Trouble at Midnight
Cast & Crew
Ford Beebe
Noah Beery Jr.
Larry Blake
Catherine Hughes
Bernadene Hayes
Louis Mason
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
During World War I, tough talking city truck driver Tony Michaels saves dairy farmer Dick Cameron's life, and Dick promises that he will always be welcome at his farm in Thatcher, Illinois. Following the armistice, Dick dies from shrapnel wounds, and his kid brother Kirk takes over the dairy. In 1937, during a string of cattle raids in the Thatcher district, Tony, now a member of a rustling syndicate, is hit with a bullet and arrives on the dairy farm wounded. After being accused by the townspeople of being a gangster, Tony is welcomed by Kirk, who remains true to his brother's memory. Kirk is in love with Catherine Benson, daughter of the irascible chairman of the city council, who blames Dick for ruining his chance at the state legislature years before. Benson refuses to let Catherine associate with Kirk, but Kirk's friend, Henry Goff, veteran editor of the Sentinel , arranges secret visits for Kirk with Catherine, who wants to marry him. The cattle raids continue and truckloads of prize cattle disappear in the night. Tony's occupation as a truck driver further jeopardizes his reputation with the town. When the raids encroach upon the city limits, Goff and Kirk try to convince the sheriff to organize a night patrol, but Benson coerces the city council into voting against them. While the meeting is going on, Tony approaches a blonde waitress named Marion, whom he knew in Chicago. A rival gangster, Frank Cordeen, starts a fight and steals Tony's gun while wrecking the place. The councilmen run to the scene, and Benson uses the fight to his advantage by embarrassing Kirk for his continued association with a criminal. Kirk appeals to Benson to allow a patrol, and he raises his cane to Kirk. Catherine misreads the situation and turns her back on Kirk for accosting her father. After a Thatcher farmer is shot during a raid, the townsmen finally arm themselves. Later the gang starts a fire at Kirk's farm to distract the patrol while a neighboring farm is raided. Tony's gun is found on the scene and he is arrested. Through the Department of Agriculture, Kirk identifies a cattle broker named Bradley who is being supplied by rustlers. Tony tells Kirk that Cordeen used to drive for Bradley, and Kirk convinces the sheriff to release Tony so he can lead them to Cordeen. By tipping off Cordeen that Bradley has been arrested, Tony, Goff and Kirk apprehend Cordeen, but he escapes when he is left in Goff's custody, and Goff is unable to warn the patrol. The gang raids Kirk's farm, and Kirk and Tony are forced to fend them off alone. Tony is wounded, but the patrol eventually arrives, the gang surrenders, and Tony is made a hero. Marion, meanwhile, has convinced Catherine not to lose Kirk, and they announce their wedding to Goff. Tony decides to stay in Thatcher and marry Marion.
Director
Ford Beebe
Cast
Noah Beery Jr.
Larry Blake
Catherine Hughes
Bernadene Hayes
Louis Mason
Earl Dwire
Charles Halton
Frank Melton
Henry Hunter
George Humbert
Harlan Briggs
Edward Hearn
Harry C. Bradley
Bob Mcclung
Ben Lewis
Virginia Sale
James Blaine
Margaret Brayton
Sidney Bracy
Polly Vann
Al Herman
Carl Stockdale
Dick Rush
Baldwin Cooke
George Ovey
Ernie Adams
Heinie Conklin
Heenan Elliott
Crew
Lawrence Aicholtz
Jerome Ash
Jesse T. Bastian
Ford Beebe
Ralph Delacy
Maurice Geraghty
Charles Gould
Ben Koenig
Charles Previn
John Rawlins
Barney Sarecky
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title for this film was Midnight Raiders.
