Midnight (1934): Cast & Plot
Midnight is a 1934 crime drama directed by Chester Erskine, starring O. P. Heggie as Edward Weldon, Richard Whorf and Margaret Wycherly. It runs 1 hour 16 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 16m (76 min)
- Director
- Chester Erskine
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- all star productions
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Midnight About?
The premise of Midnight without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
At midnight, one woman is slated for execution while another plans a murder. Jury foreman Edward Weldon’s investigation results in a death sentence for Ethel Saxon. Meanwhile, his daughter Stella confesses to killing her lover, gangster Garboni, just as Saxon is about to be placed in the electric chair.
Midnight Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- pre code film
- damsel in distress
- deception
- jury foreman
- 1930s
- cigarette smoking
- frame up
- prison sentence
- tension
- grief
- betrayal
- guilty conscience
+38 more Show fewer
- electric chair
- new york city
- trial judge
- soap opera
- reprisal
- retribution
- song
- passion
- wrongful conviction
- gangster
- nipples visible through clothing
- jury verdict
- death sentence
- disparity
- confession
- implied sex
- loss of virginity
- jilted woman
- murdered in cold blood
- district attorney
- brother sister relationship
- father daughter relationship
- newspaper reporter
- playing bridge
- listening to the news on the radio
- last meal
- parallel stories
- contrast
- freeing the guilty
- covering up a crime
- tampering with evidence
- false alibi
- usual suspects
- law and order
- morality tale
- homemade radio
- asking a question
- rigid behavior
Midnight Cast & Characters
O. P. Heggie leads the cast as Edward Weldon, with Richard Whorf as Arthur Weldon and Margaret Wycherly as Mrs. Weldon. Directed by Chester Erskine; 13 actors are credited in all.
- Director Chester Erskine
- O. P. Heggie as Edward Weldon
- Richard Whorf as Arthur Weldon
- Margaret Wycherly as Mrs. Weldon
- Helen Flint as Ethel Saxton
Also Starring in Midnight
· 9 more- Humphrey Bogart Gar Boni
- Sidney Fox Stella Weldon
- Moffat Johnston District Attorney Plunkett
- Henry O'Neill Edgar V. Ingersoll
- Granville Bates Richard McGrath
- Henry Hull Nolan
- Lynne Overman Joe Biggers
- Cora Witherspoon Elizabeth McGrath
- Katherine WIlson Ada Biggers
More from Chester Erskine
More films directed by Chester Erskine: A Girl in Every Port, Take One False Step and The Egg and I.
Midnight Plot Summary
What happens in Midnight from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
A woman named Ethel Saxton, Helen Flint, is on trial for shooting her husband to death; her defense is that she did not mean to kill him, but fired under extreme emotional pressure because she could not stand that he was leaving her. The court and spectators entertain a glimmer of mercy, treating this as a crime of passion, a momentary flare of emotion rather than calculated harm. Yet the jury, led by Edward Weldon, O. P. Heggie, weighs the evidence with careful scrutiny. When he asks whether she picked up the money her husband had gathered to leave with, and she says yes, the mood shifts.
Full summary
The whole story of Midnight, scene by scene
Midnight Videos
The clip of Midnight.
How Well Do You Know Midnight?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who is the woman on trial for shooting her husband?
Midnight Also Known As
5 alternative titles, including “Call It Murder” and “Sedia elettrica”.
- Also known as
-
- Call It Murder
- Sedia elettrica
- Llamada a un asesino
- Полночь. Смертельный приговор
- Minuit
Seen Midnight?
Movies Like Midnight
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Midnight Mary, Midnight Cop and Past Midnight.
Midnight FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Midnight, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Midnight?
Midnight runs 1 hour 16 minutes (76 minutes).
When was Midnight released?
Midnight was released on March 7, 1934.
Who directed Midnight?
Midnight was directed by Chester Erskine.
More films by Chester Erskine Who is in the cast of Midnight?
Midnight stars O. P. Heggie as Edward Weldon, Richard Whorf as Arthur Weldon and Margaret Wycherly as Mrs. Weldon, among 13 credited actors.
Does Midnight have a post-credit scene?
No. Midnight has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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