Escape by Night
Cast & Crew
Hamilton Macfadden
William Hall
Anne Nagel
Dean Jagger
Steffi Duna
Ward Bond
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Josephine Elliot, the girl friend of gangster James "Capper" Regan, is almost kidnapped by a rival gang but is rescued by Nick Allen, a newcomer to town. Nick receives a flesh wound during their escape, and Jo takes him to Capper's apartment. There Nick, who does not know the nature of Capper's business, meets Capper and his two mugs, Peter "Spudsy" Baker and Horace "Red" Graham. After Capper hires Nick, they all flee when the police arrive. Capper shoots a pursuing member of the rival gang, then splits up with Nick, Jo, Spudsy and Red. The foursome travel by car into the country, and the next morning, they are found by Bill, a handsome German shepherd. Nick follows Bill to the house of Pop Adams and his daughter Linda. Pop is blind and Bill serves as his seeing eye dog. Nick realizes that Pop does not know that his once beautiful farm has fallen into severe disrepair in the five years since he lost his sight. Nick does not tell Linda who the band of refugees really are, and convinces her to take them on as boarders for a month. City dwellers Jo, Spudsy and Red are at first disgruntled to be stuck in the "sticks," but settle in and begin fixing up the farm. Fred Peters, the bank president and town mayor, visits the Adamses and is captivated by Jo. Nick tells Jo to be nice to Fred so that he does not become suspicious, and Jo soon falls in love with him. Nick himself becomes romantically involved with Linda, and Spudsy and Red become real country folks. Trouble begins when Mike Grayson is sent by Capper to retrieve the errant foursome. They tell Grayson that they will follow shortly, but after he leaves, they agree to stay for a week to finish their projects around the farm. Too soon, however, Capper arrives and is furious to learn that they wish to stay. Capper threatens to tell Pop the truth unless they leave, and so they reluctantly agree to go. When Capper pushes himself on Jo, however, Bill attacks him and is shot by Capper. Capper leaves, after which Pop, Linda and Fred return from the outing they were on, and care for Bill. That night, Capper, Mike and another gang member rob Fred's bank and leave behind a wanted poster of Jo, Spudsy and Red. Sheriff Charlie Thornton goes to the Adams' farm to investigate and takes Nick, Jo, Spudsy and Red into custody. Linda and Fred then plead with District Attorney Baldwin for leniency, and Baldwin agrees to give Nick and Jo suspended sentences, but insists that Red and Spudsy throw themselves on the mercy of the court. Just then, Baldwin receives word that Nick has escaped from jail. Nick captures Capper and Mike, after which he is given a full reprieve. Soon after, Jo and Nick return to the country, where they begin their new lives with Fred, Linda, Pop and Bill.
Director
Hamilton Macfadden
Cast
William Hall
Anne Nagel
Dean Jagger
Steffi Duna
Ward Bond
Charles Waldron
George Meeker
Wallis Clark
Arthur Aylesworth
Anthony Warde
Bill [a Dog]
Ralph Sanford
John Dilson
Crew
Alberto Colombo
Eloise
Thomas Flood
W. Donn Hayes
Earl W. Johnson
John Victor Mackay
Murray Seldeen
Harold Shumate
Harold Shumate
Edward Snyder
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
This film's working title was Fools in Paradise. William Hall was borrowed from Universal and Anne Nagel was borrowed from Warner Bros. for the picture. Anthony Warde, who participated in the Federal Theatres Project, made his film acting debut in Escape by Night, which also was Harold Shumate's first production for Republic.
