Bowery at Midnight
Brief Synopsis
A college professor hides a life of crime behind volunteer work.
Cast & Crew
Read More
Wallace Fox
Director
Bela Lugosi
Professor Brenner [also known as] Karl Wagner
John Archer
Richard Dennison
Wanda Mckay
Judy Malvern
Tom Neal
Frankie Mills
Vince Barnett
Charley
Film Details
Genre
Horror/Science-Fiction
Horror
Release Date
Oct
30,
1942
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Banner Productions
Distribution Company
Monogram Pictures Corp.
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 3m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
5,606ft
Synopsis
Unknown to his wife, Professor Brenner, who teaches criminal psychology at a New York university, leads a double life as Karl Wagner, who runs a mission in the Bowery at night. Brenner's assistant at the mission, Judy Malvern, is also unaware of her employer's secret life and the fact that behind his office is a passage leading into subterranean rooms. Brenner uses the mission as a front as he masterminds robberies executed by hired thieves such as Stratton. One night, Brenner, Stratton and escaped convict Fingers Dolan rob a jewelry store and Brenner forces Stratton to kill Fingers. When killer Frankie Mills uses the mission as a hideout, Brenner takes him in and gets the ruthless young man to kill Stratton. Brenner, who had murdered other minions, orders his cohort, drug addict Doc Brooks, to bury them in the basement. When Brenner insults Brooks, the irrational doctor decides to prove his qualifications and secretly revives the dead criminals. In the meantime, Judy's fiancé, wealthy student Richard Dennison, fails to convince her to give up her work at the mission. He then decides to write a term paper for Brenner's class on the psychology of the underprivileged. Dennison, in tramps' clothing, goes to the mission and is shocked when he recognizes his professor posing as "Wagner." Brenner, who has just completed another robbery and murder, pretends to take Dennison in confidence, but actually has Mills kill the student. Policeman Pete Crawford is sent to investigate Dennison's disappearance and his search leads him to the mission, where he consults with Judy. He and his partner later go to Brenner's home, where they recognize a picture of Brenner as "Wagner." Mrs. Brenner finally comprehends her husband's late night absences and plans on going to police headquarters with Pete, but Brenner hides in the bedroom and silently murders her and escapes. At the mission, Judy promises to get Brooks his next drug fix if he shows her the secret rooms, but Brenner intervenes and orders Mills to kill Judy. Mills refuses to kill a woman, and as police, led by Pete, flood the mission, Brenner and Mills attempt to escape. Mills is fatally shot and Brooks, leading Brenner ostensibly to safety, takes him into his own secret chamber, where the revived victims attack their killer. Dennison fully recovers and he and Judy plan to marry.
Director
Wallace Fox
Director
Cast
Bela Lugosi
Professor Brenner [also known as] Karl Wagner
John Archer
Richard Dennison
Wanda Mckay
Judy Malvern
Tom Neal
Frankie Mills
Vince Barnett
Charley
Anna Hope
Mrs. Brenner
John Berkes
Fingers Dolan
J. Farrell Mcdonald
Capt. Mitchell
Dave O'brien
Pete Crawford
Lucille Vance
Mrs. Malvern
Lew Kelly
Doc Brooks
Wheeler Oakman
Stratton
Ray Miller
Big man
Crew
Film Details
Genre
Horror/Science-Fiction
Horror
Release Date
Oct
30,
1942
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Banner Productions
Distribution Company
Monogram Pictures Corp.
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 3m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
5,606ft
Articles
Bowery at Midnight
A college professor hides a life of crime behind volunteer work.
Bowery at Midnight
A college professor hides a life of crime behind volunteer work.
Quotes
Trivia
In the background of one scene there is a poster for the movie Corpse Vanishes, The (1942) which stars Bela Lugosi.
