I have really enjoyed watching this fun murder mystery with Loretta Young and Brian Ahern. Not high drama or suspense but more a of comedy murder mystery. From Hollywoods golden era and they just don't make them like this anymore. Loretta Young was always very watchable and this role is no exception. Brian Ahern had a comedic flair that comes through in this flick. The two of them are wonderful together and the husband and wife banter is delightful. The rest of the cast includes some of Hollywoods best character actors in solid support of the stars. It is just great fun to watch and these kind of films are, in my opinion, what made the Golden Era of motion pictures so great. Hope you all enjoy.
34 Reviews
Spooks run wild.
weezeralfalfa16 August 2018
A blend of murder mystery and humor, taking place nearly all within a creepy apartment complex, where most of the residents are up tight about something, and scary things tend to happen. My review title comes from another horror-comedy, released the year before, featuring the East Side Boys......Brian Aherne's character is a well established writer of murder mysteries, who, ironically, will soon be caught up in trying to solve a real murder mystery, which apparently took place in their apartment while they were out.....They should have expected trouble, moving into #13 Gay Street, Greenwich Village. They came some days before expected, thus the electricity in their apt. wasn't yet turned on. As they arrived in the dark, they needed candles to light their way, making the scene more scary. Several times a sizable terrapin , crawling on the floor, is the culprit, in a running gag. Another recurring gag has Aherne having great trouble opening a door, which others have no problem with. Each of the stars faint a couple of times, most notably when each thought the other was the murder victim.......You may find the screen play much contrived, and rather chaotic. But, I think the combo of horror and comedy is a winner, as shown by various other practitioners. Loretta is as gorgeous and sexy as I've ever seen her. Aherne much reminds me, in his speech, easy charm and looks, of Errol Flynn, and is great for his role. He also made a great Emperor Maximillian, in "Juarez". Thus, if you should find the screenplay too opaque, hopefully, the stars will keep you interested.
A Charming Comedy/Mystery
Sharclon828 April 2005
From the Title, I expected to see yet another Titanic movie and was pleasurably surprised by this charmer. I love a good mystery story and a witty comedy mystery is always an extra pleasure. This is a delightful little Mystery/Comedy in the same genre as Topper Returns and The Ex-Mrs. Bradford: Both knock-offs of The Thin Man series.
Ms. Young and Mr. Aherne play a young married couple that move into a Greenwich Apartment to soak up atmosphere so he can write a Mystery novel. They find themselves involved in a real murder mystery which Briane Aherne sets out to solve himself so that he can write about it and thereby write a good murder mystery; as he explains to his wife, all his stories up to now have been "corny". It's not the mystery being clever that makes this such a good movie, but then The Thin Man movies are not known for their Mystery stories either; it is the byplay between the husband and wife that makes the movie so very enjoyable. It is the same with this movie, the Mystery is clever enough to keep you watching and the stars of the movie have charm and charisma aplenty to make this movie a real keeper.
Ms. Young and Mr. Aherne play a young married couple that move into a Greenwich Apartment to soak up atmosphere so he can write a Mystery novel. They find themselves involved in a real murder mystery which Briane Aherne sets out to solve himself so that he can write about it and thereby write a good murder mystery; as he explains to his wife, all his stories up to now have been "corny". It's not the mystery being clever that makes this such a good movie, but then The Thin Man movies are not known for their Mystery stories either; it is the byplay between the husband and wife that makes the movie so very enjoyable. It is the same with this movie, the Mystery is clever enough to keep you watching and the stars of the movie have charm and charisma aplenty to make this movie a real keeper.
An Aherne Showcase
dougdoepke12 August 2009
Sprightly comedy-mystery that holds up thanks mainly to Brian Aherne's expert fumbling with petty annoyances. All in all, he cooks roasts about as well as he opens doors, that is, not without considerable practice. He's supposed to be a mystery writer, but as a real-life sleuth, he's about as effective as an American Clouseau. I think I detect some subtle spoofing of the many amateur detectives of the period (Ellery Queen, The Saint, Boston Blackie, et. al.). And it doesn't hurt that Charlie Chan (Sydney Toler) turns up as a police inspector. Watch Jeff (Aherne) get decked in a fight, get about every clue wrong, get weak at the sight of a corpse, and generally behave like the anti-Sherlock. Good thing he's back- stopped by gorgeously competent wife Nancy (Loretta Young). As the charmingly inept Jeff, Britisher Aherne is simply superb, and, I would think, at the apex of his American career.
Also, it appears the concept may have started off as a stage play since the action is mainly confined to Jeff & Nancy's dingy apartment. However that may be, the supporting cast is a collection of lively and familiar faces, especially Hollywood's favorite dumb cop, rubber-faced Donald McBride (Bolling), along with the grandly smitten furniture mover James Burke. The fractured events all move at a sure-handed pace thanks to veteran comedy director Richard Wallace. My one complaint is that better use is not made of the best dragon-lady of the period, Gale Sondergaard (Mrs. Devoe), who's often sinister enough to scare the stitches off Frankenstein's neck. Here however she plays it fairly boring and straight. Anyway, it's a nifty little comedy with a good mix of laughs and chills, and I expect war-weary audiences of the day (1942) found it great escapist entertainment that holds up well, even today. (Also—be sure to catch the amusingly apt very last frame.)
Also, it appears the concept may have started off as a stage play since the action is mainly confined to Jeff & Nancy's dingy apartment. However that may be, the supporting cast is a collection of lively and familiar faces, especially Hollywood's favorite dumb cop, rubber-faced Donald McBride (Bolling), along with the grandly smitten furniture mover James Burke. The fractured events all move at a sure-handed pace thanks to veteran comedy director Richard Wallace. My one complaint is that better use is not made of the best dragon-lady of the period, Gale Sondergaard (Mrs. Devoe), who's often sinister enough to scare the stitches off Frankenstein's neck. Here however she plays it fairly boring and straight. Anyway, it's a nifty little comedy with a good mix of laughs and chills, and I expect war-weary audiences of the day (1942) found it great escapist entertainment that holds up well, even today. (Also—be sure to catch the amusingly apt very last frame.)
Silly fun
blanche-226 July 2009
Loretta Young and Brian Aherne have "A Night to Remember" in this 1943 film about a couple that moves into a Greenwich Village apartment which turns out to be full of murder and mayhem. It sports an interesting supporting cast, including Sidney Toler of "Charlie Chan" fame, Lee Patrick, Gale Sondergaard, and Jeff Donnell.
First of all, much as I liked this film, I'll go on record as saying that I can't believe Loretta Young was so anxious to get out of 20th Century Fox if this is the best anyone could come up with for her. Columbia wasn't at the top of the heap anyway, and this seems like a throwaway even for them. It's very light fare.
