Midnight Episode

Midnight Episode
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Gordon Parry
Written by	Rita Barisse
Screenplay by	Paul Vincent Carroll David Evans William Templeton Reeve Tyler Rita Barisse
Based on	Monsieur La Souris by Georges Simenon
Produced by	Theo Lageard
Starring	Stanley Holloway Leslie Dwyer Reginald Tate Meredith Edwards Wilfrid Hyde-White Sebastian Cabot Joy Shelton Raymond Young Leslie Perrins Campbell Copelin Natasha Parry
Cinematography	Hone Glendinning
Edited by	Charles Hasse
Music by	Mischa Spoliansky
Production company	Triangle Film Corporation
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures (1951) UK Fine Arts Films (1955) USA
Release date	31 December 1950 (1950-12-31)(United Kingdom)
Running time	78 minutes
Country	Britain
Language	English [1]

Midnight Episode is a 1950 British thriller mystery film directed by Gordon Parry and starring Stanley Holloway, Leslie Dwyer, Reginald Tate and Meredith Edwards. ^{[2] [3]} The screenplay was by Paul Vincent Carroll, David Evans and William Templeton from an adaptation by Rita Barisse and Reeve Tyler of the 1938 novel Monsieur La Souris by Georges Simenon. ^[4]

The film was released in United States on 19 May 1955.^{[ citation needed ]}

Plot

An indigent street performer of Shakesperian verse chances upon a wallet filled with money and private papers. For its loser's desperate acquaintances, the papers have more value than any finder could conceive. A value for them its retrieval makes imperative, and, for the seemingly- fortunate finder, its longed-for riches only involve him in their violent world, and in more trouble than he ever knew, as a poorer man.

Cast

• Stanley Holloway as Professor Prince ^[5]
• Leslie Dwyer as Albert
• Reginald Tate as Inspector Lucas
• Meredith Edwards as Detective Sergeant Taylor
• Wilfrid Hyde-White as Mr. Knight
• Joy Shelton as Mrs. Arnold
• Raymond Young as Miller
• Leslie Perrins as Charles Mason
• Sebastian Cabot as Benno
• Campbell Copelin as the General
• Natasha Parry as Jill Harris

Reviews

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "This is an English version of the French film, Monsieur la Souris , in which Raimu played the lead. As transferred to London, scene and atmosphere seem very artificial, and the story, poorly directed, is confused and not particularly exciting. Stanley Holloway, although occasionally achieving a comic moment, misses the character that Raimu found in the part; the rest of the cast is second-rate." ^[6]

Kine Weekly wrote: "The film, adapted from the French, is admittedly off the beaten track, but it lacks tension and cohesion. After the first 20 minutes interest begins to wane, and not even the experienced and resourceful Stanley Holloway can restore it." ^[7]

References

1. Wheeler W. Dixon (1994). Re-Viewing British Cinema, 1900–1992: Essays and Interviews. SUNY Press. pp. 162–. ISBN   978-0-7914-1862-8.
2. "Midnight Episode". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
3. Andrew Spicer (2010). Historical Dictionary of Film Noir. Scarecrow Press. pp. 445–. ISBN   978-0-8108-7378-0.
4. Geoff Mayer (2012). Historical Dictionary of Crime Films. Scarecrow Press. pp. 352–. ISBN   978-0-8108-6769-7.
5. Terence Pettigrew (1982). British Film Character Actors: Great Names and Memorable Moments. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 92–. ISBN   978-0-7153-8270-7.
6. "Midnight Episode" . The Monthly Film Bulletin . 18 (204): 219. 1 January 1951. ProQuest   1305815219.
7. "Midnight Episode" . Kine Weekly . 405 (2270): 19. 28 December 1950. ProQuest   2732588123.

External links

• Midnight Episode at IMDb