Midnight Alibi (Warner Bros.) (1934)

a eee po 81,1 | | Spree I eeeet 2s Mie SRE i fn Ny “Rete iSO cas Tee ee Black Se Wetter ee: Abigail Ardsley invites one of her father’s clerks to their New York mansion for her birthday party. Her aristocratic father is infuriated when he finds his daughter in the clerk’s arms later in the evening. He orders the clerk to leave the house. The youth does so but returns after the guests have departed and urges Abigail to elope but she fears her father and the boy leaves. He has been seen by Ardsley, however, who fires on him from the yard. The boy tries to open the door into the house but Abigail had locked it. She reopens it to find her lover dying. Forty-five years pass and Ahigail is an elderly spinster living in the same house. Angie has got control of the city’s leading gambling places in the absence of Lance, formerly head of a powerful gang. Lance returning from abroad, falls in love with Joan, a girl he meets on the boat, but she refuses to give him her New York address. Lance finds that Angie has usurped his power and goes to the big gambling palace to have it out with him. There he sees Joan and discovers she is Angie’s sister, whom he had sent abroad for her education. He leaves the place knowing Angie would never consent to their marriage. Angie orders his henchmen to follow Lance and put him on the spat. He sees them as they are about to open fire and leaps over the fence into the yard of the old doll’s house where Abigail lives. He finds a door open, steps into the house, and is surprised PUN OFS a Sie sea Sereen olay by cs es. BUDOTUNSOM Sn, eee Ua Dope” Sane SOR Taare eae Cates COMER a a: Jere Pirector ..... Sidseianc BS 5 017) ee ar ae re ee ee Richard Barthelmess Sie ee Oe Ann Dvorak Se oa ee ae Helen Lowell ie ede ae ae Helen Chandler Bees eSere ee ei Harry Tyler Sao ae ee Henry O’Neill Shee Robert Barrat ESE eRe ee Vincent Sherman Scere ee Erie Wilton ie gn Bee Robt. MeWade SNe ae ee ae Paul Hurst eRe ee en Boothe Howard to be greeted pleasantly by the elderly lady who asks him to sit down. They get into a conversation and she tells him her story. When she learns that he is in trouble she advises him to get the girl at any cost, because to her nothing matters but love. Lance goes back to see Angie, determined to call their feud off. Angie is infuriated when he learns Lance wants to marry his sister and draws his gun. One of Lanece’s henchmen shoots Angie over Lance’s shoulder. They escape but Lance goes to the girls apartment and tells her what has happened. There he is captured by the police and accused of Angie’s murder. The evidence piles up against Lance at the trial and it locks as though he would be found guilty. Just before the trial finishes, however, Abigail appears in court and asks to be permitted to testify. She swears that Lance was with her at the time of the murder. She is one of the most highly respected ladies in the city and her word is unimpeachable, so Lance is acquitted. Abigail takes Lance to her home where he finds Joan. They are happy but Lance tells Abigail he is sorry she had to lie for him, although he really was not guilty. She smiles and denies that she lied and points to an old grandfather clock, the hands of which point to midnight the hour Angie was murdered. She explains the hands pointed the same hour when he left, the clock never having run after the night her own lover had been shot down by her father. Be ne ee Damon Runyon SA ee eee eee te Warren Duff ieee Esdras Hartley Jack Killifer RICHARD BARTHELMESS 100% in |R. ‘“MIDNIGHT ALIBI’’ 100% with ue Ann Dvorak 50% WE DO OUR Pak Helen Chandler 50% Helen Lowell 50% Directed by Alan Crosland 20% A First National and Vitaphone Production 40% Length—5,356 ft. Page Two Running Time—59 mins. TRVUIUVUV UT TU Richard Barthelmess Richard Barthelmess was born in New York City. His mother was Caroline Harris of the stage and was one of Nazimova’s early instructors; his father was an importer in New York. After a career at Trinity College largely given to dramatic activities, Barthelmess was offered his first stage role by Nazimova. He was early associated with D. W. Griffith, who called him his “Little Walthall” and trained him in the fundamentals of screen art so thoroughly that the stamp of the great director remains in Barthelmess’ work today. For several years now he has been under contract to Warner Bros.First National Studios and has made for them some of his outstanding pictures. He maintains a winter home in Beverly Hills California, a beach house at Malibu and an apartment in New York City. Much of his time, however, is spent in world travel, and hardly a summer goes by without a tour to one of the European or Asiatic countries. His recent pictures include “A Modern Hero,” “Massacre,” “Heroes For Sale,” “Central Airport,’ “Cabin in the Cotton” and “Alias The Doctor.” He received a special notice from the American Academy of Motion Picture Science and Arts for his work in “The Patent Leather Kid” and “The Noose.” Watch Those Eyes, Lady! Making eyes like that have been known to make men like that one you make in “Midnight Alibi,” your latest First National picture. That’s right, we