Young and Aherne play the Troys, who move into a basement apartment at 13 Gay Street in Greenwich Village. Besides the cast, this is the main reason I liked this film. I used to live a couple of blocks from Gay Street, and 12 Gay Street is where the sisters in "My Sister Eileen" lived. In the '50's and early '60's, #10 Gay Street was home to Alice Ghostley, and her husband Felice Orlandi. Neighbors on another floor were Bea Arthur & Gene Saks. Close friend Paul Lynde was across the street at 123 Waverly Place, and Kaye Ballard was close by on 5th Ave. They all just walked to work at the Bon Soir, when they played that room.
Tired and hungry, the Troys go out to dinner. They run into a friend of Nancy Troy's, Virginia (Donnell) who acts strangely. When Nancy goes into a phone booth, she hears someone setting up a meeting in her apartment! Strange goings on indeed. And when they find a co-diner at the restaurant dead in their backyard, things become stranger yet.
"A Night to Remember" moves quickly enough, and it's delightful, but probably a little miscast. Someone a little wackier than the stunning Young might have a better choice for the wife. Aherne, a very good actor, isn't quite at home in this milieu either. "A Night to Remember" resembles "Footsteps in the Dark" with Errol Flynn. Aherne was a better actor, but Flynn had a lighter touch and more charm. Alas, I think Aherne spent a lot of time in Flynn's shadow.
I still love the movie despite its problems. Vintage 1943 - nothing wrong with that.
First of all, much as I liked this film, I'll go on record as saying that I can't believe Loretta Young was so anxious to get out of 20th Century Fox if this is the best anyone could come up with for her. Columbia wasn't at the top of the heap anyway, and this seems like a throwaway even for them. It's very light fare.
Young and Aherne play the Troys, who move into a basement apartment at 13 Gay Street in Greenwich Village. Besides the cast, this is the main reason I liked this film. I used to live a couple of blocks from Gay Street, and 12 Gay Street is where the sisters in "My Sister Eileen" lived. In the '50's and early '60's, #10 Gay Street was home to Alice Ghostley, and her husband Felice Orlandi. Neighbors on another floor were Bea Arthur & Gene Saks. Close friend Paul Lynde was across the street at 123 Waverly Place, and Kaye Ballard was close by on 5th Ave. They all just walked to work at the Bon Soir, when they played that room.
Tired and hungry, the Troys go out to dinner. They run into a friend of Nancy Troy's, Virginia (Donnell) who acts strangely. When Nancy goes into a phone booth, she hears someone setting up a meeting in her apartment! Strange goings on indeed. And when they find a co-diner at the restaurant dead in their backyard, things become stranger yet.
"A Night to Remember" moves quickly enough, and it's delightful, but probably a little miscast. Someone a little wackier than the stunning Young might have a better choice for the wife. Aherne, a very good actor, isn't quite at home in this milieu either. "A Night to Remember" resembles "Footsteps in the Dark" with Errol Flynn. Aherne was a better actor, but Flynn had a lighter touch and more charm. Alas, I think Aherne spent a lot of time in Flynn's shadow.
I still love the movie despite its problems. Vintage 1943 - nothing wrong with that.
Worth remembering
TheLittleSongbird22 June 2020
This is not to be confused with the 1958 film, the definitive film version of the 1912 Titanic disaster, of the same name. The two couldn't be more different in pretty much every way. Getting that quickly out of the way, there were a couple of reasons for wanting to see 1942's 'A Night to Remember'. Being somebody that loves it when films mix comedy and mystery, many classic examples of this, and somebody that finds Loretta Young more than watchable.
Something she absolutely is here, more than that even. There are films that do do quite a bit better at mixing comedy and mystery, to me 'A Night to Remember' doesn't execute either perfectly and is far from perfect as an overall film. 'A Night to Remember' is still worth watching, as it is a mostly entertaining, well photographed and intriguing film that has a good cast on paper that all deliver in their own way (even if all have done better).
A lot is done right in 'A Night to Remember'. It may not be a "lavish" film but there is nothing cheap-looking about the production values either. The photography is done with a good deal of style and there is a moodiness to the lighting. The music has atmosphere and didn't seem too light to me. The direction is not exactly exceptional or distinguished, but it's far from slack, it opens up the action enough and keeps things moving nicely.
Furthermore there are a fair share of very amusing parts, not of the witty kind but in an endearingly silly and not peurile sort of way. The dialogue raises a smile, is tight and is intriguing. There is a solid mystery that goes at a generally decent clip and is not obvious or simplistic thanks to some neat turns. It keeps one guessing and has some tension that balances solidly enough with the humour generally. Young has a lot of fun in her role and is a lot of fun herself, with a natural charm, determination and good comic timing. Brian Aherne has the more difficult role, and brings grit and charisma without taking it too seriously. They may not be William Powell and Myrna Loy in terms of chemistry, but they do make for a good pairing. The supporting cast are all good too, Gale Sondergaard deserved a lot more screen-time but she does wonders with what she has.
However, a few of the gags did fall flat as a result of being over-exposed to the point of tedium, being lacking in variety and being quite cheesy (like with the turtle). The ending did strike me as rather rushed and lacking in excitement.
Not all the pacing is quite there, with some of the material feeling over-stretched.
Overall, fun and worthwhile if not great. 7/10
Something she absolutely is here, more than that even. There are films that do do quite a bit better at mixing comedy and mystery, to me 'A Night to Remember' doesn't execute either perfectly and is far from perfect as an overall film. 'A Night to Remember' is still worth watching, as it is a mostly entertaining, well photographed and intriguing film that has a good cast on paper that all deliver in their own way (even if all have done better).
A lot is done right in 'A Night to Remember'. It may not be a "lavish" film but there is nothing cheap-looking about the production values either. The photography is done with a good deal of style and there is a moodiness to the lighting. The music has atmosphere and didn't seem too light to me. The direction is not exactly exceptional or distinguished, but it's far from slack, it opens up the action enough and keeps things moving nicely.
Furthermore there are a fair share of very amusing parts, not of the witty kind but in an endearingly silly and not peurile sort of way. The dialogue raises a smile, is tight and is intriguing. There is a solid mystery that goes at a generally decent clip and is not obvious or simplistic thanks to some neat turns. It keeps one guessing and has some tension that balances solidly enough with the humour generally. Young has a lot of fun in her role and is a lot of fun herself, with a natural charm, determination and good comic timing. Brian Aherne has the more difficult role, and brings grit and charisma without taking it too seriously. They may not be William Powell and Myrna Loy in terms of chemistry, but they do make for a good pairing. The supporting cast are all good too, Gale Sondergaard deserved a lot more screen-time but she does wonders with what she has.
However, a few of the gags did fall flat as a result of being over-exposed to the point of tedium, being lacking in variety and being quite cheesy (like with the turtle). The ending did strike me as rather rushed and lacking in excitement.
Not all the pacing is quite there, with some of the material feeling over-stretched.
