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{{short description|1922 film by D. W. Griffith}}
{{For|the 1944 British film|One Exciting Night (1944 film)}}
{{For|the 1944 British film|One Exciting Night (1944 film)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2020}}

{{Infobox film
{{Infobox film
| name = One Exciting Night
| name = One Exciting Night
| image = One Exciting Night lobby poster.jpg
| image = One Exciting Night lobby poster.jpg
| image size =
| alt =
| alt =
| caption = 1922 lobby poster
| caption = 1922 lobby poster
Line 12: Line 13:
| screenplay =
| screenplay =
| story =
| story =
| based on = <!-- {{based on|title of the original work|writer of the original work}} -->
| based_on = <!-- {{based on|title of the original work|writer of the original work}} -->
| narrator =
| narrator =
| starring = [[Carol Dempster]]<br/>[[Henry Hull]]<br/>[[Morgan Wallace]]<br/>[[Margaret Dale (actress)|Margaret Dale]]<br/>Porter Strong
| starring = [[Carol Dempster]]<br/>[[Henry Hull]]<br/>[[Morgan Wallace]]<br/>[[Margaret Dale (actress)|Margaret Dale]]<br/>Porter Strong
| music =
| music =
| cinematography = Irving B. Ruby<br/>{{Interlanguage link multi|Hendrik Sartov|fr|3=Hendrik_Sartov}}
| cinematography = Irving B. Ruby<br/>{{Interlanguage link|Hendrik Sartov|fr|3=Hendrik_Sartov}}
| editing =
| editing =
| studio = [[D. W. Griffith|D.W. Griffith Productions]]
| studio = [[D. W. Griffith|D.W. Griffith Productions]]
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| country = United States
| country = United States
| language = [[Silent film|Silent]] (English [[intertitle]]s)
| language = [[Silent film|Silent]] (English [[intertitle]]s)
| budget = $362,000<ref name="var">{{cite magazine|accessdate=21 March 2023|url=https://archive.org/details/variety92-1928-09/page/n12/mode/1up?q=%22budgeted+at%22|magazine=Variety|title=Griffith's 20 Year Record|date=5 September 1928|page=12}}</ref>
| budget =
| gross =
| gross = $1,150,000<ref name="var"/>
}}
}}
[[File:One Exciting Night (1922).webm|thumb|''One Exciting Night'']]
[[File:One Exciting Night (1922).webm|thumb|''One Exciting Night'']]
[[File:One_Exciting_Night_1922_lobby_poster.jpg|right|thumb|alt. lobby poster for theaters]]
'''''One Exciting Night''''' is a 1922 [[United States|American]] [[Gothic fiction|Gothic]] [[silent film|silent]] [[Mystery film]] directed by [[D. W. Griffith]].<ref>[http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=11126 The AFI Catalog of Feature Films:''One Exciting Night'']</ref>
'''''One Exciting Night''''' is a 1922 [[United States|American]] [[Gothic fiction|Gothic]] [[silent film|silent]] [[mystery film]] directed by [[D. W. Griffith]].<ref>[http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=11126 The AFI Catalog of Feature Films:''One Exciting Night'']</ref>


The plot revolves around the murder of a [[Rum-running|bootlegger]] and the attempts of the cast to uncover the true murderer. The film, inspired by the [[Mary Roberts Rinehart]] and [[Avery Hopwood]] play ''The Bat'' (1920), led to the production of similar "murder mystery/old dark house" films such as ''[[The Ghost Breaker (1922 film)|The Ghost Breaker]]'' (1922), previously filmed by C. B. DeMille in 1914, ''[[The Bat (1926 film)|The Bat]]'' (1926) based on the play, ''[[Midnight Faces]]'' (1926), ''[[The Cat and the Canary (1927 film)|The Cat and the Canary]]'' (1927), ''[[The Old Dark House]]'' (1932) and even the fabled ''[[London After Midnight (film)|London After Midnight]]'' (1927) with [[Lon Chaney, Sr.|Lon Chaney]].<ref>''The American Film Institute Catalog of Feature Films: 1921-30'', c.1971 by The American Film Institute</ref>
The plot revolves around a series of murders on a wealthy estate and the attempts of the cast to uncover the murderer's identity. The success of both the [[Mary Roberts Rinehart]] and [[Avery Hopwood]] play ''[[The Bat (play)|The Bat]]'' (1920), as well as the 1922 stage play ''[[The Cat and the Canary (play)|The Cat and the Canary]]'', led Griffith to write and produce his own variation on the theme.<ref>''The American Film Institute Catalog of Feature Films: 1921-30'', c.1971 by The American Film Institute</ref>


