Reviews & Ratings for
Midnight Faces More at IMDbPro »

4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
A quickie of some interest, 2 November 2006

Author: JohnHowardReid

A quickie of some interest, despite (or maybe because) of its similarity to both The Bat (a sensational success on the Broadway stage when it debuted in 1920 and ran for a colossal 878 performances at the Morosco) and The Cat and the Canary, an obvious imitator which opened on Broadway in 1922 and ran for 349 performances at the National. Perhaps even more to the point, the much publicized film version of The Bat had its New York premiere on 14 March 1926. And just eleven days later, Midnight Faces made its appearance. Co-incidence? Hardly.

Midnight Faces has all the standard ingredients of the creepy old house horror mystery, including clutching hands from a shadowy cloaked assassin who uses secret passages to make his escapes, a frightened heroine, stalwart hero, personable friend and comic butler. The house is sufficiently large and cavernously gloomy to lend color to the proceedings, and the pace is nothing if not brisk. It's good to see a young Jack Perrin in civvies as the ingratiating friend, while an equally youthful Bushman alertly holds down the role of the hero. Cohn (or Cohen, he was never quite sure how to spell his name) has directed with reasonable flair, though film editor Fred Bain has obviously had his work cut out to paper over some slips in continuity.

4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Nice to see the Hooded Claw's Grandad, 11 June 2005

Author: Gary170459 from Derby, UK

I come out in favour of Midnight Faces, and even though I agree with both of the two previous posts makes it 2 - 1 for the moment! I too got this from AV, I'd not heard of it before and it was too irresistible and beguiling a title for me: to get it right I even watched it at midnight. The DVD is a budget release, so when the initial film frame wobble didn't go away I feared the worst, but it was suppressed after about 5 minutes, and although the print isn't in the best of shape it's bearable.

The story itself? Likable, implausible, utter nonsense, but you can clearly see the links from Phantom Of The Opera to The Bat and Cat And The Canary, and as such I suppose makes it perhaps more interesting from the historical point of view. The "hero" Ralph Bushman was a bit of a serious wimp, but his "man" Martin Turner still had to call him Boss dozens of times throughout - and even he was under mortal threat from the mysterious figure lunging about the house: no favourites here! What I really liked about MF though is the atmosphere of the spooky old house, and the outside shots of it, a splendid wooden Gothic pile - it was fascinating watching the endless fight on the roof - for the house itself! Incidentally Bushman was rather hard pressed fighting a cloaked figure who insisted on continuously holding one arm up to hide his face.

What a shame it wasn't just 10 minutes longer, and also what a shame if there isn't a better print extant.

4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Midnight Faces, 23 May 2005

Author: roxyroxy

I liked this silent film. It predates the silent film versions of "The Bat" and "The Cat and the Canary". Handsome young Lynn Claymore (Francis X. Bushman, Jr.) is taken to an isolated island estate which he has seemingly inherited from an unknown uncle. He is brought there by his suave attorney (Jack Perrin). His personal man (Martin Turner) is brought along, also. There is a sinister looking masked figure lurking around the mansion. Shortly thereafter, three servants arrive on the island followed by a pretty damsel in distress (Kathy McGuire) and a Chinaman. It evolves into a splendid night of mystery. I really had never heard of this film before, but I picked up a copy of it on the Alpha label for $5.99 and hoped for the best. I was very well pleased. Bushman, Jr., was a very good looking leading man. He was very tall and debonair. Jack Perrin was also good looking as Bushman's suave attorney. McGuire was perfect as the leading lady and it was nice to see her in her mid-Twenties attire. Turner was good in his role as the personal man until the part called for him to crawl on his knees to his employers bedroom after seeing a mummy in the closet. From then on, his character, for the most, part did stupid things like trying to sleep under the bed with his head pointing in the wrong direction and trying to sneak out of the house while hiding himself under his jacket. Exterior shots which were supposed to be taking place after midnight were evidently filmed in broad daylight. Also, there is an uncle whom, it is said, can only speak Chinese and winds up being able to speak English perfectly. Flaws aside, "Midnight Faces" is an enjoyable silent film and is a must-see film for lovers of silent thrillers. As an added attraction, there is a nice new music score by Paul David Bergel.