Overall, fun and worthwhile if not great. 7/10
This is a fun film
airfast21 April 2009
I just saw this film for the tenth time. I enjoy Brian Ahern as the scatter brain murder mystery book writer who, with is wife, Loretta Young, move into a basement apartment of an apartment building where the tenants all live there because they are being blackmailed. The whole cast has solid character actors you've seen in so many other films. It is nice to see Lee Patrick as a café owner with out her high pitched voice that she later became known for. A dead man is found in their back yard, that they had seen while eating dinner the night before and the two start their own investigation as to who the man was and why is everyone being blackmailed. The story continues to move so easy through its 91 minutes that I was sorry to see it end.
Worth seeing but don't expect any magic
planktonrules24 July 2009
A couple years before this film debuted, Warner Brothers Studio made a similar (and significantly better) film called FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK. Like A NIGHT TO REMEMBER, the film is about a writer who investigates a murder. The Errol Flynn film was terrific--highly under-appreciated. However, this reworking of the story leaves a bit to be desired--though it's still worth watching.
The film begins with a married couple moving into a Greenwich Village apartment. The husband writes murder mysteries but wants to write a romance set in the Village, so his wife arranges to rent this basement apartment to give him inspiration. However, instead of encouraging him to write about romance or the Bohemian lifestyle, they are plunged into a murder mystery themselves when a dead man is discovered just outside their apartment. And, because it's a movie, the couple decide to investigate the mystery themselves.
The film is meant as a light comedy and although it's not a bad film, sometimes it seemed to try too hard to be funny--producing some rather forced laughs. For example, while the double-fainting gag made me laugh, it actually was a detriment to the story because the humor was rather low, to say the least. Also, the running gag involving the turtle really wore thin--it just wasn't funny the first time nor did it make sense--so naturally, they did it again and again.
Some things I did like were the husband's (Brian Ahern) repeatedly failed attempts to act manly. Also, while it was a dopey film, Loretta Young and Ahern at least gave it their best. Still, FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK succeeded because the important thing was the plot and dopey humor was not inserted illogically into the plot. A NIGHT TO REMEMBER is worth seeing but don't expect any magic.
By the way, pay attention to the police inspector. It's Sydney Toler, who at the same time period he made this film he was also appearing in the Charlie Chan series.
The film begins with a married couple moving into a Greenwich Village apartment. The husband writes murder mysteries but wants to write a romance set in the Village, so his wife arranges to rent this basement apartment to give him inspiration. However, instead of encouraging him to write about romance or the Bohemian lifestyle, they are plunged into a murder mystery themselves when a dead man is discovered just outside their apartment. And, because it's a movie, the couple decide to investigate the mystery themselves.
The film is meant as a light comedy and although it's not a bad film, sometimes it seemed to try too hard to be funny--producing some rather forced laughs. For example, while the double-fainting gag made me laugh, it actually was a detriment to the story because the humor was rather low, to say the least. Also, the running gag involving the turtle really wore thin--it just wasn't funny the first time nor did it make sense--so naturally, they did it again and again.
Some things I did like were the husband's (Brian Ahern) repeatedly failed attempts to act manly. Also, while it was a dopey film, Loretta Young and Ahern at least gave it their best. Still, FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK succeeded because the important thing was the plot and dopey humor was not inserted illogically into the plot. A NIGHT TO REMEMBER is worth seeing but don't expect any magic.
By the way, pay attention to the police inspector. It's Sydney Toler, who at the same time period he made this film he was also appearing in the Charlie Chan series.
Wickedly Funny Mystery Spoof
oldblackandwhite19 October 2012
If we may get a couple misconceptions about A Night To Remember out of the way --
1) In spite of what a gaggle of monkey-read-monkey-write critics have said, A Night To Remember bears little resemblance to The Thin Man series. The couple in this picture are not rich like Nick and Nora Charles, but of modest means at best. They are renting a seedy basement flat in Greenwich Viliage, not plush Park Avenue digs like the Charleses. They are not alcoholics like Nick and Nora. They do not have a dog. Nick was boozy, but not bumbling like the amateur sleuth here. He was an ex-cop, and a tough and very competent one, not a wimpy mystery writer playing detective.
2) Those who ordered a DVD of this picture thinking it was going to be the 1958 British docudrama about the Titanic disaster of the same title perhaps need a reading comprehension course as much as a writing course before embarking on the perilous path of spinning movie reviews. No doubt it would likewise be helpful if such persons would limit their consumption of alcoholic beverages while ordering DVD's.
A Night To Remember is a sparkling screwball comedy/mystery with the requisite goofy hero and goofy heroine, played with brilliant incompetence by Brian Aherne and Loretta Young. The goofy cops are led by a de-Orientalized Sidney Toler sporting the same Chan dead-pan, a ridiculously wide Fedora, and a wise-cracking, trigger-happy Donald McBride as number one assistant. The supporting cast rounds up the usual suspects of nicely sinister supporting players, including Gale Sondergaard, Cy Kendall, and Blanche Yurka. Expertly directed by Richard Wallace with perfect pacing and timing, beautifully filmed by Joseph Walker, cleverly scored by Werner R. Heymann, and wonderfully acted by the entire cast. Aherne and Ms. Young both had a fine touch for comedy in spite of what the wags have said. Be aware that the effete left-wing literati and their film class graduate toadies who dominate movie reviews on this site and elsewhere have it out for Loretta Young because of her good Catholic girl conservatism. They will unfairly denigrate her performances and her pictures at every chance.
Witty, breezy, glossy, hilarious, engaging, entertaining, and perfectly charming, a delight from beginning to end, A Night To Remember represents Old Hollywood Comedy in peak form.
1) In spite of what a gaggle of monkey-read-monkey-write critics have said, A Night To Remember bears little resemblance to The Thin Man series. The couple in this picture are not rich like Nick and Nora Charles, but of modest means at best. They are renting a seedy basement flat in Greenwich Viliage, not plush Park Avenue digs like the Charleses. They are not alcoholics like Nick and Nora. They do not have a dog. Nick was boozy, but not bumbling like the amateur sleuth here. He was an ex-cop, and a tough and very competent one, not a wimpy mystery writer playing detective.
2) Those who ordered a DVD of this picture thinking it was going to be the 1958 British docudrama about the Titanic disaster of the same title perhaps need a reading comprehension course as much as a writing course before embarking on the perilous path of spinning movie reviews. No doubt it would likewise be helpful if such persons would limit their consumption of alcoholic beverages while ordering DVD's.
A Night To Remember is a sparkling screwball comedy/mystery with the requisite goofy hero and goofy heroine, played with brilliant incompetence by Brian Aherne and Loretta Young. The goofy cops are led by a de-Orientalized Sidney Toler sporting the same Chan dead-pan, a ridiculously wide Fedora, and a wise-cracking, trigger-happy Donald McBride as number one assistant. The supporting cast rounds up the usual suspects of nicely sinister supporting players, including Gale Sondergaard, Cy Kendall, and Blanche Yurka. Expertly directed by Richard Wallace with perfect pacing and timing, beautifully filmed by Joseph Walker, cleverly scored by Werner R. Heymann, and wonderfully acted by the entire cast. Aherne and Ms. Young both had a fine touch for comedy in spite of what the wags have said. Be aware that the effete left-wing literati and their film class graduate toadies who dominate movie reviews on this site and elsewhere have it out for Loretta Young because of her good Catholic girl conservatism. They will unfairly denigrate her performances and her pictures at every chance.
