Night of Terror
Cast & Crew
Ben Stoloff
Bela Lugosi
Wallace Ford
Sally Blane
Tully Marshall
Bryant Washburn
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
A killer known as The Maniac is on the loose near the grounds of the Rinehart estate, where Arthur Hornsby explains to the elderly Professor Richard Rinehart that his formula will prevent people from dying when buried alive. Later, the gravedigger, who is preparing a grave for Arthur's demonstration, is killed, and Sika, wife of the servant, Degar, tells everyone that death hangs over the house. Late that night, Professor Rinehart is killed in his lab, and when fast-talking reporter Tom Hartley arrives with the police, they find the gravedigger's body as well. As the Rinehart relatives, John and Aunt Sarah, gather to hear the reading of the will, Arthur continues his preparations for the experiment. After a group of professors bury Arthur, Tom, who has called for a taxi, finds the car's driver stabbed to death by The Maniac, and rushes to town to notify the authorities. Meanwhile, John is killed by an unknown assailant when he tries to get the formula to revive Arthur, and the police arrive. The remaining members of the household hold a séance, during which Sika is killed. Degar is accused of the crime, but escapes. Then, Mary is seized by a masked figure, who quickly disappears when she faints. When Mary revives, she sees The Maniac and her screams summon help. Arthur's coffin is dug up and found to be empty, but Degar then leads Arthur through an underground passage into the grave, and all believe his experiment worked. However, Degar explains that actually a trapdoor connected the coffin with a tunnel leading to the house, allowing Arthur to sneak out and commit his crimes while his burial acted as his alibi. Arthur planned his experiment to divert suspicion from himself as he killed members of the Rinehart family. With Arthur caught, the uncaptured Maniac addresses the audience from the next room and warns them that if they reveal his identity, he will haunt them and tear them from limb to limb.
Director
Ben Stoloff
Cast
Bela Lugosi
Wallace Ford
Sally Blane
Tully Marshall
Bryant Washburn
Gertrude Michael
George Meeker
Mary Frey
Matt Mchugh
Edwin Maxwell
Pat Harmon
Oscar Smith
Crew
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Although Edwin Maxwell is credited as playing "The Maniac", the bulk of the role was played by an uncredited and unknown actor.
Notes
The working titles for this film were Terror in the Night and He Lived to Kill. Although a modern source states that Bela Lugosi's scenes were shot at night to accommodate his schedule because he was filming The Devil's in Love at Twentieth Century-Fox during the day, this was not the case. Night of Terror was completed on March 13, 1933 and released on April 24, 1933; The Devil's in Love did not begin production until June 1933. International Photographer mistakenly credits "Arthur Rankin," rather than Walter Rankin, as assistant cameraman on this film.
