The Midnight Phantom (1935)

Genres - Mystery  |   Sub-Genres - Supernatural Horror  |   Release Date - Nov 27, 1935 (USA - Unknown)  |   Run Time - 58 min.  |   Countries - United States  |   MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Hans J. Wollstein

An overly verbose screenplay all but sinks this otherwise standard whodunit from Poverty Row company Reliable Pictures Corp. A reform-minded but hardheaded chief of police, James Sullivan (James Farley) has a yen for making enemies of both colleagues and family members, including daughter Diane (Claudia Dell), whose romance with plainclothes detective Dan Burke (Lloyd Hughes) is met with stern disapproval. Sullivan, however, is brutally murdered by a dart laced with curare and the same fate befalls the attending physician (Francis Sayles). Enter noted criminologist Professor David Graham (top-billed Reginald Denny), whose investigation soon points the finger directly at Lieutenant Burke. But is Burke guilty or is someone else behind the killings? A Spanish language version, El Crimen del Media Noche, was filmed simultaneously and starred Ramon Pereda, Adriana Lamar, and Juan Torena in the roles originally played by Denny, Dell, and Hughes.

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Keywords

criminology, daughter, frame-up, poisoning, police-chief