Witty, breezy, glossy, hilarious, engaging, entertaining, and perfectly charming, a delight from beginning to end, A Night To Remember represents Old Hollywood Comedy in peak form.
Is the old dark house on Gay Street haunted?
grainstorms2 January 2018
Wise-cracking cab-drivers who say "Thank you" for a 75-cents fare and gum-chewing waitresses bringing customers the $1.25 specials in a stable-themed Greenwich Village restaurant are clues that tell you that you're in the movieland of the '40s.
"A Night to Remember" is a screwball comedy/murder mystery made for a tired audience looking for not much more than a 90-minute break from war news. They got their quarter's worth. The leads are young and beguiling; the plot is nicely knotty; the dialogue is fast and furious; the humor is basic and wholesome; the styles, quaint though they may be to our jaundiced eyes, are up-to-the-minute (more fedoras than at a hat-makers convention; and most of the men sport identical little moustaches, making them at times indistinguishable); and the pratfalls are frequent and farcical.
But there's something more going on here.
The sun never seems to shine on narrow and twisting Gay Street in Gotham's Greenwich Village, at least at No. 13 - a dark and brooding walkup brownstone where every apartment apparently comes with hot and cold running terror and a corpse next door.
At least that what Brian Aherne and Loretta Young, as an attractive young couple just looking for a nice place to live, are about to find out in "A Night to Remember."...which offers up a scream about every three minutes. In this rowdy comedy mystery, the body count gets higher while the laughs keep adding up. Aherne and Young, as an addled and rattled husband and wife, can't even turn around in their apartment without something or somebody sinister dropping in.
Brian Aherne, a mystery novelist without a clue, and a stunning Loretta Young, who gets frightened very easily and shrieks rather nicely, have to pick their way through very menacing goings-on before they can settle in. But they find very quickly that they can't trust anybody in their new home, where your neighbor might well be as disturbing as a creaking floorboard at midnight or as quiet as somebody (or something) breathing heavily outside your door. What's worse is that a grumpy police inspector, played here by Sidney Toler (don't expect any quaint sayings), trusts neither Aherne nor Young.
As the young couple quickly discover, there are a great many secrets in this strange house, and the unnerving characters (played by a virtual graveyard shift of talented performers, including Jeff Donnell, Lee Patrick, Blanche Yurka and Gale Sondergaard) who show up at odd places and odd times aren't the sort of folks who share.
"A Night to Remember" may be forgettable, but it definitely is watchable and enjoyable. Director Richard Wallace keeps the suspense dialed on high. And veteran cinematographer Joseph Walker has a way of making a banister or a backyard or even a bathtub look like something from "House Baleful." (Forget about film noir. This is film dire!)
Bonus: Look for Brian Aherne's hilarious misadventures in a treacherous kitchen, where even an ordinary oven can turn into The Fiery Fiend From Hell. As you'll find out with delight, stalwart but suave Brian Aherne (some called him "the poor man's Errol Flynn") actually had a surprising gift for slapstick! And Loretta's later reputation for a sweet elegance is foreshadowed here. (No calm serenity here, though. That would come later.) Already a 25-year veteran of the movies, with more than EIGHTY films under her belt, the 30-year-old beauty easily matches Aherne for double takes and popped eyes and flapping hands and frozen stares and stammered warnings. And she's definitely a far better screamer.
"A Night to Remember" is a screwball comedy/murder mystery made for a tired audience looking for not much more than a 90-minute break from war news. They got their quarter's worth. The leads are young and beguiling; the plot is nicely knotty; the dialogue is fast and furious; the humor is basic and wholesome; the styles, quaint though they may be to our jaundiced eyes, are up-to-the-minute (more fedoras than at a hat-makers convention; and most of the men sport identical little moustaches, making them at times indistinguishable); and the pratfalls are frequent and farcical.
But there's something more going on here.
The sun never seems to shine on narrow and twisting Gay Street in Gotham's Greenwich Village, at least at No. 13 - a dark and brooding walkup brownstone where every apartment apparently comes with hot and cold running terror and a corpse next door.
At least that what Brian Aherne and Loretta Young, as an attractive young couple just looking for a nice place to live, are about to find out in "A Night to Remember."...which offers up a scream about every three minutes. In this rowdy comedy mystery, the body count gets higher while the laughs keep adding up. Aherne and Young, as an addled and rattled husband and wife, can't even turn around in their apartment without something or somebody sinister dropping in.
Brian Aherne, a mystery novelist without a clue, and a stunning Loretta Young, who gets frightened very easily and shrieks rather nicely, have to pick their way through very menacing goings-on before they can settle in. But they find very quickly that they can't trust anybody in their new home, where your neighbor might well be as disturbing as a creaking floorboard at midnight or as quiet as somebody (or something) breathing heavily outside your door. What's worse is that a grumpy police inspector, played here by Sidney Toler (don't expect any quaint sayings), trusts neither Aherne nor Young.
As the young couple quickly discover, there are a great many secrets in this strange house, and the unnerving characters (played by a virtual graveyard shift of talented performers, including Jeff Donnell, Lee Patrick, Blanche Yurka and Gale Sondergaard) who show up at odd places and odd times aren't the sort of folks who share.
"A Night to Remember" may be forgettable, but it definitely is watchable and enjoyable. Director Richard Wallace keeps the suspense dialed on high. And veteran cinematographer Joseph Walker has a way of making a banister or a backyard or even a bathtub look like something from "House Baleful." (Forget about film noir. This is film dire!)
Bonus: Look for Brian Aherne's hilarious misadventures in a treacherous kitchen, where even an ordinary oven can turn into The Fiery Fiend From Hell. As you'll find out with delight, stalwart but suave Brian Aherne (some called him "the poor man's Errol Flynn") actually had a surprising gift for slapstick! And Loretta's later reputation for a sweet elegance is foreshadowed here. (No calm serenity here, though. That would come later.) Already a 25-year veteran of the movies, with more than EIGHTY films under her belt, the 30-year-old beauty easily matches Aherne for double takes and popped eyes and flapping hands and frozen stares and stammered warnings. And she's definitely a far better screamer.
A few good moments can't save this one.
bob-107015 August 2009
This is available on DVD as part of Sony's "Icons of Screwball Comedy" series. I like Loretta Young, but she is certainly no "icon" of the genre, nor can this movie even be described as a "Screwball Comedy." Perhaps my disappointment in the film was based on faulty expectations. It's just a B picture from Columbia, clearly made on a shoestring budget, and what comedy there is in the film is pretty forced and obvious, exemplified by a tedious gag in which Brian Aherne has trouble opening a door. The plot -- a couple move into a building where a murderer lives -- was more entertaining when the Three Stooges did it. Even the solution to the mystery is forgettable. Young and Aherne are okay, but have nowhere near the chemistry of William Powell and Myrna Loy in their many films together. I'll give props to the cinematography: there is some fine work with limited light which, in some scenes, disguise the stage-bound nature of the film. Bottom line: this one's not worth your time.
