Before Midnight (1933) User Reviews

neat mystery

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 22 June 2010]

"Before Midnight" was done in 1933, before "The Thin Man," when the style of mysteries would become a little breezier, more stylish, and employ more humor. Ralph Bellamy stars here as Inspector Trent, out to solve a very complicated murder. It has that "dark and stormy night" feel to it, but it's done with a straightforward seriousness, without the good-natured laughter of someone like Warren William or the tipsiness of a William Powell. As Trent, Bellamy interrogates like a real cop: "You did it, didn't you!" The story, however, is very good.

I'm always amazed to see Ralph Bellamy as a young man and realize what a long, huge career he had. His first film was in 1931 (stage from 1929), at the age of 27, and his last was "Pretty Woman" in 1990, one year before he died. Here he's a lead, but as someone else pointed out, he probably lacked the excitement of a true leading man and was soon relegated to supporting roles. As a stage actor and as an older man, he really thrived on stage, in film, and on television; besides doing "Tomorrow the World" and "State of the Union" on Broadway, he enjoyed a tremendous success as FDR in "Sunrise at Campobello" in 1959.

"Before Midnight" will keep you interested. What it lacks in pace and style, it makes up for in story.

It was a good night for a murder ...

[AlsExGal · 7/10 · 28 February 2011]

... or so says a chief of police in reference to a tale of mystery he is about to tell in flashback. In spite of the the fact that this film doesn't have much in the way of production values and has only one major star of the studio era - Ralph Bellamy - this little murder mystery that clocks in at a little over an hour in length is very entertaining with a script full of surprises.

Inspector Steve Trent (Bellamy) is called out to a remote estate one stormy night by wealthy Edward Arnold who presumes he will die before midnight just because he found blood on the hearth of his fireplace, exactly as did one of his ancestors the night before he was killed. What is odd is that the police would take this seriously. What is odder is that the man does indeed die before midnight and now Trent has to figure out who did it. He's got plenty to work with too in the way of suspects. There's Arnold's estranged wife who has traveled 3000 miles just to get more money out of him and admits she hates him, there's Arnold's young beautiful ward on whom he lavishes great unexplained attention and to whom he refuses to give his blessing for her intended marriage, there's the girl's fiancé who resents the fact that their wedding is being held up by all of this, then there is Arnold's servant, Kono, who speaks broken English although it is revealed he is a college man.

Bellamy is great at this part. This is not the Ralph Bellamy you may be used to seeing, always managing to get his girl stolen by Cary Grant in just about every picture they appeared in together. Here Bellamy plays it cool and appears firm and in control without getting heavy-handed to the point of being silly.

The film's poverty row roots do show at some points though. There is a particularly silly line half-way through the picture when Bellamy has a suspect at gunpoint and says "One bullet could settle this case" all because the unarmed man won't talk. Then there is George Cooper as Stubby, supposedly a policeman learning the ropes from a fine investigator like Trent, but I never saw a point in which he was the least bit helpful. Stubby was more like a reader of dime store mystery stories getting in the way of an investigation than anything else.

I'd recommend this as a pretty good precode film.

Inspector Trent solves a complicated murder that happens right in front of him.

[dbborroughs · 7/10 · 28 July 2006]

The film is told in flashback by a chief of police to a detective looking for a promotion. The Arnold case, he says is the sort of case that when solved warrants a promotion. Ralph Bellamy is Inspector Trent of the New York Detective Bureau. Called to Forest Lake and the Arnold residence, Trent is asked to look into a possible murder in the offing. It seems Arnold is a superstitious man and any time blood was found under the portrait on an ancestor the head of the house hold dies the next day. Time is running out. As Arnold shows Trent the second part of the superstition, a clock that stops a minute before the murder, the clock stops, a window bursts open and Arnold dies.

A complicated and pre-code murder mystery this is almost a straight forward police procedural as we watch Trent try to solve the case. Bellamy plays Trent in a no nonsense hard boiled style that is atypical of mysteries of this sort. Of course there is no way to know whats going on since some of the goings on are so convoluted that you can't figure it out unless they tell you. Still its a good movie who's complication keep you interested. Certainly not a great film, it is a very good one that bears a second viewing just so you can see what you missed.

Definitely worth seeing.

