Midnight Phantom

1935 film by Bernard B. Ray

November 27, 1935 (1935-11-27)

Running time

63 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglish

Midnight Phantom is a 1935 American film directed by Bernard B. Ray.^[1]

Plot

Police Chief James A. Sullivan is in his office berating several people under his command who he feels are doing a less than top notch job. His waiting room is full of other characters waiting their turn to go in and receive their own reprimand.

His secretary, Kathleen Ryan, sends them in one by one except when Lieutenant Dan Burke arrives. He goes in unannounced because he is the Chief's daughter's boyfriend and has come to ask the Chief's blessing for their engagament. The Chief mentions that there was another suitor, Prof. David Graham, a noted criminologist, but the Chief is glad his daughter Claudia chose Dan.

The scolding of other station employees and officers continues and all of them leave the office in a very bad mood and with visible ill will towards the Chief.

There is a car chase involving criminals and the police. In the shootout, all the criminals die but one of them turns out to be Dan's brother who apologizes to his older brother before he dies.

Chief Sullivan is now opposed to Dan's marriage to Claudia, mostly because Dan hadn't disclosed to her that the robber shot and killed was his younger brother. Dan vows to marry Claudia in spite of his refusal.

A demonstration is arranged in which Prof. Graham demonstrates his knowledge of criminal traits and characteristics. However, when the demonstration is over, the Chief, who was sitting in the front row, is found to be dead, possibly by a poison dart.

Nobody is allowed to leave the room and a few minutes later, another murder occurs.

Dan approaches Prof. Graham and the lights go out. When they are turned back on, Dan is on the floor, dead. Prof. Graham establishes that the killer was Dan and his motive was the Chief's refusal to allow the wedding to proceed.

Dan, who was just pretending to be dead, gets up and points a gun at Prof. Graham and proves that it was he who murdered the Chief, not Dan. Graham confesses and is arrested.

Dan and Claudia go out on a picnic and she is sad about all the recent events, especially about the fact that Graham had been executed for his crime. She is comforted knowing she is about to marry Dan.