the creepy physician in the later movie) with a young woman; here, allowed for the familial quirk. Perhaps also the goofy joviality.

Most of the other reviewers on this board seemed to have fun with this one, and there's no reason not to. I was reminded of Vincent Price's 1959 flick "House on Haunted Hill", but a more likely comparison could be made to another Jack Haley vehicle from 1944 - "One Body Too Many". That one also included an eccentric millionaire, but the stakes are even higher here for heirs of Jasper Whyte's (Charley Grapewin) five million dollar fortune. I always get a kick out of the timing involved in these 1930's era flicks - if the 'true' heir shows up before midnight, she gets the whole bundle, while the five other poor saps who would have gotten a million each are left holding the proverbial empty bag.The best thing to do here is sit back and relax as the characters go through their motions, because in the best Charlie Chan tradition, the murderer isn't revealed until right at the very end. You can take a stab at it of course, but these pictures always managed to confound anyone who really tried to stay focused and keep track of all the characters. My money would have been on Arthur Proctor (Arthur Hohl), just because he was the creepiest suspect with the most to lose. Hedda Hopper probably would have named him in her gossip column.I can't say for sure if I'd call it a continuity goof, but keep an eye on the utility pole that gets hit by the falling tree during the thunderstorm. It shows up later in the picture good as new!For a mystery flick that comes in at just over an hour, you can't go wrong with "One Frightened Night". I'd put it right up there with my other suggestions for a dark and stormy night movie marathon, just like the ones mentioned in my opening comments. If that weren't enough, this movie is the only one I've seen so far that contains the word 'prestidigitator', and that's got to be worth a bonus point!

"An aging eccentric millionaire gathers his heirs and informs them that he intends to give his fortune to his granddaughter, if she appears before midnight, otherwise the five of them will split the estate. Two women arrive claiming to be the long-lost granddaughter, which upsets all of the other relatives. When one of the women ends up dead, suspicion falls upon everyone who potentially would benefit form the elimination of the other heirs," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.For the umpteenth time, a group of interconnecting people gather at a spooky mansion, hope to collect a fortune, and become murder victims (or suspects) - it's a very familiar plot. But, "One Frightened Night" manages to always seem cleverer than it is. Director Christy Cabanne, who was often hired to keep thing moving, does just that, while managing to throw in some of the flair he more often neglected. It's nice to see an older actor, Charley Grapewin (as Jasper Wythe), taking the lead; and, the rest of the cast circumvents him well.***** One Frightened Night (1935) Christy Cabanne ~ Charley Grapewin, Mary Carlisle, Wallace Ford

Intriguing, better-than-average old house thriller where a cantankerous old millionaire decides to give his money to his heirs whilst still alive - providing of course his lost granddaughter from a runaway daughter continues NOT to be found. But on this one frightening night - a granddaughter arrives as does mischief, mayhem, and murder. One Frightened Night, made for Mascot Pictures, is cheaply made and has no major stars; however, it does more with what it does have than in some A List movies of the same period. The opening with the title names put on shades drawn throughout the opening title sequence had me at once, and then actor Charley Grapewin, Uncle Henry from The Wizard of Oz and Inspector Queen from the Ellery Queen movie series, comes on and chews up so much scenery with his cantankerous old codger bit that you end up loving his character from the first moment you see him. Obviously the similarities with this film and The Cat and the Canary are going to be made - and with good reason as both have much in common: a similar story with similar plot twists, a cast of greedy relatives/friends, secret passageways and burning candles, an austere, humorless old maiden of a maid, light comedy amidst the backdrop of murder, and much more. This film is certainly not as polished as that one but a great deal of fun nonetheless. I love the dialog in this film - particularly that of Grapewin but also of Wallace Ford as the "Great Luvalle" and Fred Kelsey as Sheriff Jenks. In one scene Grapewin learns that one of his annoying, greedy relatives, a somewhat hysterical woman won't talk at all anymore and someone says something to that effect. Grapewin looks on dubiously and says something to the effect that she was a remarkable woman for not speaking at all and keeping silent. Such humor is pervasive throughout. One Frightened Night is just good, old-fashioned fun. Period.