Shenanigans in the basement apartment at 13 Baker Street
SimonJack21 January 2017
Warning: Spoilers
"A Night to Remember" isn't in the class of the Thin Man comedy mysteries, but it's a fun film that stars Loretta Young and Brian Aherne. If anything, Aherne's character, Jeff Troy, is more comedic, even to the point of being silly at times. Young plays his wife, Nancy. The film has a fine supporting cast that includes Gale Sondergaard, the mistress of shadowy mystery in so many films. And, one very good character must have been added just for the humor. Sidney Toler is inspector Hankins. He seems to be made up to look like the Chinese detective, Charlie Chan, whom he played and helped make famous through many movies in the late 1930s through the mid-1940s. We watched those on TV at night in the 1950s.
Aherne exhibits some characteristics not associated with manliness. He seems to be jumpy at times and frightens easily, but then he quickly regains his composure. And, he may hold the record of one man fainting on film. He does it twice. The first time is understandable, especially for the comedic effect in a wonderful scene. But the last time there could be no plausible reason for him to faint except for the film to close on a very funny note – with looks of disgust on the faces of the several police officers present.
This film is a strange blend of comedy, crime and murder mystery, with the comedy the largest part. It's quite far out, but all the weird and unusual situations add up to a very entertaining movie. There is a serious crime, further compounded by a more serious murder. Some of the characters are mysterious and the setting is right out of a comic book. Yet, scenes that otherwise might have one sitting on edge with suspense or fright aren't at all frightening here. They are more curious because of the comedy and the musical score that feeds the comedy more than the suspense or any threat of lurking danger.
At the start of the film, it's nighttime when Jeff and Nancy pull up in a cab at 13 Baker Street to move into their newly rented apartment. It's the basement apartment and it reminded me of the apartment in the movie, "My Sister Eileen." It has three entrances and the locks on two of them don't work. The lights haven't been turned on yet. And, there's a constant intruder – a long-time resident of the place, a large turtle named Old Hickory. He is the cause of the occasional shriek let out by the housekeeper, Mrs. Salter (played by Blanche Yurka).
The story takes off from there with hilarious twists and turns. This is mostly a fun film to watch for some of the antics along with the dialog. Here are some comic lines from the film. They should give one an idea of what to expect, or miss – if one doesn't watch "A Night to Remember."
Eddie Turner, building owner (played by Don Costello), "Mr. Troy, your wife tells me you're a novelist." Jeff, "That's odd. She never told me." Nancy, "Oh, darling. I don't tell you everything."
Hatcheck girl in Polly's Stable, "Your check, sir." Nancy, "Never mind. He always gets the wrong hat anyway."
Nancy, "Jeff, don't be a fool." Jeff, "Don't be silly. I've always been a fool."
Nancy, "Aren't you scared?" Jeff, "I was scared 15 minutes ago. I'm petrified now."
Detective Pat Murphy (played by James Burke), "Inspector, why don't you let me take this guy down to headquarters where we can have a nice quiet talk?" Jeff, "Take me down to headquarters, eh? Oh! Threatening me with third degree, eh? Well, let me tell you something – the police are not allowed to use a rubber hose on anyone these days." Murphy, to Inspector Hankins, "Can't we?" Inspector, "No rubber."
Jeff, "You wait here." Nancy, "Oh, no. If you're going to be murdered, I'm going to be murdered too." Jeff, "Stop talking about murder."
Post Office client, "I know where I live. Just give me three one-cent stamps, please."
We hear a scream in the hall. Nancy, "Well, Jeff, aren't you going to go see what that was? Jeff, "I don't have to find out. I know what it was. Somebody screamed." We hear another scream. Jeff, "See, what did I tell you?"
Nancy, "For years I thought I was married to a moody genius. Now I discover you're just a plain fool."
Jeff, "Well you don't want a husband that's a coward, do you?" Nancy, "I'm not particular. I just want a husband."
Aherne exhibits some characteristics not associated with manliness. He seems to be jumpy at times and frightens easily, but then he quickly regains his composure. And, he may hold the record of one man fainting on film. He does it twice. The first time is understandable, especially for the comedic effect in a wonderful scene. But the last time there could be no plausible reason for him to faint except for the film to close on a very funny note – with looks of disgust on the faces of the several police officers present.
This film is a strange blend of comedy, crime and murder mystery, with the comedy the largest part. It's quite far out, but all the weird and unusual situations add up to a very entertaining movie. There is a serious crime, further compounded by a more serious murder. Some of the characters are mysterious and the setting is right out of a comic book. Yet, scenes that otherwise might have one sitting on edge with suspense or fright aren't at all frightening here. They are more curious because of the comedy and the musical score that feeds the comedy more than the suspense or any threat of lurking danger.
At the start of the film, it's nighttime when Jeff and Nancy pull up in a cab at 13 Baker Street to move into their newly rented apartment. It's the basement apartment and it reminded me of the apartment in the movie, "My Sister Eileen." It has three entrances and the locks on two of them don't work. The lights haven't been turned on yet. And, there's a constant intruder – a long-time resident of the place, a large turtle named Old Hickory. He is the cause of the occasional shriek let out by the housekeeper, Mrs. Salter (played by Blanche Yurka).
The story takes off from there with hilarious twists and turns. This is mostly a fun film to watch for some of the antics along with the dialog. Here are some comic lines from the film. They should give one an idea of what to expect, or miss – if one doesn't watch "A Night to Remember."
Eddie Turner, building owner (played by Don Costello), "Mr. Troy, your wife tells me you're a novelist." Jeff, "That's odd. She never told me." Nancy, "Oh, darling. I don't tell you everything."
Hatcheck girl in Polly's Stable, "Your check, sir." Nancy, "Never mind. He always gets the wrong hat anyway."
Nancy, "Jeff, don't be a fool." Jeff, "Don't be silly. I've always been a fool."
Nancy, "Aren't you scared?" Jeff, "I was scared 15 minutes ago. I'm petrified now."
Detective Pat Murphy (played by James Burke), "Inspector, why don't you let me take this guy down to headquarters where we can have a nice quiet talk?" Jeff, "Take me down to headquarters, eh? Oh! Threatening me with third degree, eh? Well, let me tell you something – the police are not allowed to use a rubber hose on anyone these days." Murphy, to Inspector Hankins, "Can't we?" Inspector, "No rubber."
Jeff, "You wait here." Nancy, "Oh, no. If you're going to be murdered, I'm going to be murdered too." Jeff, "Stop talking about murder."
Post Office client, "I know where I live. Just give me three one-cent stamps, please."
We hear a scream in the hall. Nancy, "Well, Jeff, aren't you going to go see what that was? Jeff, "I don't have to find out. I know what it was. Somebody screamed." We hear another scream. Jeff, "See, what did I tell you?"
