A Thief in the Dark

A Thief in the Dark
Directed by	Albert Ray
Screenplay by	C. Graham Baker William Kernell
Story by	Albert Ray Kenneth Hawks Andrew Bennison
Starring	George Meeker Doris Hill Gwen Lee Marjorie Beebe Michael Vavitch Noah Young
Cinematography	Arthur Edeson
Edited by	Jack Dennis
Production company	Fox Film Corporation
Distributed by	Fox Film Corporation
Release date	May 20, 1928 (1928-05-20)
Running time	60 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

A Thief in the Dark is a lost ^[1] 1928 American silent mystery film directed by Albert Ray, written by C. Graham Baker and William Kernell (based on a plot idea from director Ray), and starring George Meeker, Doris Hill, Gwen Lee, Marjorie Beebe, Michael Vavitch and Noah Young. The film was released on May 20, 1928, by Fox Film Corporation. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Plot

A young drifter named Ernest joins a troupe of phony mystics working in a carnival, led by a Professor Xeno. Ernest learns that his colleagues are systematically burglarizing some of the wealthy homes in the towns through which they travel. Ernest finds out that Xeno has stooped to murdering an old lady for her jewelry, and sets about trying to expose Xeno to the authorities.

Cast

• George Meeker as Ernest
• Doris Hill as Elise
• Gwen Lee as Flo
• Marjorie Beebe as Jeanne
• Michael Vavitch as Professor Xeno
• Noah Young as Monk
• Charles Belcher as Duke
• Ray Turner as Beauregard
• Erville Alderson as Armstrong

Production

The film is thought by critics to have lifted its storyline from Tod Browning's successful 1925 film The Unholy Three. Cameraman Edeson later became one of James Whale's favorite associates, photographing Frankenstein (1931), The Old Dark House (1932) and The Invisible Man (1933) for the director. ^[5]

Preservation

With no holdings located in archives, A Thief in the Dark is considered a lost film. ^[1]

References

1. "The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: A Thief In The Dark". memory.loc.gov. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
2. "A Thief in the Dark (1928) - Overview". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
3. Hal Erickson. "Thief in the Dark (1928) - Albert Ray". AllMovie. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
4. "A Thief in the Dark". Catalog.afi.com. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
5. Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 334. ISBN   978-1936168-68-2.

External links

• A Thief in the Dark at IMDb