One Thrilling Night (Monogram) (1942)

Hilarious Comedy Details Hectic 12-Hour Honeymoon (Review) It has been a long time since a local screen has shown a funnier comedy than “One Thrilling Night,” the gay Monogram farce which opened at the __......... theatre last night. The audience rocked with laughter as they followed the hectic adventures of an unsophistocated young couple on a 12 hour honeymoon. John Beal and Wanda McKay are the bride and groom, and it would be harder to imagine more suitable selections for their roles. As they become increasingly bewildered by the situations which confront them, they are delightful. And the usually villainous Warren Hymer, playing a rich comedy part as a house detective in a New York hotel, completes a trio of very effective funmakers. Others who contribute importantly to the general good time are Tom Neal, Barbara Pepper and J. Farrell | MacDonald. In the story, Beal and Wanda are married at their home in an isolated Connecticut town, and arrive in New York City for a one-night honeymoon, since he must report to the army early the next morning. But rival gangsters use their room as a public thoroughfare in a constantly changing battle for $50,000 in stolen cash, and the frightened newlyweds become the center of lawless activities which become increasingly complicated and increasingly hilarious. Falling bodies when _ closet doors are opened become more or less of a commonplace in the face of more important dangers which confront the hapless couple, and the picture finally reaches its climax in a last “line’ which is a comedy gem by Joseph Hoffman is sparkling, and director William Beaudine has had a large share in making “One Thrilling Night” an outstanding contribution to the gaiety of the screen. A W. Hackel produced the picture, and photography was in charge of Marcel Le Picard. 8 Don’t miss this laughing success; it will make you forget your troubles. Holdout John Beal is one actor who never capitulated completely to Hollywood, since his film contracts always contain a clause which provides that he may spend a certain time each year on the stage. Beal comes to CHOC, e eee theatre: Onis i ee. in “One Thrilling Night,’ the rollicking Monogram comedy in which, he is featured with Wanda McKay, and which deals with the exciting adventures of a newlywed pair on an exciting 12-hour New York honeymoon. 4— _— | ANXIOUS BRIDE | The dialogue throughout the story | Lovely is the word for Wanda McItiplici ludicr w Kay, starring in the Monogram for a multiplicity of ludicrous rea comedy hit, “One Thrilling Night,” : ‘ f tie nt che * theatre.......| Wanda McKay is the anxious bride, One Col. Cut or Mat No. i What's In a Name? And so James Blieding and Dorothy Quackenbush were married. To the average theatregoer this statement has little significance, but it takes on added meaning with the revelation that these are the true names of John Beal and Wanda McKay, popular screen players now appearing on the screen of the atre in the leading roles of the Monogram comedy, ‘‘One Thrilling Night.” In the picture, the marriage of the couple marks the beginning of a hectic night filled with exciting and hilariously funny events. Honeymoon That Almost Didn't Happen Sympathy is about all that a luckless bridegroom can look for in the way of aid when he finds his honeymooning period rationed to only 12 hours, after which he must present himself for induction in the army. And that’s about all that John Beal gets as he portrays the hapless hero of Monogram’s “One Thrilling Night,” a riotous comedy of a honeymoon that ALMOST didn’t happen, and which is due ab CHee skits es theatre. The near frustration of an entire night spent ousting unwelcome intruders who, sons, would share the bridal suite. lwhile the balance of the bridal “party” is one of the best casting Variety selections you’ll be seeing for fun this season, it is said. Service as a life guard, lumber jack, deepsea sponge diver and teleAre Honeymoons phone lineman preceded the theat® rical debut of Tom Neal, who comes To Be Rationed? FO ENO aeons GHeEAtTEs OM Seo in “One Thrilling Night,” the hilari Officially we think not— But with those sudden and unex ous Monogram comedy which fea: : tures John Beal and Wanda McKay pected notices going out from draft in the hectic happenings of a 12| boards, hour honeymoon. Art Student John Beal painter and is an illustrator, couples aplenty, who are leisurely going about wedding preparations in the normal way, are finding their remaining time allot ment really rationed to a matter accomplished | of hours. and early This is the theme on which Mon in his theatrical career temporarily ogram’s new comedy, “One Thrill abandoned acting to enroll at the ing Night,” is based—and WHAT Art Students’ League in New York, |g night it turns out to be. There’re where he graduated with honors.|19 hours before reporting for duty Beal comes to the.......... theatre —and that loaded with hectic intru Ol sents ticars in the leading role of sions. It’s the funniest of its kind the Monogram comedy, “One Thrill| gince “It Happened One Night,” ac ing Night,” hailed as one of the most hilarious pictures of the season.” cording to many of the reviewers. Heading the cast are John Beal, Wanda McKay, Tom Neal, Barbara THEIR HONEYMOON WAS HECTIC Pepper, Warren Hymer, J. Farrell MacDonald, Ernie Adams, Lynton All night long, uninvited intruders marred their wedded bliss. It’s Wanda McKay and John Beal bouncing another stranger who would also occupy Brent, Jerome Sheldon and Jimmy O’Gatty. Produced by A. W. Hackel and directed by William Beaudine, “One Thrilling Night’ will be the topline attraction at the ...... theatre starting ......... lt Almost Didn't Happen Here When a draftee finds he has only 12 hours for his entire honeymoon before reporting for duty—about all the help he can hope