Nancy, "For years I thought I was married to a moody genius. Now I discover you're just a plain fool."
Jeff, "Well you don't want a husband that's a coward, do you?" Nancy, "I'm not particular. I just want a husband."
Deeply flawed, yet it has its strengths
vincentlynch-moonoi7 January 2011
I had never heard of this film until it popped up on Turner Classic Movies. So, I settled down one evening to view it and almost turned it off after the first 20 minutes. The plot...adequately described in other reviews here...is...well...sort of dumb with a number of inconsistencies. From my perspective, what makes this film worth watching, and what kept me watching are the performances and witty dialog. A somewhat wacky screwball comedy (of sorts) is not what I'm used to with Loretta Young, and I rather enjoyed her in this role. And, I'm not that familiar with Brian Aherne, but -- once you accept the absurdity of many plot aspects -- his performance is engaging. Much of the dialog between them can be described as "snappy", and perhaps a poor man's Nick and Nora. The dialog between Aherne and the cops -- who aren't as befuddled as Aherne suspects -- is often clever, too. You'll recognize a couple of the supporting actors, particularly Sidney Toler and Gale Sondergaard (rather restrained here and not half so evil as her roles often were), but I always enjoy watching Donald MacBridge -- the master of the "slow burn". Is this a great movie? No. But, given the limitations of the script, it's quite entertaining.
Fast Minor Comic Mystery.
rmax30482323 January 2013
A mystery writer, Aherne, and his wife, Young, move into a basement apartment in Greenwich Village. The furniture is late, the electric power is off, and there is a great deal of confusion. The apartments upstairs of full of kooks or suspicious characters. That first night, and the next day, everybody seems to be rushing around, eavesdropping, screaming, getting locked in closets -- and the next day the police find a dead body in the back yard.
The police begin an investigation under Sidney Toler, who looks just like Charlie Chan even without Asian make up. He's aided by Donald MacBride, a familiar character actor with a built-in suspicious sneer. Aherne and Young decide to involve themselves in the case and do more rushing around both within the apartment and within the sets that pass for New York City.
Loretta Young is breathless and pretty. Brian Aherne overacts, sometimes to the point of embarrassment. His eyes pop, his mouth gapes, and he projects discomfort the way a traffic light signals traffic.
But I don't really think that anyone could do much with what is essentially a B movie script. Substitute Chester Morris for Aherne and Gloria Stuart for Young, reduce the running time from 91 to 60 minutes and you have a fine, diverting 1930s entertainment, fit for a second feature and for Saturday matinées, where the kids will appreciate gags like Loretta Young being trapped in the basement coal shed, a load of call showering down upon her while she shrieks, the coal man asking, "Hey, what are you doing down there?", and Young shouting sarcastically, "I'm hanging out my laundry; what do you think?"
The police begin an investigation under Sidney Toler, who looks just like Charlie Chan even without Asian make up. He's aided by Donald MacBride, a familiar character actor with a built-in suspicious sneer. Aherne and Young decide to involve themselves in the case and do more rushing around both within the apartment and within the sets that pass for New York City.
Loretta Young is breathless and pretty. Brian Aherne overacts, sometimes to the point of embarrassment. His eyes pop, his mouth gapes, and he projects discomfort the way a traffic light signals traffic.
But I don't really think that anyone could do much with what is essentially a B movie script. Substitute Chester Morris for Aherne and Gloria Stuart for Young, reduce the running time from 91 to 60 minutes and you have a fine, diverting 1930s entertainment, fit for a second feature and for Saturday matinées, where the kids will appreciate gags like Loretta Young being trapped in the basement coal shed, a load of call showering down upon her while she shrieks, the coal man asking, "Hey, what are you doing down there?", and Young shouting sarcastically, "I'm hanging out my laundry; what do you think?"
'Thin Man' Wannabes
ccthemovieman-19 April 2006
This wasn't as good as advertised, at least in my opinion. It was still fairly entertaining.
This movie was a "Thin Man" wannabe with a husband-and-wife team (Brian Aherene and Loretta Young, romancing, making smart remarks and solving a murder mystery.
Some of the remarks might have been funny or clever 65 years ago but they appear dated and not as good today. And, all the "darlings" mouthed during the film got annoying. It sounds so affected nowadays.
It wasn't a big-name cast but it was an interesting one with the always-mysterious Gale Sondegaard and Sidney Toler of Charlie Chan fame. Others were Jeff Donnell, William Wright, Donald McBride, Lee Patrick, Don Costello and Richard Gaines.
It might have been "A Night To Remember" but it wasn't a movie to remember.
This movie was a "Thin Man" wannabe with a husband-and-wife team (Brian Aherene and Loretta Young, romancing, making smart remarks and solving a murder mystery.
Some of the remarks might have been funny or clever 65 years ago but they appear dated and not as good today. And, all the "darlings" mouthed during the film got annoying. It sounds so affected nowadays.
It wasn't a big-name cast but it was an interesting one with the always-mysterious Gale Sondegaard and Sidney Toler of Charlie Chan fame. Others were Jeff Donnell, William Wright, Donald McBride, Lee Patrick, Don Costello and Richard Gaines.
It might have been "A Night To Remember" but it wasn't a movie to remember.
Richard Wallace makes a fantastic mystery comedy that can be compared to two different films in those individual genres
SAMTHEBESTEST4 December 2023
A Night To Remember (1942) :
Brief Review -
Richard Wallace makes a fantastic mystery comedy that can be compared to two different films in those individual genres. Alfred Hitchcock can give you a suspense thriller, and Wilder, Capra, Cukot or some other director could give you a hilarious comedy, but did you ever think that one director could give you one movie with the features of those two different movies? Sounds impossible, right? Believe it or not, Richard Wallace did it! Based on the novel "The Frightened Stiff" by Audrey Roos and William Roos, A Night to Remember tells the story of a murder mystery writer and his wife who enter a new house in the basement. Both of them suspect something is fishy about the place, but they overlook everything until they find the body of a man who was supposed to enter their house in their absence. The cops are clueless, and their investigation goes astray. As expected, the writer investigates things himself with his writer's mind to find a new story for his next novel that will be real and successful. His wife doesn't let him alone, even for a moment, and as we go ahead, we see her as more intelligent than her husband. As he calls her, "Yes, Mrs. Sherlock." One can totally agree. There is a tremendous amount of mystery and so many twists to keep you totally hooked on the screen. By the time you reach the end, you realise that there was so much in the film not to be missed. After running round and round, you come to the centre and find your answers. While the mystery stuff keeps spinning your head, the comedy doesn't stop. It puts your cheeks at work. Brian Aherne has surprised me with his top-notch performance. The beautiful Loretta Young is superb in the role of his wife. In some manner, she is the hero of the film. William Wright, Jeff Donnell, Gale Sondergaard, Sidney Toler, and others have done well in the supporting roles. Lastly, kudos to Richard Wallace for defining a whole new genre with his masterclass.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Richard Wallace makes a fantastic mystery comedy that can be compared to two different films in those individual genres. Alfred Hitchcock can give you a suspense thriller, and Wilder, Capra, Cukot or some other director could give you a hilarious comedy, but did you ever think that one director could give you one movie with the features of those two different movies? Sounds impossible, right? Believe it or not, Richard Wallace did it! Based on the novel "The Frightened Stiff" by Audrey Roos and William Roos, A Night to Remember tells the story of a murder mystery writer and his wife who enter a new house in the basement. Both of them suspect something is fishy about the place, but they overlook everything until they find the body of a man who was supposed to enter their house in their absence. The cops are clueless, and their investigation goes astray. As expected, the writer investigates things himself with his writer's mind to find a new story for his next novel that will be real and successful. His wife doesn't let him alone, even for a moment, and as we go ahead, we see her as more intelligent than her husband. As he calls her, "Yes, Mrs. Sherlock." One can totally agree. There is a tremendous amount of mystery and so many twists to keep you totally hooked on the screen. By the time you reach the end, you realise that there was so much in the film not to be missed. After running round and round, you come to the centre and find your answers. While the mystery stuff keeps spinning your head, the comedy doesn't stop. It puts your cheeks at work. Brian Aherne has surprised me with his top-notch performance. The beautiful Loretta Young is superb in the role of his wife. In some manner, she is the hero of the film. William Wright, Jeff Donnell, Gale Sondergaard, Sidney Toler, and others have done well in the supporting roles. Lastly, kudos to Richard Wallace for defining a whole new genre with his masterclass.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Promising, but ultimately fails to deliver!