6.5 out out of 10 rounded up to 7 out of 10 for IMDb purposes

Good Early Whodunnit

[GManfred · 24 February 2010]

Good, tight murder mystery that is brief and no-nonsense in its approach. It is a pre-code film but there's nothing here that might have been objectionable at the time. Also missing is the 30's habit of inserting comic relief into a story that doesn't need any, and this one doesn't need it. George Cooper plays Stubby, a dim-witted assistant detective who comes off as dim-witted but not as comic relief.

Ralph Bellamy is Detective Trent, trying to solve a murder that takes place on a dark and stormy (and very noisy) night in a mansion with the usual suspects roaming around. What strikes you is the tone of all players, and especially Bellamy, as there is not a hint of the good-natured warmth or friendliness normally found in most pictures of this or any other kind - just a group grimly determined to get to the bottom of the proceedings. No jokes, no romance, just the facts.

Nevertheless, it is well worth your time. It is an old-fashioned whodunnit that will challenge your own powers of deduction - and no laughing, please.

Three Pack a Day Man

[Hitchcoc · 6/10 · 25 November 2018]

A very young Ralph Bellamy plays Trent who was a character in other mysteries. A man living in fear that he may be murdered, dies in front of everyone. Trent begins to investigate. What follows is a decent plot, but the slow and ponderous pace and the stilted language make it sort of dull. Of course, the sound limitations of the time affected everything. I'm interested to see other Trent movies. He is one of the most dedicated smokers I have ever seen. There are seven or eight scenes where he lights up and blows smoke in the air, even in a science lab. Either Bellamy had some serious nicotine needs or it was typical of the character. Nevertheless, this works decently in the Dark and Stormy Night category.

Instrument of Murder

[sol-kay · 7/10 · 20 June 2010]

**SPOILERS** Whodunit with an unusual multiracial cast for that time-1933-with African/American Fred Snowflake Toons as the taxi driver and Otto Yamaoka as the Arnold's Japanese houseboy Kono. In fact some ten years later Yamaoka was rounded up with some 150,000 fellow Japanese Americans and put in an internment camp for the duration of WWII as a possible dangerous enemy alien despite him being a native born American citizen.

In the film "Smiling" Ralph Bellamy playing the part of police inspector Trent is called to the Arnold Mansion in Forest Lake NY to check out threats against Edward Arnold's, William Jeffreys, life. Arnold feels that someone is out to get him to fore-fill a third generation Arnold family curse that has him slated to die before the clock strikes midnight! Sure enough as a storm hits the area around the midnight hour Arnold suddenly drops dead right in front of Inspt. Trent and some half dozen witnesses including his personal doctor David Marsh, Arthur Pierson!

It's soon determined by the local coroner that Aronld didn't die of fright as at first thought but of an injection of cyanide potassium. With Dr. Mrash giving Arnold an injection for his heart condition just hours before his sudden death he becomes the #1 suspect in his murder. Inspt. Trent for some reason feels that Dr. Marsh is innocent in Arnold's murder because it was so obvious to him that he was set up to take the blame for it! Inspt. Trent concentrates on those at the mansion at the time of Arnold's death which included his best friend the mysterious John Fry, Clude Gillingwater. It was Fry back in 1918, in far off China, who saved Arnold's life from a rare and tropical disease. There's also the mystery of the late Edward Arnold's live in secretary Janet Holt, June Collyer, who as it later turned out was the reason, without her having a clue about it, for Arnold's murder.

***SPOILERS*** As Inspt. Trent starts to uncover the mystery behind Arnold's murder he zeros in on Arnold houseboy Kono who not only knows who was behind his "Master's" murder but what was the instrument of murder that he used to kill him. There's also the late Arnold's shyster lawyer Howard B. Smith, Bradley Page, and John Fry's estranged wife Marvis, Betty Blythe. The two are involved in trying to get their hands on Janet's late moms diary locked in the Arnold mansion's safe that reveals the true reasons for Arnold's infatuation with both her and her daughter that may have well been the real reason for his murder.

A little on the complicated side "Before Midnight" does keep the audience as well as Inspt. Trent guessing to who murdered Arnold who as it turned out was someone as close to him as his very shadow. The surprise ending came so unexpectedly that it even took the cool and collective Inspt. Trent by surprise even though he was the one who figured it out!