At the time of this film, [[Henry Hull]] was starring on Broadway in the stage version of [[John Willard (playwright)|John Willard]]'s ''[[The Cat and the Canary (play)|The Cat and the Canary]]''.
At the time of this film, [[Henry Hull]] was starring on Broadway in the stage version of [[John Willard (playwright)|John Willard]]'s ''[[The Cat and the Canary (play)|The Cat and the Canary]]''.

==Plot==
Agnes Harrington's uncle separates her from her family in Africa when her wealthy father passes away, so that he won't have to share his brother's fortune with the child. Years later on his deathbed, he sees to it that Agnes is restored to her rightful place in society, cutting his own son John Fairfax out of the chain of inheritance in the process.

John, Agnes and a number of other people gather at a social event at the famous Fairfax Estate, unaware that it is being used by a gang of bootleggers, and that a hidden treasure is concealed somewhere on the grounds. To make matters worse, a creepy madman is stalking the grounds, and one by one people start turning up dead.


==Cast==
==Cast==
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* [[Charles Emmett Mack]] as A Guest
* [[Charles Emmett Mack]] as A Guest
* [[Charles Croker-King]] as The Neighbor
* [[Charles Croker-King]] as The Neighbor
* Porter Strong as Romeo Washington
* [[Porter Strong]] as Romeo Washington
* [[Frank Sheridan]] as Detective
* [[Frank Sheridan (actor)|Frank Sheridan]] as Detective
* Frank Wunderlee as Samuel Jones
* Frank Wunderlee as Samuel Jones
* Grace Griswold as Auntie Fairfax
* [[Grace Griswold]] as Auntie Fairfax
* Irma Harrison as The Maid
* [[Irma Harrison]] as The Maid
* Herbert Sutch as Clary Johnson
* Herbert Sutch as Clary Johnson
* Percy Carr as The Butler
* Percy Carr as The Butler

==Production==
''One Exciting Night'' saw an underwhelming response at test screenings. Director [[D. W. Griffith]] decided that the problem was that the film lacked the spectacular climax audiences had come to expect from his films, so he reassembled the cast and shot a new ending involving a terrifying storm, using a combination of real hurricane footage which he had shot earlier and studio footage filmed with special effects.<ref>{{cite book |title=Comedy-Horror Films: A Chronological History, 1914-2008 |url=https://archive.org/details/comedyhorrorfilm00hall|url-access=limited |last=Hallenbeck |first=Bruce G.|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|year=2009 |isbn=9780786453788|page=5}}</ref>


==Home media==
==Home media==
This film received a brief release on [[VHS]] in the 1990s.<ref>[http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/O/OneExcitingNight1922.html Progressive Silent Film List: ''One Exciting Night''] at silentera.com</ref>
This film received a brief release on [[VHS]] in the 1990s.<ref>[http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/O/OneExcitingNight1922.html Progressive Silent Film List: ''One Exciting Night''] at silentera.com</ref> In March 2014 the film was released on all-region DVD by Alpha Video.<ref>[http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.mbrs.sfdb.802/default.html The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: ''One Exciting Night'']</ref>
In March 2014 the film was released on all-region DVD by Alpha Video.<ref>[http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.mbrs.sfdb.802/default.html The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: ''One Exciting Night'']</ref>


==References==
==References==
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{{commons category|One Exciting Night}}
{{commons category|One Exciting Night}}
*{{IMDb title|0013458}}
*{{IMDb title|0013458}}
*{{allmovie|104818|Synopsis}}
*{{allMovie title|104818|Synopsis}}
*[http://silenthollywood.com/oneexcitingnight1922.html Lantern slide] at silenthollywood.com
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130722234116/http://silenthollywood.com/oneexcitingnight1922.html Lantern slide] at silenthollywood.com (archived)
*[https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTOu62-tZOT6OnAupDfuz_rVtFKcPeNeU4zt8ZBYw-qX6I3xk7w advertisement poster]


