The Unholy Night (1929)

On a dark foggy London night, someone tries to strangle Lord Montague, but he escapes. Only to discover the four other men who did get killed were old regimental comrades in Gallipoli. When... See full summary »

Director:

Lionel Barrymore

Writers:

Ben Hecht (story), Edwin Justus Mayer (screen play),

Stars:

Ernest Torrence, Roland Young, Dorothy Sebastian

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ernest Torrence	...	Dr. Ballou
Roland Young	...	Lord Montague
Dorothy Sebastian	...	Lady Efra
Natalie Moorhead	...	Lady Vi
Sydney Jarvis	...	The Butler
Polly Moran	...	The Maid
George Cooper	...	The Orderly
Kamiyama Sôjin	...	The Mystic (as Sojin)
Claude Fleming	...	Sir James Rumsey
Clarence Geldart	...	Inspector Lewis (as Clarence Geldert)
John Miljan	...	Major Mallory
Richard Tucker	...	Col. Davidson
John Loder	...	Capt. Dorchester
Philip Strange	...	Lieut. Williams
John Roche	...	Lieut. Savor

Storyline

On a dark foggy London night, someone tries to strangle Lord Montague, but he escapes. Only to discover the four other men who did get killed were old regimental comrades in Gallipoli. When Scotland Yard gets Monty to gather the other nine surviving officers at his home, one of them is murdered, and no one else has entered the house. Now, they must determine who the murderer is.

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Plot Keywords:

scotland yard | big ben london | hypnotism | chinese | war injury | 

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Taglines:

Between darkness and dawn...strange figures, stranger events fill this enthralling thriller to overflowing!

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Genres:

Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 September 1929 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Green Ghost

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min 93 min (Turner library print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Sir James Rumsey: Wasn't it you who screamed?
Polly, the maid: I never scream unless a fella gets gay with me.

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Connections

Alternate-language version of Le spectre vert (1930)

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Soundtracks

"Auld Lang Syne"
(1788) (uncredited)
Traditional Scottish 17th century music
Lyrics by Robert Burns
Sung a cappella by the men of the regiment three times and at the seance

User Reviews

Early Talkie Thriller

With death stalking the darkness, members of a doomed regiment spend THE UNHOLY NIGHT in an old mansion seeking a murderer.

Fine atmospherics and good performances propel this creaky creeper from the very early days of talking pictures. The opening sequence ably depicts the oppressive emotional weight of an extreme London fog. The remainder of the film becomes an Old Dark House picture, with the cast claustrophobically caught in the clutches of a clever killer.

Owlish Roland Young does very well as the gentle nobleman whose grand home becomes a house of horrors. Appreciated for his comedic abilities, Young shows he's equally adept at more serious drama. Ernest Torrence--a very enjoyable character actor of the era whose career was cut short by an early death--plays the friendly doctor trying to deal with the brutal deaths. Lovely Natalie Moorhead portrays Young's sister, a woman fascinated by the supernatural. Dorothy Sebastian appears as a beautiful & mysterious lady from the East with a strange story to tell.

Blustery Major Lionel Belmore, and John Miljan as a badly scarred Major, are two of the 'Doomed Regiment.' Polly Moran has a few good moments as a frightened maid. Exotic Sojin is most effective as a Chinese mystic.

Movie mavens will easily recognize an unbilled Boris Karloff appearing as a sinister Turkish lawyer.

Director Lionel Barrymore makes good use of the new sound technology with a few well placed screams and some hearty singing from the officers of the regiment.