Tight Mystery

[boblipton · 6/10 · 4 November 2005]

It's a well-directed mystery with more twists than a pretzel. This movie times in at just over an hour, and had to be filled out with a prologue, epilogue and long takes of Ralph Bellamy thinking to bring it up to that. Carefully directed with full Old Dark House look and feel by long-time director Lambert Hillyer -- he had directed William S. Hart to stardom but had retreated, as had so many, to the B list when sound came in -- there's only one flaw in the mystery plot: the detective has the motive before the audience does.

This was one of a short and probably unofficial series of movies starring Ralph Bellamy as Inspector Trent of the New York Detective Bureau. He is rather straightforward in his characterization, which probably explains why in another couple of years he was relegated to the role of Second Man in the movies, even if he could act up a storm when given the opportunity. Still, the story is the thing in this movie. The mystery will probably stump you and it's only an hour.

First of Columbia's Inspector Trent series

[kevinolzak · 7/10 · 3 January 2014]

From Nov 1933-Aug 1934, Columbia released a forgotten quartet of features starring dependable Ralph Bellamy in the role of Inspector Steve Trent, with "Before Midnight" the first, followed by "One is Guilty," "The Crime of Helen Stanley," and "Girl in Danger." Since only "One is Guilty" is unavailable, one can judge the series by at least three titles, but it's clear that this modest initial entry has more horror touches in its setup. On a dark and stormy night, Inspector Trent is called to the isolated mansion of Edward Arnold (William Jeffrey), who believes he's soon to be murdered based on a family curse involving a pool of blood and a clock that stops. Director Lambert Hillyer proves he was no slouch at delivering oppressive atmosphere (better known for "The Invisible Ray" and "Dracula's Daughter"), and the whodunit aspects are also first rate. Lovely leading lady June Collyer starred opposite Bela Lugosi in a 1935 mystery, "Murder by Television," before giving up acting to enjoy life as the wife of Stuart Erwin. Bellamy solved quite a few cases ("Rendezvous at Midnight," "The Final Hour") before he started playing detective Ellery Queen in 1940, eventually settling into a solid character career that lasted 60 years.

Before Midnight: Somewhat disappointing

[Platypuschow · 4/10 · 30 September 2018]

Before Midnight was the first movie in a short franchise based around Detective Trent.

It's an hour long old school murder mystery tale where our lead must solve the murder of a man who moments before predicted his own death.

This really is the definition of a "Whodunnit" style film, with all the potential suspects lined up, nobody entirely innocent, secrets are revealed and motives become apparent.

The cast is strong and the story is great, but it sadly all falls apart at the end. The big revelation is really quite weak and damages the film.

Regardless I'm looking forward to the remaining three movies in the series and very much hope the writing improves.

The Good:

Charming old school feel

The Bad:

Weak finale

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Cases can be settled with bullet

Despite the detective being too late too often, it is a very interesting mystery.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 23 June 2010]

Ralph Bellamy stars as 'Inspector Trent'--a detective who is trying to solve a murder. However, his method of solving the case seems to be to let the murderer kill off all the other possible so that by the process of elimination he's found the killer! In the very first scene, a guy announces to Trent that he's about to be murdered--and he is! Then, the houseboy appears to be connected to the crime and he's stabbed in the back right before the very eyes of Trent!! At the end, when Bellamy discovers the killer, he deliberately gives the guy ample opportunity to kill himself--thus saving the tax payers from having to pay to incarcerate him!! This is all pretty funny, as the case is apparently being told to an up and coming cop who wants an advancement--and his boss tells him how Trent so masterfully solved the case as an example of great detective work!!! Thank God other 'great detectives' don't work this way!! Fortunately, despite this weird plot element, the solution to the crime is actually really cool and makes this B-mystery well worth seeing. Good acting, a genuinely interesting mystery and a relatively ineffectual detective make this one to watch. Plus, it's nice to see Bellamy in a film where he doesn't lose the girl in the end...which seemed to happen all too often through the 1930s and early 40s!

A CLASSIC 30s WHODUNIT.