4 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Silly Subject Matter For A Silly Film, 27 July 2001

Author: rsoonsa (rsoonsa@bandbbooks.com) from Mountain Mesa, California

This melodrama finds itself changing in tone throughout, from mystery to comedy to romance to horror, and fails on all counts to produce a reasonable degree of entertainment. Set in, on and about a deserted house in Florida's Bayou region, the plot involves inheritance of the house by Lynn Claymore, (Francis X Bushman, Jr.) from an uncle of whom he was unaware and his arrival at the property to take possession, while having to deal with a hotchpotch of odd characters, each of whom presents an unknown agenda. These include a damsel in apparent distress, played by Kathryn McGuire, a favorite leading lady of Buster Keaton, a lawyer, a Chinaman, a negro valet, a united and sinister butler and housekeeper, a paralytic gentleman, and others. In addition, the influence of a cloaked individual must be mentioned, as he is continually skulking about, disappearing into secret passages, and generally making the rest of the cast quite uneasy. The valet is played by Martin Turner who must have influenced Eddie (Rochester) Anderson's style, as the latter's mannerisms are virtually interchangeable with those of the whimsical Turner, upon whose scenes one becomes increasingly willing to invest attention, as they are a welcome shift from the preposterous and cliche-beholden script. The editing is indifferent at best, with some scenes being switched in continuity, and the direction by Bennett Cohen is by the numbers. Those minutes when Bushman, and Jack Perrin as the probate lawyer, are alone and in conversation are effective due to their relaxed rapport and, if there were more of such, the grotesquerie would have been more palatable. The film includes a most quaint fight sequence with the large and athletic Bushman having an extraordinarily difficult time in subduing a somewhat unprepossessing rival, with the action, because of odd editing, continuing for about 20 minutes, while the other players remain determined to go about their business. The engagingly original and motific score is played in witty fashion at the Wurlitzer by the talented Rosa Rio, who began her career in the 1920s in large theatres about New York and who achieved widespread and national acclaim for her musicality as accompanist to silent cinema. Her contribution and the efforts by Turner are not enough aid in suppressing feelings of ennui for most viewers of this cartoonish mishmash.

Yet another old dark house movie...., 5 May 2010

Author: planktonrules from Bradenton, Florida

In the 1920s through the 1930s, Hollywood made quite a few old dark house movies--ones which have very, very similar plots involving a group of people stuck in a place with some maniacs. In light of this, "Midnight Faces" already has a major strike against against it. Just a few similar films would include "The Old Dark House", "The Cat and The Canary". "The Bat", "The Black Cat", "The Bat Whispers" and even comedies such as Harry Langdon in "The First Hundred Years", Buster Keaton in "The Haunted House" and Bob Hope in "Ghost Breakers"--and I'm sure I could come up with quite a few others if I tried!

This film finds out hero inheriting an old estate in Florida. However, when he, his friend and his black man-servant (thrown in for comic relief) near the home, they think they see something moving inside. Once they take possession, some of the dead uncle's old servants arrive and they are a bizarre assortment of stereotypes--including a supposed Chinese man who look like he's just walked off a Fu Manchu film set! At night, trouble erupts and it's up to the leading man and his friends to get to the bottom of it. Much of it didn't make much sense until the very end--when the long and complicated plot is explained--including what REALLY happened to the uncle. There were a few surprises but all in all, the movie seemed terribly derivative--just like the many other similar films I've seen. It's pleasant enough but nothing special.