for is sympathy. And that’s about all that John Beal gets, as he portrays the hapless hero and soldier bridegroom in Monogram Picture’s hilarious comedy of “the honeymoon that almost didn’t happen.” The near frustration is ‘the result of an entire night of interruptions in the honeymoon the bridal suite, as it happens in “One Thrilling Night,” Monogram comsuite chosen for the final 12 hours edy, coming here .......... at the Lae eee a Theatre: Two Column Cut or Mat No. 20 of civilian life. Lovely blonde Wanda McKay is the soldier’s bride. a is so filled with fast action a of a pair of small-town Connecticut youngsters on a one-night honeymoon in New York. The picture is literally a comedy gem. John Beal and Wanda McKay are seen as the newly married couple, and both deliver performances which are absolutely top-notch. So also does Warren Hymer, as a hotel detective and the third in the trio of principal characters. Fine work is also done by J. Farrell MacDonald, Barbara Pepper, Tom Neal and other members of a finely selected cast. The opening of the story finds Beal, already drafted and scheduled to report for induction early the following morning, arriving at the New York hotel with the charming Wanda, his bride of a few hours. As luck would have it, they are assigned to a room just vacated by a fugitive gangster, suspected by other hoodlums of “going south’ with $50,000 in stolen cash. Preparing for bed, the newlyweds discover that an apparently dead man has suddenly appeared in the room—and this is only the first of a series of similar occurrences which Keep bride, groom, house detective and the entire police force in a welter of hilarious excitement. “One Thrilling Night,’ was directed by William Beaudine, Hollywood veteran, who in this picture demonstrates again the deftness of ‘his comedy touch. A. W. Hackel produced, and the highly amusing screenplay was written by Joseph Hoffman, with many “‘lines’ which are hilarious classics. The exceptional photography is the work of Marcel Le Picard. If you enjoy a rollicking comedy— (and who doesn’t?)—put ‘One Thrilling Night” on your list of pictures to see. Films' Early Days Recalled Any actor who ever worked in motion pictures with G. M. Anderson qualifies at once as one of the real veterans of the screen. For Anderson was the famous “Broncho Billy,” who was the films’ outstanding cowboy actor more than a quarter of a century ago. An associate of Broncho Billy in his days as a star of the old Essanay company was J. Farrell MacDon ald, who comes to the.......... theBtreGoni aia ees in “One Thrilling Night,” the rollicking Monogram comedy featuring John Beal and Wanda McKay. It was over 30 years ago that MacDonald joined the Essanay company in Chicago, and was a member of Broncho Billy’s company both as actor an director. The western star was the partner of George K. Spoor in the now almost-forgotten company, and the name of the firm (Essanay) was in reality a combination of the initial letters of the two names, Spoor and Anderson. Later MacDonald, Yale graduate and already a veteran of 18 years of experience on the stage was associated with the old Imp and Biograph companies as actor and director, in an era long preceding the advent of sound in motion pictures. During his career he has appeared in the films of practically every company in the industry, and made his greatest hit many years ago in “The Iron Horse.” In addition to MacDonald, the cast appearing with John Beal and Wanda McKay in “One Thrilling Night” includes Warren Hymer, Barbara Pepper, Tom Neal and Jimmy O’Gatty. "(One Thrilling Night’’ One Of Year’s Best Comedies (Review) “One Thrilling Night,’ the Monogram comedy which opened an-engagement at the.............2......... theatre last night, qualifies as one of the most hilariously funny pictures of the year. Seldom, indeed, does Hollywood produce a film which nd rollicking fun as this story pS = DRAFTED GROOM John Beal is the hapless hero of “One Thrilling Night,’ whose honeymoon is wrecked by the draft, as yowll learn on the screen at the ne eiecetan ites theatre ............ One Col. Cut or Mat No. 2 New York Girl In Screen Comedy A young screen actress who can lay every claim to being a “big town girl” is Barbara Pepper, coming to GHE iri ens LNCATIE: HOM A. ve sare in “One Thrilling Night,” the hilarious Monogram comedy featuring John Beal and Wanda McKay as a country couple of newlyweds who go through a hectic 12-hour honeymoon in and out of a New York hotel. Miss Pepper herself, incidentally, knows something about New York hotels, since her father is manager of the great Astor Hotel there. She was born in New York, and com-. pleted her education later when she graduated from a suburban academy. She made her stage debut in George White’s “Scandals,” and later appeared in “The Little Racketeer’” and the last edition of the “Follies” produced by the late Florenz Ziegfeld. In 1933 Miss Pepper went to Hollywood to appear on the screen in “Roman Scandals,” and her list of more recent pictures includes ‘Foreign Correspondent,’ ‘Forgotten Girls’ and “The Return of Frank James.” Other players appearing with Bea! and Miss McKay in “One Thrilling Night” are Warren Hymer, Tom Neal, J. Farrell MacDonald and Lynton Brent. William Beaudine directed under the production supervision of A. W. Hackel, and the original screenplay was written by Joseph Hoffman. Title Changing Record Claimed What is believed to be an all-time high in title changing at a Hollywood studio is claimed by the producers of “One Thrilling Night,” Monogram Picture’s hilarious new hit coming to the theatre Sunday. First Called “Do Not Disturb,” the following titles held through various stages of production: “Soldier Takes a Wife,’ “Army Bride,” “Soldier’s Honeymoon,’ then the final and considered the most appropriate one, “One _ Thrilling Night.”