[tcchelsey · 10/10 · 15 January 2021]

The great Ralph Bellamy, early in his career, starred in a number of solid mysteries and THIS is one of them. Thankfully, BEFORE MIDNIGHT has not been forgotten and its high camp. In the 1930s this was your typical drive-in movie, with lots of popcorn in the rumble seat, one that kept audiences glued to the screen for about an hour or so. It's a fast-paced, well produced whodunit that was extremely well written, comparable to the mysteries churned out at the same time by Warner Brothers. Here, detective Bellamy has his hands full in an old dark house where the family patriarch is convinced he will be killed "before midnight." He gets bumped off for sure and the roster of suspects make their entrance. It's fun trying to spot the killer and it takes awhile as the screenplay is clever, which sets this film apart from many low budget mysteries of the period. June Collyer who, likewise, appeared in a score of 30s thrillers is well cast as the frightened leading lady as is silent screen actress Betty Blythe as one of the mysterious suspects. Thunderstorms, lightning, lights going out are all in play here, but put to good use at the right moment and not overdone. Well directed, acted and recommended. This is now on dvd after many years and the print is very good, but produced independently so you may have to purchase it without a case. A good addition to your oldie bin.

A dark and stormy night makes for an intriguing little B murder mystery.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 16 November 2018]

Atmospheric and moody, this B murder mystery grabs the viewer from the very start where a crash of lightning and rush to the window hides the fact that somebody has just been shot and killed. Ingeniously, the victim had expressed to detective Ralph Bellamy that they felt that their moments alive were numbered, so this sets up a whole different style of murder mystery, especially when the victim's identity is revealed and another possible victim is introduced. It is complex, but not convoluted, and you won't need a road map to remember all of the suspects, red herrings or clues which come your way. Bellamy is commanding as always, and the wonderful Claude Gillingwater gives a terrific performance as the man who reveals that he might be the next one to get bumped off. The ending is chilling with the killer aware of their potential capture and given the easy way out with Bellamy standing by. The photography, editing and technical aspects of the film are sensational. A great supporting cast includes the always slimy Bradley Page as the dead man's lawyer and June Collyer and Betty Blythe vulnerable and scared in the female roles.

The Written Mystery

[tedg · 23 June 2010]

The early thirties was a time of great experimentation with the detective narrative, leading eventually to noir.

This is one of those experiments, and a rather fine one. It has a framing device where an old cop is telling a young one about the famous case from some time back and how a legendary inspector solved it. The case is a good one: an impossible murder, committed according to a centuries old schedule. Mysteries of the Orient. Confusion of roles. Some careful forensics and a bit of adventure.

In this case, the mystery is more like a written story than a cinematic one. It even features a few devices associated with writing: the will of course, a fountain pen, a diary, some checks. If you were looking for a fold beyond the framing narrative, you will find it: one character has planned an elaborate "play" within the world we see.

Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.

Ralph Bellamy has his day!

[JohnHowardReid · 6/10 · 19 January 2018]

Perennial second-lead, Ralph Bellamy, has the star part in the 4-picture "Inspector Trent" series.

The first of these Columbia "B" entries, Before Midnight (1933) is heavy on atmosphere but short on credibility.

True, the plot presents some fascinating permutations of the usual mystery thrillers. I like the idea of the two principals switching their identities, but writer Robert Quigley is unable to come up with any reason at all for this startling plot development. Yes, a reason is certainly given at the time, but it is later revealed to be a lie! And that's not the only plot twist by far that's just simply left hanging.

Nonetheless, Claude Gillingwater battles gamely against the script and right up to the end, almost succeeds in presenting a believable characterization.

George Cooper (as Bellamy's offsider), Betty Blythe and William Jeffrey also excel.

(Formerly available on a fair quality VintageFilmBuff DVD).

poor ralph bellamy

[ksf-2 · 6/10 · 16 March 2021]

Ralph Bellamy made a whole lot of films in 1933 and 1934. probably known as the runner up in boyfriends he never seemed to get the girl. here, he's Inspector Trent, at a house that appears to be haunted, and the inhabitants want to know what's going on. except there's a murder, and no-one may leave. and it's stormy outside, with the usual thunder and lightning. June Collyer is Janet, the girlfriend of the doctor who was attending the dead guy. there's a motive. about halfway through, there's a bad edit, and another couple minutes of dead air.. where just nothing happens. talk about bringing things to a halt. we finally see people moving around in the dark. 25 minutes in, things start to happen.. and it's only a 63 minute film. some surprises and twists in this shortie. not bad for a B film. directed by Lambert Hillyer... had started in silent films. June Collyer spent about ten years making films, disappeared for 15 years (raising a family ?), then came back to do television. on her husband's show..The Stu Erwin Show!

