Cubussoli Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Isbel A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

JohnHowardReid "One Exciting Night" (1922) is not terribly exciting, although it has its moments. Alas, without Billy Bitzer at the camera, D.W. Griffith is not exactly the most innovative of directors. Everything is played at the camera as if the actors were on a stage. There is only one pan (broken into two shots by an insert) in the entire movie. The film is obviously angled at keen Carol Dempster fans. She is given more close-ups than the rest of the extensive cast combined. The plot is not particularly interesting, but – chiefly thanks to Dempster – it just manages to hold attention – in Alpha DVD's quite watchable cutdown 108 minutes version anyway. (The movie originally ran 128 minutes).

drednm ONE EXCITING NIGHT is an odd film directed by D.W. Griffith. It stars Carol Dempster and Henry Hull. The film is unusual for Griffith because it's a comic mystery. Although the film is too long, it's entertaining.Dempster is an unknowing heiress who is always seeking the love of her mother. But the woman is not her mother. Dempster is being pawned off on an older suitor who is after her estate. At a party she meets and falls for Hull, but then odd happenings begin and there is a murder.The intricate plot is probably defeated by the long running time, but this film is underrated possibly because it lacks major stars. Yet Henry Hull is an appealing leading man here, and Carol Dempster is a surprise.A minor actress in the teens, Dempster was elevated to stardom in the 20s by Griffith after she became his mistress. Although Dempster has historically been regarded as a dud, she's quite good here as the awkward heroine, Agnes Harrington. She has an angular beauty that was slightly out of step with the era's ideals, but in the right role, Dempster was a good actress. In Griffith's THE SORROWS OF Satan and ISN'T LIFE WONDFERUL, Dempster turns in excellent performances. She retired from films before talkies came in and never looked back.Also good are Margaret Dale as the "mother," Porter Strong as Romeo, Morgan Wallace as Rockmaine, and Charles Emmett Mack as the "guest." Filming locations are quite good.

wes-connors Like so many D.W. Griffith films, "One Exciting Nigh": has an informative subtitle, so "A Comedy Drama of Mystery" opens in "somber Africa", where the origin of Carol Dempster (as Agnes Harrington) is shown. Moreover, title cards advise viewers to watch the film's beginning scenes with intensity. It's good advice. Indeed, the well-designed plot unfolds in layers; and, the film's characterizations are a great strength. The drama centers on Ms. Dempster, and two suitors - Henry Hull (as John Fairfax) and Morgan Wallace (as J. Wilson Rockmaine). Dempster has accepted a proposal of marriage to Mr. Wallace; not for love, but to save her foster mother from scandal; Wallace witnessed Mrs. Harrington (Margaret Dale) steal a watch, as the Harrington family faced financial ruin. Then, Dempster catches Mr. Hull's eye; and, the two fall desperately in love… Intricate, imaginative storytelling, and direction from Griffith, who weaves his characters into the standard mysterious "Old Dark House" formula, involving, of course, money and murder. The film's strong performances are tainted by some disturbingly offensive racial stereotypes. For example, the depiction of ambition among black-faced Porter Strong (as Romeo Washington), introduced in his listless "colored" community, is bound to leave you stone-faced. At least Mr. Strong's rolling bug-eyed "darkie" will provide a classic example of a racist character "type", if you're interested. However, such depictions taint an otherwise excellent, near indispensable, Griffith film.Dempster was not always well-served by mentor Griffith; but, herein, she excels. Her awkwardly beautiful, and naively vulnerable character offered Dempster one of her best roles; and, it is delivered at a time when she had the silent acting prowess necessary for a leading role. Hull is outstanding as her leading man; a thoroughly believable young romantic, he makes their relationship work. Watch for the great courtship scene with Hull, Dempster, and her parasol; it defines their young, innocent love. Wallace is fine as the man who comes between them. Smaller roles, like Charles Mack's turn as an unfortunate houseguest, are likewise expertly played. "One Exciting Night" is perhaps too long; but, Griffith keeps thing moving, and little seems superfluous. The close-to-the-edge and ending scenes could blow you away. ******** One Exciting Night (10/2/22) D.W. Griffith ~ Carol Dempster, Henry Hull, Morgan Wallace, Charles Emmett Mack

rsoonsa D. W. Griffith made his only venture into the mystery field here, primarily due to the success of the "old dark house" genre, stimulated by Mary Roberts Rinehart's novel, THE CIRCULAR STAIRCASE, which was very successfully filmed and staged (with Avery Hopwood) as THE BAT. The script written by Griffith (as Irene Sinclair) is extremely complicated, and engages the cast in a jointed series of plots revolving for the most part about attempts at discovery of a missing half-million dollars of bootlegger takings, secreted somewhere within a mansion that is replete with secret passages and hidden panels. Griffith gave his mistress, Carol Dempster, the female lead romantically linked with Henry Hull, whose kinetic limberness is difficult to match, although she acts well, and vigorously too, as much of the scenario provides comedic lunacy; Morgan Wallace is particularly engaging as a Dempster suitor. The film is well-edited, and the special effects by Edward Scholl are creative, to say the least; however, Griffith's penchant for adding numerous story lines to his cinematic landscape causes more than a bit of weariness in the viewer as the work pitches constantly among romantic, mystery and comedy themes; as to be expected, the small moments of detail when the talented players are given rein are generally the most satisfying.