Before Dawn (film)
| Before Dawn | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Directed by | Irving Pichel |
| Produced by | Merian C. Cooper |
| Screenplay by | Garrett Fort |
| Based on | short story Death Watch by Edgar Wallace |
| Starring |
Stuart Erwin Dorothy Wilson Warner Oland Dudley Digges Gertrude Hoffman |
| Music by | Max Steiner |
| Cinematography | Lucien N. Andriot |
| Edited by | William Hamilton |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | RKO Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 60 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Before Dawn is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film directed by Irving Pichel and written by Garrett Fort. The film stars Stuart Erwin, Dorothy Wilson, Warner Oland, Dudley Digges and Gertrude Hoffman. The film was released on August 4, 1933, by RKO Pictures.[1][2][3]
Plot
Dying gangster Joe Valerie (Frank Reicher) reveals the hiding place of a million dollars in loot to his physician Dr. Cornelius (Warner Oland). The sinister Austrian doctor has designs on the money, but must first outwit detective Dwight Wilson (Stuart Erwin) and clairvoyant Patricia Merrick (Dorothy Wilson). The setting is an eerie, possibly haunted house in small town America, where the stash is hidden, and the bodies begin piling up.
Cast
- Stuart Erwin as Dwight Wilson
- Dorothy Wilson as Patricia
- Warner Oland as Dr. Paul Cornelius
- Dudley Digges as Horace Merrick
- Gertrude Hoffman as Mattie
- Oscar Apfel as O'Hara
- Frank Reicher as Joe Valerie
- Jane Darwell as Mrs. Marble
Critical reception
TV Guide wrote, "very fast-paced whodunit thanks to Pichel's taut direction, with the added stylistic flair of a glowing deathmask which floats through the mansion's hallways. Penned by Wallace during his stay in Hollywood" ;[4] and The New York Times wrote, "like most of the British author's works, this particular ruddy specimen is blessed with vigor and imagination...There are enough killings and accidental deaths to satisfy the most ardent enthusiasts of such thrillers." [5]
References
- ↑ "Before Dawn (1933) - Overview". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
- ↑ "Movie Review - Before Dawn - Dudley Digges and Warner Oland in a Pictorial Melodrama by the Late Edgar Wallace". nytimes.com. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
- ↑ "Before Dawn Trailer, Reviews and Schedule for Before Dawn". TV Guide. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
- ↑ "Before Dawn". TVGuide.com.
- ↑ "Movie Review: Dudley Digges and Warner Oland in a Pictorial Melodrama by the Late Edgar Wallace". nytimes.com. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
External links
- Before Dawn on IMDb