Atmospheric whodunit

[greenbudgie · 7/10 · 22 February 2021]

The action takes place at a country house in Forest Hills 50 miles from New York. It begins with Mr Arnold the owner telling Inspector Trent that he is afraid that a family curse may come true. Mr Arnold is frightened for his life as he has been warned of his imminent death. His grandfather died in mysterious circumstances after a pool of fresh blood had appeared on the floor and the house's main clock had stopped as omens of his death. Now people have gathered at Mr Arnold's house on a stormy night when Mr Arnold dies apparently of a heart attack brought on by fright after the same ominous signs occur.

This mystery poses some intriguing questions for us. What is it about Mr Arnold's 35 year stay in China that would have anything to do with his death? What is so sinister about the Buddha incense burner alone when there are other incense burners in the house? What is the item in Mr Arnold's room that is of interest to people who go there to search for it?

There are some of the usual 1930s country house thriller characters in this. The house staff are a housekeeper and a maid and a Japanese houseboy but no sinister butler this time round. Among the other suspects are a secretary and an attorney and a doctor. Be prepared to be baffled by whether people are who they appear to be or not. This is a good atmospheric whodunit from the Columbia Studio.

This film confirms the American Truism that every Rich Fat Cat One Per Center . . .

[oscaralbert · 6/10 · 15 January 2021]

. . . fills many closets with the skeletons of the victims that they slay on their way to the top of their pyramid, or during their vicious fights to remain King of the Hill. BEFORE MIDNIGHT's murderous millionaire "Edward Arnold" goes to great lengths to exterminate anyone threatening his mountain of ill-gotten loot. Normal people are like cockroaches to Mr. Arnold, ripe for his stomping as they scurry underfoot. Whether it's a long-time best friend or a faithful servant of many years, egregious Ed could not care less whom he squishes when it come to protecting his hoard of gold. BEFORE MIDNIGHT teaches viewers that no authentic average person in their right mind would ever get within a city block of any Rich person, all of whom are sociopaths by definition. Probably the only permitted exceptions would be the police, jailers and executioners on the extremely rare occasions when Justice prevails against some unlucky camel stuck in the eye of a needle.

Not a bad little mystery for being so short.

[franceshugg777 · 7/10 · 16 January 2021]

I liked all f the tests and turns, and for such a short film, it had a whole panoply of suspects and a lot of twists and turns packed into it. What I don't like about many of the flicks from this period, though is the way they portray black people, the language they put in their mouths and they always put them in lowly positions (which was rather true for the period, but they always seem to make them seem content to be so and not bothered by it all!).

Well-plotted mystery is a little slow moving

[csteidler · 6/10 · 11 June 2019]

Inspector Trent arrives at the old dark house on a stormy night, having been summoned by rich old Mr. Arnold. Trent gets right down to business:

Trent: "What's the trouble?" Arnold: "Somebody wants to kill me." Trent digs deeper: "What makes you think that?" Arnold: "I've been warned in the most peculiar way."

Plenty of clichés pop up in this generally enjoyable murder mystery. Inspector Trent quickly learns about the old legend of the house--years ago, the big grandfather clock stopped right before the current Mr. Arnold's great-grandfather was murdered. Sure enough, just when Trent has gathered the household in the hall, somebody exclaims that the clock has stopped. Suddenly the windows blow open and the lights go out--and when they come back on, there's a dead body on the floor.

Ralph Bellamy doesn't waste many words as the methodical Inspector Trent. A full roster of suspects includes the dead man's personal secretary, the secretary's wife (who may be a blackmailer), and beautiful June Collyer, the old man's ward who may or may not stand to inherit a big chunk of his money. The doctor, the banker, the lawyer--all behave suspiciously.

The plot involves a case of switched identities, a stolen diary, and an ink pen. The dead man was poisoned by a hypodermic needle in the left arm...or if not by a hypodermic, how?