By the way, one sour note in the film is the black servant. While he didn't over-react as badly as some black men in these films did, all too often they were included as a cheap laugh. Back then, white folks though it was hilarious to see a black man act cowardly and scared in these films. This role, like most of the films listed above, was present in this film but fortunately his performance wasn't as over the top or offensive as most--but it still wasn't necessary.

A so-so flick, 24 May 2008

Author: pnkerner from United States

I'd like to give this film a higher rating but the poor editing and lack of continuity hurt the film. While it seems to a rip-off of the Cat and the Canary and The Bat, Midnight Faces does offer an enjoyable almost hour of viewing (the film clocks in at 53 minutes. While the acting is static (it is apparent that this is a poverty row production) the plot is good but the directing is another story (message to directors: either be a writer or a director, don't try to impress moviegoers by being a triple threat! It rarely works.) Bushman is tall, handsome, and virile. Kathryn McGuire is an attractive flapper type, and the rest of the rest is adequate. The biggest problem with this film is that the end comes so quickly. Other issues I noticed, why do the other cast members stand and watch Bushman beating the pulp out of the villain instead of rushing to his aid? Also, why is Bushman's valet seen crawling on the ground at the end of the film attempting to sprinkle salt on a pigeon or it is a pathetically small chicken? Lastly, why is the action in the film taking place at midnight when it is obviously daytime? This could have been an impressive late silent era film but the crude presentation of it makes it a film few will want to see. Still, give it a look if for just curiosity sake.

2 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Only of Historical Interest, 4 July 2007

Author: Athanatos from San Diego, CA

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Badly written and badly directed, this film is only of historical interest, perhaps as an early example of the Old Dark House genre, or of the racial stereotyping of blacks as fearful, as superstitious, and as otherwise stupid. (There is also a stereotypical Chinaman in this movie.) There is relatively little story here: A Young Man has been informed by a Lawyer that the Young Man is an heir to an estate that includes an Old Dark House. He and various persons arrive, for various reasons yet all on the same day, for his first night there. One of them is a Young Woman who is subsequently menaced by a Cloaked Figure who makes use of secret passages within and to the house. Eventually the Cloaked Figure seizes the Young Woman, and he is pursued. During this pursuit and the fight that erupts, the respective roles of the other characters are revealed.

The internal logic of the story fails repeatedly. For example, early in the story the audience sees the Cloaked Figure climbing in and out of windows of the Old Dark House, but there doesn't seem to have been a good reason at that point for him not to have simply used the hallways within the house. The Cloaked Figure has, as it turns out, a good reason to menace the Young Woman; but he also menaces the Black Servant for no good reason. Twice the Young Man responds to cries for help as if wondering just what "Help!" might mean. His initial response to the Cloaked Figure is as if such things are merely a nuisance to be expected in one's home. After the Cloaked Figure has seized the Young Woman, it eventually dawns on the Young Man that her situation might be urgent, but his subsequent search for her is rather desultory, and includes a pause during which he and another white fellow mock the Black Servant as a foolish braggart. None of the ostensible Good Guys are inclined to dash when they could walk briskly, and one is lucky if they do even that. During the final conflict between the Young Man and the Cloaked figure, the other Good Guys essentially mill-about, as if having joined the audience (albeit with a greater level of interest than the audience must now feel).

0 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Decent, 11 March 2008
Author: Michael_Elliott from Louisville, KY

Midnight Faces (1926)

** (out of 4)

Lynn Claymore (Francis X. Bushman, Jr.) inherits an old house out in the swamp in the middle of nowhere. Once there he sees a mysterious figure and lady a woman comes running in the house saying a madman with a knife is stalking her. This is an early "old dark house"/horror film that really doesn't know what it's trying to be. There's some minor comedy from the typical stereotyped black man, the horror elements aren't really creepy and the old dark house isn't all that creepy either. Even at 56-minutes this here seems a bit too long.

As of now, this film is only available through the public domain company Alpha, so don't expect perfect quality.

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