{{D. W. Griffith}}
{{D. W. Griffith}}


[[Category:1922 films]]
[[Category:1922 films]]
[[Category:American silent feature films]]
[[Category:1920s English-language films]]
[[Category:American films]]
[[Category:1922 comedy horror films]]
⚫
[[Category:1920s comedy films]]
⚫
[[Category:1920s horror films]]
[[Category:1920s mystery films]]
[[Category:1920s mystery films]]
[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
[[Category:Films directed by D. W. Griffith]]
[[Category:Films directed by D. W. Griffith]]
[[Category:American comedy horror films]]
[[Category:American comedy horror films]]
[[Category:Haunted house films]]
[[Category:American haunted house films]]
[[Category:American mystery films]]
[[Category:American mystery films]]
[[Category:Films set in country houses]]
[[Category:Films set in country houses]]
[[Category:United Artists films]]
[[Category:United Artists films]]
⚫
[[Category:1920s American films]]

[[Category:Silent comedy-drama films]]

[[Category:Silent mystery films]]
{{silent-film-stub}}
⚫
[[Category:Silent horror films]]
{{comedy-horror-film-stub}}
[[Category:Silent American drama films]]
[[Category:Silent American comedy films]]
[[Category:Surviving American silent films]]
[[Category:American silent feature films]]
[[Category:Films about inheritances]]

Latest revision as of 03:12, 1 July 2024

For the 1944 British film, see One Exciting Night (1944 film).

One Exciting Night
1922 lobby poster
Directed byD. W. Griffith
Written byD. W. Griffith
(as Irene Sinclair)
Produced byD. W. Griffith
StarringCarol Dempster
Henry Hull
Morgan Wallace
Margaret Dale
Porter Strong
CinematographyIrving B. Ruby
Hendrik Sartov [fr]
Production
company
Distributed byUnited Artists
Release date
  • October 2, 1922 (1922-10-02)
Running time
128 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)
Budget$362,000[1]
Box office$1,150,000[1]
One Exciting Night
alt. lobby poster for theaters

One Exciting Night is a 1922 American Gothic silent mystery film directed by D. W. Griffith.[2]

The plot revolves around a series of murders on a wealthy estate and the attempts of the cast to uncover the murderer's identity. The success of both the Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood play The Bat (1920), as well as the 1922 stage play The Cat and the Canary, led Griffith to write and produce his own variation on the theme.[3]

At the time of this film, Henry Hull was starring on Broadway in the stage version of John Willard's The Cat and the Canary.

Plot

[edit]

Agnes Harrington's uncle separates her from her family in Africa when her wealthy father passes away, so that he won't have to share his brother's fortune with the child. Years later on his deathbed, he sees to it that Agnes is restored to her rightful place in society, cutting his own son John Fairfax out of the chain of inheritance in the process.

John, Agnes and a number of other people gather at a social event at the famous Fairfax Estate, unaware that it is being used by a gang of bootleggers, and that a hidden treasure is concealed somewhere on the grounds. To make matters worse, a creepy madman is stalking the grounds, and one by one people start turning up dead.

Cast

[edit]

Production

[edit]

One Exciting Night saw an underwhelming response at test screenings. Director D. W. Griffith decided that the problem was that the film lacked the spectacular climax audiences had come to expect from his films, so he reassembled the cast and shot a new ending involving a terrifying storm, using a combination of real hurricane footage which he had shot earlier and studio footage filmed with special effects.[4]

Home media

[edit]

This film received a brief release on VHS in the 1990s.[5] In March 2014 the film was released on all-region DVD by Alpha Video.[6]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Griffith's 20 Year Record". Variety. September 5, 1928. p. 12. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  2. ^ The AFI Catalog of Feature Films:One Exciting Night
  3. ^ The American Film Institute Catalog of Feature Films: 1921-30, c.1971 by The American Film Institute
  4. ^ Hallenbeck, Bruce G. (2009). Comedy-Horror Films: A Chronological History, 1914-2008. McFarland & Company. p. 5. ISBN 9780786453788.
  5. ^ Progressive Silent Film List: One Exciting Night at silentera.com
  6. ^ The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: One Exciting Night
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to One Exciting Night.
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