Night of Terror (1933) starring Wallace Ford, Bela Lugosi
In Night of Terror, a maniac murders a wealthy man. His heirs have to spend the night at his spooky mansion, if they hope to inherit. But someone murders them one by one …
Synopsis
An unknown maniac is killing people by night. Over a dozen, at the start of the movie. The police are baffled, of course. A rich man is having relatives visit. In the meanwhile, a scientist is planning to perform a suspended animation experiment on himself. While he’s suspended, however, the rich man is murdered. And the would-be inheritors are murdered one by one.
Review
Today, the plot is a cliché. But not as much back in 1933. A mysterious “maniac” has been killing people. His victims are always found with a taunting newspaper clipping attached to their body. And the latest victim is a wealthy man. This leads to the main part of the story.
The dead man has left his fortune to the various family members, as well as his faithful servants. But, if any of them die, the fortune is then split among the survivors. And sure enough, the inheritors begin dying one at a time. So it’s a mystery as to who the murderer is. But it can’t be the scientist nephew …. After all, he’s been testing a suspended animation in an underground burial. Hasn’t he?
Product Description
Night Of Terror-1933-black and white- Bela Lugosi is Degar, a servant at the Rinehart Estate where there is a murderer loose somewhere on the grounds. No one is safe as body after body turns up, all victims of The Maniac! In an act of desperation, Degar’s clairvoyant wife Sika conducts a seance to determine who is the murderer. Who will survive the Night Of Terror?
Cast of characters
- Bela Lugosi (Dracula, The Devil Bat) as Degar. The butler, who goes about with a sense of foreboding. Given Lugosi’s reputation by this time, it would be easy to assume that he’s the maniac. But “easy” isn’t always “right”.
- Sally Blane as Mary Rinehart
- Wallace Ford (The Rogues Tavern) as Tom Hartley. A newspaper reporter, who’s investigating the murders. And romancing the lovely Mary as well.
- Tully Marshall (HE Who Gets Slapped) as Richard Rinehart. The scientific nephew.
- Mary Frey … Sika. Degar’s wife, who claims to be psychic. She holds a seance, to try and determine who the Maniac is.
- Matt McHugh (Freaks) … Detective Bailey
- George Meeker (Marie Antoinette) as Arthur Hornsby
- Edwin Maxwell (Ninotchka) as The Maniac (end sequence only)
- Gertrude Michael (I’m No Angel) as Sarah Rinehart
- Bryant Washburn (Captain Midnight) as John Rinehart