THE DARK HOUR (1936) Ray Walker, Berton Churchill & Irene Ware | Comedy, Crime, Drama | B&W

The Dark Hour is a 1936 American film directed by Charles Lamont.

SYNOPSIS
A pair of detectives investigates the murder of an elderly millionaire who was the target of blackmail and death threats and find that there is no shortage of suspects, many of them in the victim's own family.

When Elsa Carson's (Irene Ware) Uncle, Henry Carson (William V. Mong), is found murdered there is no shortage of suspects. To start with these include her other Uncle, Charles Carson (Hobart Bosworth), her fiancé, Jim Landis (Ray Walker), who is investigating the case; her Aunt, Mrs. Tallman (Hedda Hopper); and Foot, the Butler (E.E. Clive).

Elsa also doesn't know that retired Police Detective, Paul Bernard (Berton Churchill), has been on the trail of her Uncle Charles and the Butler for years, or that others might have their own motives for the murder.

CAST & CREW
Ray Walker as Jim Landis
Berton Churchill as Paul Bernard
Irene Ware as Elsa Carson
Hobart Bosworth as Charles Carson
Hedda Hopper as Mrs. Tallman
E. E. Clive as Foot, the Butler
Harold Goodwin as Peter Blake
William V. Mong as Henry Carson
Michael Mark as Arthur Bell
John St. Polis as Dr. Munro
Miki Morita as Choong
Aggie Herring as Mrs. Dubbin

Directed by Charles Lamont
Written by Ewart Adamson (writer), Sinclair Gluck (novel The Last Trap)
Produced by George R. Batcheller
Cinematography M.A. Anderson
Edited by Roland D. Reed
Production company Chesterfield Pictures
Distributed by Chesterfield Pictures
Release date February 18, 1936
Running time 64 minutes
Country United States
Language English

NOTES
Differences from novel:
Ewart Adamson based the screenplay on the 1928 novel The Last Trap, by American mystery writer Sinclair Gluck. The working title for the film was "The Last Trap".

The film omits many details from the novel. As Retired Police Detective Paul Bernard (Berton Churchill), admits to his young protégé, Jim Landis (Ray Walker), he only moved to the neighborhood to gather evidence against Elsa's (Irene Ware) Uncle Charles Carson (Hobart Bosworth); and finally caught him in “The Last Trap” after a year.