JohnHowardReid4 March 2016
Warning: Spoilers
This is one of those comedy/mysteries or mystery/comedies that succeed in being neither particularly mysterious nor particularly comic. Actually, so far as the mystery is concerned, the scriptwriters make little effort to work up any suspense at all as to the actual identity of the killer. Indeed, this movie is more a straight thriller than a puzzling who-dun-it, but it must be admitted that some of the sequences do have a fair amount of excitement, aided by Joseph Walker's atmospheric photography and the setting itself.
Unfortunately, as for the characters themselves, they remain from first to last as rather ambiguous figures – and this criticism applies even to the principals, Loretta Young and Brian Aherne. Loretta looks a bit less emaciated than usual and plays with her usual, sweetly smiling competence. Brian's approach to his characterization is shallow and rather superficial. He remains – like most of the supporting players – as a mere stock figure, and not a particularly sympathetic one at that! Like many of the screen's amateur detectives, he assumes an always-attempt-to-be- witty, devil-may-care attitude, but fails to back it up with the kind of brawny derring-do that audiences like. Even in the movie's most dramatic moments, he remains a clown.
Of course, Aherne was doubtless limited by the script – as are the support players like Sidney Toler and Donald MacBride who play comic policemen. Actually, Toler and MacBride are a bit more successful than Aherne. Gale Sondergaard is also on hand, but has only the one scene. Blanche Yurka looks delightfully sinister. William Wright as Carstairs does a lot of talking, but it's uninteresting talk. Jeff Donnell has a promising part, but it develops in a disappointingly routine fashion. The direction was in the hands of Richard Wallace, a dull but competent director who made a career handling movies that were halfway between "A" and "B". His best of his sixty-one films, in my opinion, was Sinbad, the Sailor (1947). He also did good work on The Fallen Sparrow (1943), although I must admit that most people don't like that movie, despite its great cast: John Garfield, Maureen O'Hara, Walter Slezak.
Unfortunately, as for the characters themselves, they remain from first to last as rather ambiguous figures – and this criticism applies even to the principals, Loretta Young and Brian Aherne. Loretta looks a bit less emaciated than usual and plays with her usual, sweetly smiling competence. Brian's approach to his characterization is shallow and rather superficial. He remains – like most of the supporting players – as a mere stock figure, and not a particularly sympathetic one at that! Like many of the screen's amateur detectives, he assumes an always-attempt-to-be- witty, devil-may-care attitude, but fails to back it up with the kind of brawny derring-do that audiences like. Even in the movie's most dramatic moments, he remains a clown.
Of course, Aherne was doubtless limited by the script – as are the support players like Sidney Toler and Donald MacBride who play comic policemen. Actually, Toler and MacBride are a bit more successful than Aherne. Gale Sondergaard is also on hand, but has only the one scene. Blanche Yurka looks delightfully sinister. William Wright as Carstairs does a lot of talking, but it's uninteresting talk. Jeff Donnell has a promising part, but it develops in a disappointingly routine fashion. The direction was in the hands of Richard Wallace, a dull but competent director who made a career handling movies that were halfway between "A" and "B". His best of his sixty-one films, in my opinion, was Sinbad, the Sailor (1947). He also did good work on The Fallen Sparrow (1943), although I must admit that most people don't like that movie, despite its great cast: John Garfield, Maureen O'Hara, Walter Slezak.
Good Showing for These Two In This Venue
misctidsandbits28 December 2012
I remember when first seeing this film, being pleasantly surprised at the expertise of Ms. Young. Not many realize her long career began at the close of the silent film era (she was about 13), and that her talent was respected in the film industry. Like a lot of later generation viewers, I had the image of her TV program in mind, through reruns. That makes some of her older movies an especial treat. Like a lot of good actresses, she decried being used for a string of weak projects, and this one was an improvement over many of the previous phoned-in type roles. And, like many others also, she came into a better field of work after her contract expired and she began freelancing. I thought she and Aherne did a good job together in this venue, popular at the time.
Diverting comedy/mystery is typical '40s style story tailored for Loretta Young...
Doylenf2 September 2009
LORETTA YOUNG and BRIAN AHERNE are cast as a seemingly hapless married couple who are caught up in a murder mystery that neither one is capable of dealing with. He's a mystery writer and it isn't until the story is more than half over that he begins to pick up on any sort of clues that will help solve the case.
Just as baffled by the mysterious doings in a Greenwich Village apartment are policemen SIDNEY TOLER and DONALD MacBRIDE. Their bumbling efforts are mostly designed to provoke some mild laughs--which is not surprising since the story is really a light comedy with the murder aspects kept pretty much in the background so that Young and Aherne can give their comic flair a workout. The mystery angle is only sketchy and makes no real sense. There's a low-budget look to the proceedings.
It's easy to take as long as you accept this in the context of a film made in the early '40s with some of the usual clichés that appear in any such comedy/mystery from that era. Some of the comedy is forced (the doors that never open properly for Aherne, candlesticks that move on their own thanks to a turtle who keeps popping up unexpectedly and even steals the bed covers off a terrified Young). All in all, it's a breezy enough effort with come amusing supporting roles and an especially good turn from LEE PATRICK and GALE SONDERGAARD.
Summing up: A Columbia trifle that passes the time pleasantly and affords Loretta Young and Brian Aherne a chance to romp among wacky comedy situations.
