Midnight Alibi
First National Pictures  (1934)
Comedy, Crime, Romance
In Collection
#8590
0*
Seen ItYes
IMDB   6.6
1 hr 0 mins USA / English
DVD  Region 1   NR
Richard Barthelmess Lance McGowan / Robert Anders
Ann Dvorak Joan
Helen Chandler Abigail
Helen Lowell The Old Doll
Henry O'Neill Ardsley
Robert Barrat Angie
Robert McWade Senator
Purnell Pratt Wilson
Harry Tyler Hughie
Paul Hurst Babe
Arthur Aylesworth Blind Man
Director
Alan Crosland
Producer Robert Presnell
Writer Warren Duff
Cinematography William Rees


A real First National oddity, in that it's mostly a Damon Runyon comedy, part of a mini-Runyon wave then in Hollywood ("Lady for a Day," "Little Miss Marker"), but it's also a historical romance. There's a lengthy, sentimental flashback to 1880s New York, where the Sky Masterson-ish Barthelmess plays a different character altogether, a glum office boy romancing the boss's daughter. (He looks 30 years too old, and he's not the most natural Runyon hero in the modern sequences, either.) The screenwriter has the right ear for Runyonese, a mixture of modern '30s slang and fanciful preciousness, and it's certainly a handsome production, especially in the flashbacks. But the tone isn't consistent, the resolution is too pat (the title is something of a plot giveaway), and the always-interesting Ann Dvorak looks a little bored in a conventional-leading-lady role.
Edition Details
No. of Disks/Tapes 1
Personal Details
Purchase Price $19.95
Current Value $19.95
Links Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.de
Amazon.fr
Amazon.ca
Movie Collector Connect
IMDB
TheMovieDb.org