Midnight Club *** (1933, George Raft, Clive Brook, Helen Vinson, Alison Skipworth, Guy Standing, Alan Mowbray) – Classic Movie Review 13,296

George Raft stars as American detective Nick Mason, who infiltrates a gang of London jewel thieves, in the 1933 American pre-Code crime drama film Midnight Club.

Director Alexander Hall’s 1933 American pre-Code crime drama film Midnight Club stars George Raft, Clive Brook, Helen Vinson, Alison Skipworth, Guy Standing, and Alan Mowbray.

It is a more than fair, old-style mystery thriller, in which American detective Nick Mason (George Raft) is on the case of Englishman Colin Grant (Clive Brook)’s gang of London jewel thieves, who send doubles to take their places in a London nightclub to establish alibis while they are out committing crimes. London police Commissioner Hope (Sir Guy Standing) calls in the American detective to go undercover and infiltrate the gang.

The very good cast and the director’s sterling attempts at pace, humour and atmosphere help to keep this little movie most enjoyable.

The screenplay is by Leslie Charteris and Seton I Miller, based on the 1931 short story Gangster’s Glory by E Phillips Oppenheim.

The cast are Clive Brook as Colin Grant, George Raft as Nick Mason, Helen Vinson as Iris Whitney, Alison Skipworth as Lady Barrett-Smythe, Sir Guy Standing as Commissioner Hope, Alan Mowbray as Arthur Bradley, Ferdinand Gottschalk as George Rubens Forrester Harvey as Thomas Roberts, Ethel Griffies as The Duchess, Teru Shimada as Nishi, Charles Coleman as Carstairs, Billy Bevan as Detective, Jean De Briac as Headwaiter, Leo White as Waiter, Rita Carlyle as Nick’s landlady, Dennis O’Keefe as Dance Extra, Richard Carle, and Charles McNaughton.

Midnight Club is directed by Alexander Hall and George Somnes, runs 65 minutes, is made and released by Paramount Pictures, is written by Leslie Charteris and Seton I. Miller, based on a story by E Phillips Oppenheim, is shot in black and white by Theodore Sparkuhl, and is scored by W Franke Harling and Howard Jackson.

Release date: July 29, 1933.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 13,296

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