Just as baffled by the mysterious doings in a Greenwich Village apartment are policemen SIDNEY TOLER and DONALD MacBRIDE. Their bumbling efforts are mostly designed to provoke some mild laughs--which is not surprising since the story is really a light comedy with the murder aspects kept pretty much in the background so that Young and Aherne can give their comic flair a workout. The mystery angle is only sketchy and makes no real sense. There's a low-budget look to the proceedings.
It's easy to take as long as you accept this in the context of a film made in the early '40s with some of the usual clichés that appear in any such comedy/mystery from that era. Some of the comedy is forced (the doors that never open properly for Aherne, candlesticks that move on their own thanks to a turtle who keeps popping up unexpectedly and even steals the bed covers off a terrified Young). All in all, it's a breezy enough effort with come amusing supporting roles and an especially good turn from LEE PATRICK and GALE SONDERGAARD.
Summing up: A Columbia trifle that passes the time pleasantly and affords Loretta Young and Brian Aherne a chance to romp among wacky comedy situations.
This was a nice mix of comedy and mystery with some great actors.
cgvsluis15 March 2023
I enjoyed this film more than I expected...in fact it was a delightful surprise. I liked the banter between our young married couple played by Brian Aherne and Loretta Young and their playful antics (I have heard references to Nick and Nora, but they are definitely lighter with less witty banter).
This film tells the story of Nancy and Jeff Troy who move into the understoop Greenwich apartment to help Jeff write his next great mystery novel. On their first night they find a dead body...and everyone in their building is acting suspicious. There is an ongoing gag about Jeff not being able to open one of their doors that everyone else seems to be able to open.
My favorite scene is when the cops are questioning Jeff and discover that he is the mystery writer Jeff Yort.
The character actors in this film along with Loretta Young really make this film shine. This is a strong recommendation from me...I stayed for the great sparring between the married couple but ended up really enjoying the mystery.
This film tells the story of Nancy and Jeff Troy who move into the understoop Greenwich apartment to help Jeff write his next great mystery novel. On their first night they find a dead body...and everyone in their building is acting suspicious. There is an ongoing gag about Jeff not being able to open one of their doors that everyone else seems to be able to open.
My favorite scene is when the cops are questioning Jeff and discover that he is the mystery writer Jeff Yort.
The character actors in this film along with Loretta Young really make this film shine. This is a strong recommendation from me...I stayed for the great sparring between the married couple but ended up really enjoying the mystery.
Entertaining, if a Bit Over the Top
ldeangelis-7570814 January 2023
This movie is a mix of screwball comedy and murder mystery, with some blackmail thrown in, as well as a wandering turtle who makes appearances at inopportune times, all thrown into a house in Greenwich village.
Loretta Young and Brian Aherne play a married couple who just moved into the basement apartment, a perfect atmosphere for him to write a (hopefully) bestselling mystery novel. But they get a heck of a lot more than they bargained for!
Mr. Aherne does a great job, as he uncovers the blackmail scheme, and discovers the murderer, while Ms. Young is her usual topnotch self. There's also Gale Sondergaard, who's.....Gale Sondergaard, that speaks for itself.
Not a bad way to pass the time.
Loretta Young and Brian Aherne play a married couple who just moved into the basement apartment, a perfect atmosphere for him to write a (hopefully) bestselling mystery novel. But they get a heck of a lot more than they bargained for!
Mr. Aherne does a great job, as he uncovers the blackmail scheme, and discovers the murderer, while Ms. Young is her usual topnotch self. There's also Gale Sondergaard, who's.....Gale Sondergaard, that speaks for itself.
Not a bad way to pass the time.
Disappointing dud could have been so much better
bmacv4 April 2001
The fact that I paid $18 for this video makes my disappointment all the more bitter; had I seen it on cable it wouldn't have stung so sharply. The premise for A Night to Remember was NOT the sinking of the Titanic (that was a 1957 film with the same title) but a mystery writer (Brian Aherne) and his wife (Loretta Young) taking a basement apartment in Greenwich Village. Surprise, surprise, they then run into murder. Had the equilibrium of this movie been tilted slightly more toward suspense it might have (just) succeeded. But instead it trolls for laughs, in the broadest 1940s manner. So we get tedious stretches with Aherne doing pratfalls and Young baring her equine choppers in either hilarity or horror (often the expressions are indistinguishable). The murder plot is solved so perfunctorily, ending the movie, that you're (perversely) left to wish that the movie had been longer, or better, or simply something other than what it was. This film has developed something of a reputation over the years (but then so has Arsenic and Old Lace, from the following year). In both cases, let the buyer beware.
Comparisons are odious
ilprofessore-121 November 2020
What is most endearing about this minor comedy mystery is the sparkling romantic chemistry between Brian Ahern and Loretta Young, who in no way were trying to copy THE THIN MAN. No, how could they in the same bargain basement at the 13 Gay Street set that Harry Cohn at Columbia had built for MY SISTER EILEEN, and was only to happy to rent again? The screenwriters of this film, lest we forget, went on from here to make Cohn a lot of money with the very popular Blondie pictures, and the couple Brian and Loretta play are much to closer to hapless Dagwood and his smarter mate than Nick and Nora. Yes, there are many too gags that fall flat, of course, as well as plot turns that make no sense, but all in all the direction by a Richard Wallace, a former film editor, is first-rate, excellently paced and staged. Loretta Young, as we will all agree, I hope, was one of the great beauties of the Golden Age, but she was also an excellent comedienne, a true star, no doubt about that. Ahern was never more likeable. Too bad they never did more pictures like this together.
light murder mystery
SnoopyStyle28 August 2023
Married couple, Nancy (Loretta Young) and Jeff Troy (Brian Aherne), moves into a ground level apartment on 13 Gay Street in Greenwich Village. While at the local eatery, Nancy overhears a suspicious phone call about their building. There are mysterious happenings at their new home. The police shows up and finds a dead body in their backyard.
It's a light murder mystery. They are doing light comedic tones throughout this movie. I would cut out some of the wackier comedic bits. It's a winding turny murder mystery. I really like the setup and the first half. I do like the light zippy feel of the movie.
It's a light murder mystery. They are doing light comedic tones throughout this movie. I would cut out some of the wackier comedic bits. It's a winding turny murder mystery. I really like the setup and the first half. I do like the light zippy feel of the movie.
No sequels for Aherne and Young...
moonspinner5524 July 2009
Pithy, breezy knock-off of "The Thin Man", here with mystery writer Brian Aherne solving the murder of man near his Greenwich Village rental with help from fluttery, eternally-game spouse Loretta Young. The pieces of this comically convoluted set-up are almost impossible to put together on one's own, and the Columbia back-lot provides a samey visual look throughout the picture which feels cheap. Aherne, with his upper-class diction and chipper chit-chat, works hard at his double-takes and pratfalls; Young works even harder at playing the feminine sidekick. Neither star is embarrassing, and in fact are superior to the material. Gale Sondegaard stands out in an otherwise weak supporting cast. A product of its time, and probably dated already in '43. ** from ****
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