Bellamy is a self-assured but rather single-minded inspector--this serious criminologist has no time for light-hearted banter with the suspects.

The plot is carefully laid out but not especially thrilling--which I guess is why the picture is interesting but never terribly exciting.

Decent Mystery with a Nice Twist

[Michael_Elliott · 24 June 2010]

Before Midnight (1933)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

A man invited Detective Trent (Ralph Bellamy) over to share his fears that he's about to be murdered. A few minutes later the man is dead and it's up to the detective to try and figure out how he was murder and who did it. This is yet another entry in the seemingly never-ending "old dark house" genre. As usual, we're given a murder, a hero and countless suspects. We also get the usual clichés that you find in a film like this. I've seen dozens, if not hundreds of these films and it's hard to find one that offers up anything new original and this one here is no different. Even though the film doesn't offer anything too new, it does feature a couple very good twists that I didn't see coming and Bellamy is as entertaining as always. I think what really makes the film work is the performance by Bellamy who really knows how to mix up the charm, comedy and seriousness. He does very good with the role and manages to work well with all the other actors and can deliver whatever the film is needing in any scene. June Collyer is pretty good as the woman various men want and Claude Gillingwater is good in his role as well. Fred "Snowflake" Toones plays the black taxi driver and delivers most of the "comedy" in the film. The screenplay pretty much follows every "old dark house" film that preceded it as we get a complicated murder, the investigation and countless people lying to try and cover up their involvement. What was so funny here is that the screenplay was quite lazy in terms of the characters and their lies. A character would start lying to cover up what he did, Bellamy would ask a single question and then the character would break down and admit what they did. This happens at least five times in the film and one begins to wonder why at least one of them wouldn't try to get away with the lie at least a second time before admitting what they had done. This Columbia film runs a brief 63-minutes and should keep fans of the genre entertained. Others should probably seek out one of the better entries.

Thirties decade mystery yarn

[searchanddestroy-1 · 9 January 2023]

Cluedo scheme murder film, there was thousands of those movies in the early thrities, or simpler, the early talkies. Mostly indoors, and in an atmosphere that Agatha Christie had probably been inspired from. For tose who love this kind of stories, this one is not bad, directed by a great former director from the silent period, Lambert Hillyer, but who, after the rise of talkies, began to slowly lose ambition ; except maybe for his BATMAN, a serial from 1943. So, yes this film is a quite good mystery yarn, but it is not really my cup of tea, I watched it only as a time waster. Good suspense, but that's all, nothing hair rising, so tension. Just an agreeable mystery film.

Stopped Clocks, Pools of Blood - All a Bit Spooky!!!

[kidboots · 9 August 2011]

For all June Collyer's second billing she didn't have much to do as the bewildered heiress in this first Columbia entry in a short series featuring Ralph Bellamy as laid back Inspector Trent. Still, she was definitely easy on the eyes and she would soon retire from movies to concentrate on being Mrs. Stuart Erwin. In 1934 "The Thin Man" showed how witty and stylish mysteries could be but for now (1933) policemen were very straight down the line.

When a young rookie cop demands a promotion for solving the "Penthouse" murder, his superior pulls him back into line by telling him the story of the Arnold case. Inspector Trent arrives at Forest Lake on a stormy night "just the night for a murder" at the request of Mr. Arnold, who is convinced someone is trying to kill him. He has seen all the signs - a stopped clock, a pool of blood under a portrait and with a storm battered window and a flash of light, Mr. Arnold lies dead.

This movie isn't half as exciting as "The Crime of Helen Stanley", an Inspector Trent set in a movie studio and featuring a temperamental movie star (Gail Patrick). This particular mystery features the old standby, a secret diary that everyone, except the wide eyed Janet (Collyer), wants to get their hands on. There's the usual suspects, a crooked lawyer, mysterious Mrs. Fry (silent screen beauty Betty Blythe), a young doctor, who seems to have all the evidence stacked against him as he just happens to be treating Mr Arnold and a nervous Japanese houseboy Kono. The only person who seems to be taking a back seat is Mr. Fry (Claude Dillingwater, who I could remember as the crusty old Mr. Peck in Shirley Temple's "The Poor Little Rich Girl") and he is the key to the whole mystery.

Ralph Bellamy is at the start of a long career and even in this he is never anything less than dependable.