Secrets of the Night
Secrets of the Night is a 1924 American silent film directed by Herbert Blache and made at Universal Pictures. The black and white “murder mystery-melodrama comedy” stars James Kirkwood Sr., Madge Bellamy, and ZaSu Pitts.[1] It was adapted from the play The Nightcap written by Guy Bolton and Max Marcin. The film was thought lost until it was rediscovered in a basement in Mississauga, Ontario, in 2017.
| Secrets of the Night | |
|---|---|
.jpg.webp) Still with James Kirkwood and Madge Bellamy | |
| Directed by | Herbert Blache |
| Written by | Edward J. Montagne (screenplay) |
| Based on | The Nightcap by Guy Bolton and Max Marcin |
| Starring | James Kirkwood |
| Cinematography | Gilbert Warrenton |
Production company | |
Release date |
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Running time | 64 minutes, 7 reels (6700 ft) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
Cast
- James Kirkwood as Robert Andrews
- Madge Bellamy as Anne Maynard
- Zasu Pitts as Celia Stebbins
- Rosemary Theby as Margaret Knowles
- Tom Wilson as Thomas Jefferson White
- Tom Ricketts as Jerry Hammond (credited as Thomas Ricketts)
- Arthur Stuart Hull as Lester Knowles
- Tom Guise as Colonel James Constance (credited as Tom S. Guise)
- Edward Cecil as Alfred Austin
- Frederick Cole as Freddy Hammond
- Joseph Singleton as Charles
- Otto Hoffman as Coroner
- Anton Vaverka as Joshua Brown
- Tyrone Brereton as Anne's Brother (uncredited)
- Bull Montana as The Killer (uncredited)
- Arthur Thalasso as Detective Reardon (uncredited)
Preservation
For many years, it was believed that Secrets of the Night was a lost film.[2] A partial 16mm print exists in a private collection, missing the original opening credits and three scenes from the ending.[1] A complete copy of the film was rediscovered by Richard Scott in his basement, a former Winnipegger now living in Mississauga, Ontario. Scott's father used to work at the Eatons department store in Winnipeg; the store had offered a film library, but shut it down in the 1940s and got rid of its stock. His father brought home 15 films and a projector. The films then sat in a box in Scott's basement for 30 years before being rediscovered in early 2017. Upon discovery, Scott contacted the L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation at the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, New York, about the films. Museum staff put him in touch with a media archivist at the University of Toronto, who went to Scott's home and picked up the box films to examine back at the school. After a few weeks, the University got back to him; they were going to restore and digitize all the films. The newly restored Secrets of the Night was then screened for Scott and 100 guests at the University of Toronto in March 2017, with a pianist providing the soundtrack.[3]
References
- Ahmed-Ullah, Noreen (April 3, 2017). "'Lost' silent film rediscovered by U of T Libraries". University of Toronto Libraries. Retrieved April 5, 2017.
- "Secrets Of The Night / Herbert Blache [motion picture]". Library of Congress. January 5, 2017. Retrieved April 5, 2017.
- Geary, Aidan (April 5, 2017). "Secrets of the Night: Former Winnipegger digs lost film out of his basement after 30 years". CBC News. Retrieved April 5, 2017.