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Just perfect...

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The story begins with a rich guy (Charley Grapewin) announcing to several relatives that because no one has been able to locate his granddaughter, he's splitting his fortune up among them. Then, as if my queue, a man arrives with what he claims is the missing granddaughter. And, a bit later, another one arrives as well! Obviously at least one of them is fake and soon one of them is murdered.During the 1930s, there were a ton of movies pretty much like "One Frightened Night". You know, films where some folks are all stuck in a house and a murderer is running amok and the cops are complete boobs so it takes a smartie pants non-cop to solve the whole thing. Well, because it's so familiar, I found my brain going on vacation periodically during the film and paying attention and even caring about the characters was a chore.The best thing about this film are the brilliantly made opening credits. Thereafter, however, it's all downhill and the film is predictable and overly familiar. A time-passer and nothing more.

Multi-millionaire Charley Grapewin is having some friends and relations over to dinner and says that he's going to give them all an advance inheritance, a nice million dollar check for all. His beloved granddaughter there's been no word of.Well wouldn't you know it, not only does she show up, but there are two women claiming to be her. That cancels the inheritance, but girl number one Evelyn Knapp is killed in a rather exotic way. Girl number 2 Mary Carlisle is still in the running, but so are such friends and relations as Regis Toomey, Lucien Littlefield, Hedda Hopper and a few more familiar faces.Mascot Pictures shot this one on petty cash. But a lot of good character players get to do their shtick in this rather interesting satire on murder mystery film.One Frightened Night is night is an interesting B film that might be worth a viewing.

It's an agreeable surprise to find Charley Grapewin billed as the star of this fun and thrill-filled old dark house escapade. While it's possible to pick holes in the ingenious plot, the dialogue, the direction and even the cinematography, you can't argue with the central idea, the pacing, the superior production values (for a Poverty Row effort) or the obvious enthusiasm of players and technicians to make a movie that's always most enjoyable to watch and listen to, despite the obvious limitations of a "B" budget offering, set within the none-too-lavishly appointed confines of the old Mack Sennett Studio in North Hollywood. All things considered, Mac D'Agostino's sets are delightfully eye-catching. I love the trophy room!The picture starts off most promisingly on the right foot with an ingenious credits sequence improvised and directed by Joseph H. Lewis. The movie then quickly gets down to familiar but nonetheless pleasing business as the camera focuses on Charley Grapewin, who quickly and cleverly explains to his assembled relatives what nice round figures each will realize from his $6 million will, provided of course that his long-lost grand-daughter doesn't turn up before the clock strikes twelve. Needless to say, she does—in the person of lovely Evalyn Knapp—or does she? As expected, the mystery and horror elements (the phantom himself or herself isn't all that frightening, but there's a sequence in the trophy room that's bound to raise goose bumps) jostle for attention with some smart repartee and even a bit of knockabout. But even that is well done!

John Stanley's Creature Feature Film Guide calls this film "dusty fun" and I have to agree wholeheartedly. The formula and gags are quite dated but still retain a charm that lends so much to the enjoyment. I don't think I've met anyone who has a negative opinion of this film. I first saw it back in the early 80's on PBS's Matinée at the Bijou. It was cut pretty severely, about 10 or 15 minutes, to fit the time schedule, but lost nothing of it's story or characterizations. I loved it from the start. What a blessing to find it intact from Creepy Classics back in 95, and now from Alpha on DVD. A great cast of character actors ranging from "Dorothy's uncle" to "that crabby guy who ran the orphanage in the little Rascals.....now Spanky be reasonable!" A movie like this can't be made these days, and I imagine a great deal of the population would pass this right by were any station to show it. This is a real forgotten gem that should be watched if the occasion arises. BTW I don't think Hedda Hopper is Jasper's daughter. She always refers to him by his name and doesn't call him father. Also, at one point she says of Jasper's "daughter" "she doesn't look much like her mother does she?" I believe she may be a cousin or perhaps his sister.