I love this movie so much

Memorable, crazy movie

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

"An aging eccentric millionaire gathers his heirs and informs them that he intends to give his fortune to his granddaughter, if she appears before midnight, otherwise the five of them will split the estate. Two women arrive claiming to be the long-lost granddaughter, which upsets all of the other relatives. When one of the women ends up dead, suspicion falls upon everyone who potentially would benefit form the elimination of the other heirs," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.For the umpteenth time, a group of interconnecting people gather at a spooky mansion, hope to collect a fortune, and become murder victims (or suspects) - it's a very familiar plot. But, "One Frightened Night" manages to always seem cleverer than it is. Director Christy Cabanne, who was often hired to keep thing moving, does just that, while managing to throw in some of the flair he more often neglected. It's nice to see an older actor, Charley Grapewin (as Jasper Wythe), taking the lead; and, the rest of the cast circumvents him well.***** One Frightened Night (1935) Christy Cabanne ~ Charley Grapewin, Mary Carlisle, Wallace Ford

It's an agreeable surprise to find Charley Grapewin billed as the star of this fun and thrill-filled old dark house escapade. While it's possible to pick holes in the ingenious plot, the dialogue, the direction and even the cinematography, you can't argue with the central idea, the pacing, the superior production values (for a Poverty Row effort) or the obvious enthusiasm of players and technicians to make a movie that's always most enjoyable to watch and listen to, despite the obvious limitations of a "B" budget offering, set within the none-too-lavishly appointed confines of the old Mack Sennett Studio in North Hollywood. All things considered, Mac D'Agostino's sets are delightfully eye-catching. I love the trophy room!The picture starts off most promisingly on the right foot with an ingenious credits sequence improvised and directed by Joseph H. Lewis. The movie then quickly gets down to familiar but nonetheless pleasing business as the camera focuses on Charley Grapewin, who quickly and cleverly explains to his assembled relatives what nice round figures each will realize from his $6 million will, provided of course that his long-lost grand-daughter doesn't turn up before the clock strikes twelve. Needless to say, she does—in the person of lovely Evalyn Knapp—or does she? As expected, the mystery and horror elements (the phantom himself or herself isn't all that frightening, but there's a sequence in the trophy room that's bound to raise goose bumps) jostle for attention with some smart repartee and even a bit of knockabout. But even that is well done!

Wonderful cast in the extreme, very good directing, fine soundtrack, exceptionally well done photography, well scripted, with some nice plot twists and turns. Again ... Classic all the way. Best part? The cast. Worst part? The continuity could have used some tweaking here and there. I mean, when you dash in out of a rain storm, well, you ought to be wet. Down side? None. Difficult to figure out? Well, not really. You can pretty much do that ten minutes into the movie. At least I did. But there are twists enough to keep you doubting. It takes both thought and perseverance. Keep track of who is where and who does what. The fun comes in when you realize that certain characters obviously find it, they think, as clear cut as you do. That is ... IF you do. And if you do ... Then you get to set back, relax and watch the cops try to figure it out while essentially being lead around by the hand by those ( like you ) who know. If you don't? Hey, hang in there. How close is it to being a real 10? If the girl's coat had been wet when she came in out of the rain? I'd have given it a 10. And thats just about as close it gets.

For fans of 1930's Poverty Row, the very presence of a storm-battered mansion elicits a pleasant feeling, and makes otherwise unforgivable flaws within the film bearable. I've never seen an "Old Dark House" movie I didn't like, but some are definitely better than others. Case in point: "One Frightened Night."Starting with an ingenious credit sequence, the movie consistently offers an awareness of its own cliches. This refreshingly tounge-in-cheek-attitude - along with top-notch acting and pacing - make it a superior product. Everything seems to click. I recommend this as an intro to Old Dark House movies. 10/10.