A Tragedy at Midnight

Greg Sherman (John Howard) is hated by the local police. It's because Sherman has a radio show about crime...and he often solves the crimes...leaving the police looking foolish. So, when a woman's body is found in his bedroom, the cops are deliriously happy. Whether he did it or not, it will likely hurt Sherman's popularity. So, Sherman does the standard cliche in a case like this...he slugs the cop who discovers it and sets about trying to solve the case himself (Note: kids, do NOT try this at home!). Can he manage to extricate himself or will Sherman end up in the hoosegow?

In this story, Sherman is assisted by Beth (Margaret Lindsay) and Ah Foo (Keye Luke)...a ridiculously named lackey-type character. This is pretty sad, as Luke had a lovely voice and was a good actor, but here he talks like he just got off the boat from China. Fortunately, Luke did have a few good film opportunities apart from this film, such as a recurring character in the Dr. Kildare series.

So is this B-mystery any good? Well, it's at least a very TYPICAL B...with the usual cliches and formula. Now to many viewers, this won't matter. But idiot cops, a body planted in the guy's room and his running from the law has a real 'been there, done that' quality about it for those who love B-movies. Because of this, I certainly don't think it's a must-see...though it is reasonably well made despite the rather lazy and by the book script.

The host of a whodunit radio show finds himself involved in his own mystery when he awakens to find a woman with a knife in her back in his bedroom.

Ok, it is like the Thin man, so what? In Hollywood, when something is successful, it's naturally replicated by another studio, but Tragedy at Midnight starring Margaret Lindsey and John Howard is entertaining in its own right, both stars gel well together, Margaret, especially, is animated and energetic. It's standard mystery, but a fun one which moves at a good rate. Keye Luke ( number one son from Charlie Chan) also stars.

John Howard is a radio broadcaster whose programs solves crimes the police can't. This annoys the boys in blue, so the local Police Commissioner orders the force to find something on Howard. They can't, but he does: a dead woman in his bed. He and feuding wife, mystery-writer Margaret Lindsay go on the run to find the real killer before the cops shoot them down, aided by their houseboy, Keye Luke, whose character rejoices in the name of Ah Foo.

It's one of those movies that are supposed to be filled with snappy patter, but the jokes are like Rice Crispies that have been soaked in cottage cheese for a week. Miss Lindsay does her best, delivering her lines in a nitwitted, high-speed manner, but even director Joseph Santley can't make anything interesting out of this mess of a script.

"A Tragedy AT MIDNIGHT" was a very entertaining mystery romance. John Howard and Margaret Lindsay made a great romantic detective team. Keye Luke, was also good as their ingenious servant, always on the spot to get them out of trouble.They were always one step ahead of the police in solving crimes and broadcasting solutions of crimes on their radio program, thereby frustrating the police who then wanted to get them off the air by finding something they could be arrested for.this appeared to be solved when our hero woke up one morning and found a woman with a knife in her back in his wife's bed.They then proceed to unravel the mystery. In some ways this picture is similar to the Thin Man series.

I had a VHS copy of this film that I made off the air but the tape oxide eventually went bad. I hope the last remaining copy on nitrate based film is restored before the nitrate turns to powder. it would be a shame if the picture were lost.

Entertaining crime comedy with a radio detective and his girlfriend (called Mommy, very bad idea in my way) about a crime of a woman found stabbed in Mommy's bed. It's kind of Thin Man adventure, quite silly. I really love the shadows scene. Not a must.