mean Richard Barthelmess, the gangster hero in the fast-moving Damon Runyon tale. And we know, too, that there are two Helens, Chandler and Lowell, in the supporting cast. Mat No. 5—20c Helen Lowell Helen Lowell, a veteran of the New York stage, made her bow in talking pictures with the First National production of “Side Streets.” That was her first talking picture venture although she did appear in one silent picture made in the East by D. W. Griffith nine years ago. This was titled “Isn’t Life Wonderful.” She began her stage career by playing small parts for Charles Frohman at the Empire Theatre, New York, from which were graduated such famous stars as Wil RICHARD BARTHELMESS— “A Modern Hero,” “Massacre,” “Heroes For Sale,” “Central Airport,” “The Cabin in the Cotton,” “Alias the Doctor.” ANN DVORAK—“Friends of Mr. Sweeney,” “Side Streets,” “Heat Lightning,” “Massacre,” “College Coach,” “Three on a Match.” HELEN CHANDLER—“Goodbye Again,” “The Worst Woman In Paris,’ “Dance Hall Hostess,” “Alimony Madness,” liam Faversham, James K. Hac “Christopher Strong.” HELEN LOWELL—“The Merry Frinks,” “Side Streets.” HENRY O’NEILL—‘The Man with Two Faces,” “Isle of Fury,” “The Personality Kid,” “Side Streets,” “Wonder Bar,” “Upperworld.” ROBERT BARRAT—“Friends of Mr. Sweeney,” “Return of the Terror,” “Fog Over Frisco,” “Wonder Bar,” “Upperworld,” “Gambling Lady.” ROBERT McWADE—“The Kennel Murder Case,” “I Loved a Woman,” “Heroes For Sale,” “Hard To Handle,” “Ladies They Talk About.” PURNELL PRATT—“Son of a Sailor,” “Midshipman Jack,” “Love, Honor and Oh Baby,” “The Chief,” ‘‘Headline Shooter,” “Pick Up.” ALAN CROSLAND— (director) “The Personality Kid,” “Massacre,” “The Silver Lining,” “Captain Thunder,” “Children of Dreams.” kett, Odette Tyler, May Robson, Henry Miller and others. Her second picture for First National was “The Merry Frinks.” She is now appearing with Richard Barthelmess at the Sere ce Theatre in “Midnight Robert Barrat Robert Barrat was born in New York City and educated in the public schools of that city. His debut in theatrical circles was in stock in Springfield, Mass. Later he appeared in many noteworthy productions with some of the leading dramas of the stage. It was while playing the role of the strong man in the stage play, ‘‘Lilly Turner,’’ that Warner Bros. engaged him . for that identical role with Ruth Chatterton in the picture. Since then he has played in ‘‘Friends of Mr. Sweeney,’’ ‘*Pog Over Frisco,’’ ‘‘Return of HITTIN LLU Ann Dvorak Ann Dvorak was born in New York City but came to Hollywood when a young girl. Ann is the daughter of Ann Lehr, one Ann Dvorak is in First National’s | ; “Midnight |j Alibi,”” now at | the Strand. Mat No. 9—10e time toast of Broadway, and it was natural that she should plan to follow in her mother’s footsteps in theatrical work. Ann sprang to stardom overnight from “extra” work in the studios near her home. An important “bit” role in “Scarface” attracted the attention of the Warner Bros. studios to the young actress’ potential abilities. A little more than a year ago she eloped to Yuma, Arizona, by airplane, with Leslie Fenton after a whirlwind courtship. The couple spent a year abroad on a honeymoon and returned in the Fall of 1933 when Ann resumed her picture work. Among the pictures in which she has prominent roles are “College Coach,” “Friends of Mr. Sweeney,” “Side Streets,” “Heat Lightning” and “Massacre.” Helen Chandler Helen Chandler was born and educated in New York City. She was graduated from the Professional Children’s School and later attended Bennett’s School at Millbrook, N. Y. Her stage experience started when she was cast as Hedwig in “The Wild Duck’’ in which she made a marked success. After “several seasons on Broadway, she was claimed by the movies, ‘‘Music Master’’ constituting her first screen appearance. Later she returned to the New York stage for an extended run in ‘‘Springtime for Henry.’’ Her recent pictures include ““Goodbye Again,’’ ‘*The Worst Woman in Paris,’’ ‘‘Dance Hall Hostess,’’ ‘‘Alimony Madness’? and ‘‘Christopher Strong.’’ Henry O’Neill Henry O’Neill was born in Orange, N. J. After graduating from Seton Hall, he decided to try his luck on the stage, having appeared in various amateur and college productions since 12 years of age. After many discouragements, he was given a minor role with a Newark, N. J. stock company and one engagement led to another until he felt he was ready to try Broadway. His first role there was with the John Ferguson Theatre Guild. He clicked with Broadway’s theatre-goers and for many years was one of the most popular stage actors. Numbered among his many stage hits are ‘‘I Loved You Wednesday,’? ‘‘The Last Mile,’’ ‘‘Trick For Trick’’ and ‘“Conquest.?? O’Neill was brought to Hollywood by Warner Bros. and has appeared in ‘‘The Man With Two Faces,’’ ‘‘Twenty Million Sweethearts,’’ ‘‘Side Streets,’’ ‘‘Wondar Bar,’’ ‘‘ Journal of a Crime,’’ ‘I’ve Got Your Number,’’ ‘‘Fashions of 1934,’’ ‘‘Massaere,’? ‘From MHeadquarters,’’ “*Bedside’’ and ‘‘The Big Shakedown.’’ the Terror,’? | ‘‘Upperworld,’’ ‘Wonder Bar,’’ ‘‘A Very Honorable Guy,’’? ‘‘Gambling Lady,’’ “*Hi, Nellie!,’’ ‘*‘Massacre,’’ and ‘‘Dark Hazard.’’