Midnight Limited (Monogram) (1940)

a John King Made Good The Hard Way One-Time Lumberjack Stars in “Midnight Limited” at .........:..... Theatre John King, who has the leading role in Monogram’s “Midnight Limited,’ now showing at the ....... theatre, has been in the movies only two years, but during that time he has made 22 pictures. King didn’t start out in life to be an actor, he drifted into it. Educated at the University of Cincinnati, John became an automobile salesman after his graduation but, always having had a yen for the wide open spaces, he grabbed at the chance to become a lumberjack out west. On nights off, John used to fill in at the local radio station, singing love songs in the rich baritone voice that now thrills thousands from the screen. Although his lumberjack pals kidded him for this, that was the beginning of John’s career as an entertainer. He went back to Cincinnati as a radio singer, became a staff member of WCKY and WKRC, and then joined Ben Bernie’s orchestra as a vocalist. When Bernie and his band appeared in Hollywood, King was immediately tested by Universal and signed to a contract. His first big picture was “Three Smart Girls,’ with Deanna Durbin. Among other features King made at Universal are “The Road Back,” ‘The Crime of Dr. Hallet,’ and “Show Boat.” Then he went to Fox for several Charlie Chan’s. But the wide open spaces still called to john King, so he leaped at the chance to play a cowboy in Monogram’s “The Gentleman from Arizona.” The rave reviews om this picture, filmed all in color, caused Monogram to put King under contract. “Midnight Limited” is his first film under his new contract. A thrilling story of a death train haunted by a phantom killer, “Midnight Limited” has King in the role of Val Lennon, ace railroad detective, who finally solves the mystery and saves the reputation of the road. Marjorie Reynolds has the feminine lead of the girl who works with Val. Others outstanding in the cast include Monte Collins, George Cleveland, Pat Flaherty, Lita Chevret, Edward Keane, and Stanford Jolley. NIAGARA BOUND! iP ~ John King and Marjorie Reynolds in a romantic moment aboard the “Midnight Limited” at the rresuen theatre. One Col. Cut or Mat No. 5 OURADUULOSUVOTAMOUENSSOOUAGCHSEOOCSOEUOTECREROVTATOUEOONADEOGCOD EEO OUU TAT OOU ECR PEU TATA EO CE CUCU eee eee CAST | re ae JOHN KING Joan MARJORIE REYNOLDS Professor .....George Cleveland UO MOSEEVEUNEDENEE SEAS Harrigan............... Edward Keane Conductor.................. Pat Flaherty KranZ, .o..ccccececcee Monte Collins Trainman.................. Herb Ashley Frenchie............... Stanford Jolley Walliyine ke oe Buck Woods TU . CE The Story of “MIDNIGHT LIMITED” Joan Marshall, travelling on the crack "Midnight Limited," is robbed of valuable papers by the Phantom Bandit. Joan, the only person who saw the thief, assists the railroad detectives under Val Lennon, ace sleuth. During another robbery, a man is murdered. There are no clues leading to the method of the thief's escape. Val finds all railroad employees have been with the company over ten years except Kranz, baggage clerk; that all victims have made reservations through Ritz Plaza Hotel clerk; that on each fatal trip, a coffin has been shipped in the baggage car. Joan learns that an old man, the "professor,’ has been on the train each time. He claims to make his living by delivering pack R. R. MAN John King plays a new detective type, the railroad sleuth in “Midnight Limited” now at the cre theatre. One Col. Cut or Mat No. 4 ages or messages from one city to another. Val poses as a Canadian banker, registers at the Ritz Plaza, asks for reservations on the Midnight Limited. Val lets it be known he is carrying a large sum of money. The professor is commissioned to carry a message and an extra ticket on the train that night. Val is robbed. He follows the thief and catches him entering the baggage car. A gun fight ensues between railroad police and Kranz. The latter is killed. Val reveals his solution— following each robbery, Kranz admitted the thief into the baggage car, hiding him in the empty coffin. Joan and Val are married and leave on the Midnight Limited for their honeymon. Train Whistle Ruins “Take” On “Midnight Limited” Set All grown men are little boys at heart. This was proved during the filming of Monogram’s “Midnight Limited,” railroad mystery _ story which is playing now at the... theatre. Practically all of the action of this picture takes place on board a train, and Monogram’s Stage 6 looked like a railroad construction yard, with pullmans, baggage cars, passenger cars strewn all over the set. But when producer T. R. Williams missed his star, John King, or any other member of the cast, for that matter, he knew immediately where to look, and headed for the specially constructed gigantic steam engine puffing away on Stage 4. And invariably there would be the missing actor or actors, playing engineer. Five scenes in one day had to be re-shot because an over-enthusiastic “engineer” would ruin a take by blowing the whistle in true railroad fashion. “Midnight Limited” is the story of a death train,” haunted by a phantom Toot! Toot! When the “Midnight Limited” roars into the ...0..0.0000..... theatre next occ... >» tt will have a cargo of film favorites including John King and Marjorie Reynolds as passengers. A mystery thriller of the iron rails, the Monogram picture tells of a phantom killer who stalks the crack iron. horse and goes undetected until John King takes up the trail. bandit. John King has the leading role of Val Lennon, ace railroad detective, with Marjorie Reynolds playing his assistant. Others outstanding in the east include Monte Collins, Lita Chevret, George Cleveland and Pat Flaherty. Howard Bretherton was the director, with T. R. Williams producing. SUPERSTITIOUS ACTORS REFUSE EERIE ROLE Superstition in the acting profession has been accepted for years by both the stage and the screen but for the first time in Hollywood history, it appeared to be a stumbling block to a casting director when Monogram was assigning roles in “Midnight Limited,” featuring Marjorie Reynolds and John King. The story of a murder on board a train, one scene shows a man climbing into a coffin and having the lid nailed down. That was too much for the temperament of most actors and the casting director could not prevail upon any man in the profession to fill the role. Whistling in the dressing room, new dancing shoes, an open umbrella in the theatre—all these superstitions have been overcome by producers. But nailed in a coffin! Actors run a mile to avoid a role which would entail such dire consequences. Finally, Stanford Jolley agreed to play the part, against the advice of every member of the cast. To date, he has proven the falsity of superstition for he has escaped disaster. Others outstanding in the cast include George Cleveland, Pat Flaherty, Monte Collins and Lita Chevret. Howard Bretherton directed from, the original screenplay by C. B. Williams and Harrison Carter. T. R. Williams was the producer. Roaring Thriller of fron Rails Comes To ... Thea. “Midnight Limited” Features John King and Marjorie Reynolds All train and railroad details are { nolds, as his assistant, and George absolutely authentic in Monogram’s | Cleveland, Monte Collins, Lita Chev “Midnight Limited” at the... theatre, for the Pullman Company cooperated to the extent that they personally furnished all the accessories used on the interiors in this picture. Pullmans, wash rooms, compartments, the baggage car—all parts of the train are duplicated exactly. Besides that, audiences will be able to see the inside workings of a railroad. “Midnight Limited” is a story of murder and robbery on the crack train of the G. G. & W. Railroad. Val Lennon, ace railroad detective, is called in to catch the ‘Phantom,’ terror of the train, and is finally forced to plant himself as a prospective victim in order io trap the killer. Outstanding in the cast are John King, as Val Lennon, Marjorie Rey ae lies John King, who plays the leading role in Monogram’s “Midnight Limited,”” now at the ................... theatre, was once a vocalist with Ben Bernie’s orchestra. John King, who plays ithe leading role in Monogram’s “Midnight Limited,” was last seen on the screen in Monogram’s “Gentleman from Arizona,” in which he played a cowboy. All details in Monogram’s “Midnight Limited,” railroad murder mystery, are extremely accurate, as the railroads cooperated to the fullest extent, with the Pullman Company furnishing all accessories. “Midnight Limited” is currently playing at the ou... theatre. Lyrics for the song “Quiet Hands,” which is featured in Monogram’s thrilling “Midnight Limited,” now at Thee theatre were composed by Harison Carter, who wrote the screenplay for the picture, in exactly 20 minutes on the set. IN STREAMLINED RAILROAD THRILLER John King and Marjorie Reynolds battle the mysterious “Phantom Killer’ aboard the crack “Midnight Limited” at the cco. theatre. Two Col. Ad Cut: or Mat No. 6 ret and Pat Flaherty. Howard Bretherton directed ‘Midnight Limited,” which is playing now aivbhes see acc: theatre, from the screenplay by C. B. Williams and Harrison Carter. DID YOU KNOW THAT... John King, star of Monogram’s “Midnight Limited,’ now at the he ange theatre, is reputed to have one of the finest singing voices in pictures. He has one song to sing in this film, which is the story of a death train haunted by a phantom killer. Five different kinds of train whistles were tested for Monogram’s “Midnight Limited,” mystery film now playing at the ................. theatre, before producer T. R. Williams discovered one he thought sufficiently weird. John King and Marjorie Reynolds have the leads in this railroad picture. ad CREDITS | Produced by T. R. WILLIAMS Directed by HOWARD BRETHERTON Screenplay by HARRISON CARTER & C. B. WILLIAMS Sound KARL ZINT Film Editor RUSSELL SCHOENGARTH Art Director E. R. HICKSON Associate Producer FRED SCHELD a ee |