Steineded
How sad is this?
Afouotos
Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.
Married Baby
Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?
utgard14
On a foggy night in London, five men are strangled. Four die but the fifth (Roland Young) escapes. Turns out the men all served together in the same regiment years before. Now Scotland Yard gathers the other men from the regiment together at Young's house to figure out the killer.Nice old dark house mystery with a creepy pre-credits ghost and effective opening few minutes. This was directed by Lionel Barrymore. He only directed a handful of movies and nothing past 1931. Which is a shame because, if this is any indication, he had talent as a director. It does creak some, being an early talkie, but it's still worth checking out. Boris Karloff has an uncredited part as a Hindu lawyer named Abdul. I love Karloff but this is one of his worst performances. He's so over the top you just have to see it for yourself.
Ron Oliver
With death stalking the darkness, members of a doomed regiment spend THE UNHOLY NIGHT in an old mansion seeking a murderer.Fine atmospherics and good performances propel this creaky creeper from the very early days of talking pictures. The opening sequence ably depicts the oppressive emotional weight of an extreme London fog. The remainder of the film becomes an Old Dark House picture, with the cast claustrophobically caught in the clutches of a clever killer.Owlish Roland Young does very well as the gentle nobleman whose grand home becomes a house of horrors. Appreciated for his comedic abilities, Young shows he's equally adept at more serious drama. Ernest Torrence--a very enjoyable character actor of the era whose career was cut short by an early death--plays the friendly doctor trying to deal with the brutal deaths. Lovely Natalie Moorhead portrays Young's sister, a woman fascinated by the supernatural. Dorothy Sebastian appears as a beautiful & mysterious lady from the East with a strange story to tell.Blustery Major Lionel Belmore, and John Miljan as a badly scarred Major, are two of the 'Doomed Regiment.' Polly Moran has a few good moments as a frightened maid. Exotic Sojin is most effective as a Chinese mystic.Movie mavens will easily recognize an unbilled Boris Karloff appearing as a sinister Turkish lawyer.Director Lionel Barrymore makes good use of the new sound technology with a few well placed screams and some hearty singing from the officers of the regiment.
whpratt1
Just recently taped this great film Classic and enjoyed going back in time to 1929 and enjoying a picture directed by Lionel Barrymore for MGM. This black & white film with foggy scenes of London and a group of British former officers drinking scotch and soda and singing old tunes while their fellow comrades died like flies, kept you wondering who the killer really was. There was mention of the "Green Ghost through out the picture and it seems this film was originally called "The Green Ghost". It was funny seeing painted words on the kitchen wall, "Waste NOT" WANT NOT" The big shocker was seeing Boris Karloff, "Bedlam" '46, appear as a lawyer and reading the last will of their fellow officers. Karloff was grateful that Lionel Barrymore gave him an uncredited role in this film, which boosted his recognition on the silver screen. Roland Young(Lord Montague) "Topper"'37 gave a very comical and dramatic performance and would be considered very slap stick in this generation. Dorothy Sebastian(Lady Efra Cavander) former Ziegfeld Gal put some so called action into the film with her very close-cut hair style. Most films in the late 1920's are very hard to find, this is a gem that was great viewing and took me way back in time. Enjoy this film, if you can find it !
telegonus
This very early talkie mystery-thriller was directed by Lionel Barrymore, and is quite well acted and written if one has a taste for old-fashioned melodrama and barnstorming ham. A fascinating period piece, which, if one likes the period, is priceless.
