London After Midnight (lost Lon Chaney mystery horror film; 1927): Difference between revisions

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{{InfoboxLost
{{InfoboxLost
|title=<center>London After Midnight</center>
|title=<center>London After Midnight</center>
|image=Londonmidnight4.jpg
|image=London_After_Midnight_Theatrical_Poster.jpg
|imagecaption=Theatrical Poster for ''London After Midnight''.
|imagecaption=Theatrical poster for ''London After Midnight''.
|status=<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
|status=<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
}}
}}
 
'''''London After Midnight''''' is a 1927 silent horror/mystery film written by Tod Browning (''Dracula'', ''Freaks'') and starring Lon Chaney (''The Hunchback of Notre Dame'', ''The Phantom of the Opera''). The film is an adaptation of ''The Hypnotist'', written by Browning as well. It is also one of the last major films to star Lon Chaney before his death on August 26th, 1930. A remake of the film was produced by Browning in 1935 titled ''The Mark of the Vampire''.
'''''London After Midnight''''' is a 1927 silent horror/mystery film written by Tod Browning (''Dracula'', ''Freaks'') and starring Lon Chaney (''The Hunchback of Notre Dame'', ''The Phantom of the Opera''). The film is an adaptation of ''The Hypnotist'', written by Browning as well. It is also one of the last major films to star Lon Chaney before his death on August 26, 1930. A remake of the film was produced by Browning in 1935 titled ''The Mark of the Vampire''.


==Synopsis==
==Synopsis==
[[File:LAM_Lon.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Lon Chaney as 'the Stranger', shows off his frightening wings.]]
[[File:LAM_Lon.jpg|210px|thumb|right|Lon Chaney as "the Stranger", shows off his frightening wings.]]
Sir Roger Belfour, the head of a luxurious mansion, is found dead alongside a suicide note. Professor Edward Burke (Lon Chaney) is placed in charge of investigating the incident. Sir James Hamlin, Belfour's neighbor, was the last to see him alive. Naturally, Burke questions him and Belfour's butler, Williams. Burke's questioning leads him to suspect Arthur Hibbs, Hamlin's nephew.  
Sir Roger Belfour, the head of a luxurious mansion, is found dead alongside a suicide note. Professor Edward Burke (Lon Chaney) is placed in charge of investigating the incident. Sir James Hamlin, Belfour's neighbor, was the last to see him alive. Naturally, Burke questions him and Belfour's butler, Williams. Burke's questioning leads him to suspect Arthur Hibbs, Hamlin's nephew.  


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==Release and Criticism==
==Release and Criticism==
''London After Midnight'' was shown at The Capitol in New York City on December 11 and ran for approximately 65 minutes.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/variety89-1927-12#page/n81/mode/1up Variety's review of ''London After Midnight''] Retrieved August 16, 2016</ref> Variety criticized the actors for being mostly uninteresting and also predicted that the film would sell solely on Lon Chaney's name.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/variety89-1927-12#page/n71/mode/1up Variety's prediction of the film] Retrieved August 16, 2016 </ref> Despite these critiques, the film was met with moderate success. Modern critics praise Chaney's makeup work as the creepy old man.
''London After Midnight'' was shown at The Capitol in New York City on December 11th and ran for approximately 65 minutes.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/variety89-1927-12#page/n81/mode/1up Variety's review of ''London After Midnight''.] Retrieved 16 Aug '16</ref> Variety criticized the actors for being mostly uninteresting and also predicted that the film would sell solely on Lon Chaney's name.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/variety89-1927-12#page/n71/mode/1up Variety's prediction of the film.] Retrieved 16 Aug '16</ref> Despite these critiques, the film was met with moderate success. Modern critics praise Chaney's makeup work as the creepy old man.


==The MGM Fire==
Despite the film's loss, Lon Chaney's appearance in the film has become a horror icon of its own right, influencing some portrayals of Dracula and other monsters such as ''The Babadook'' in 2014.<ref>[https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/the-lost-film-that-inspired-the-look-of-modern-horror-icon-mister-babadook/ Rotten Tomatoes' editorial article about how Lon Chaney's "the Stranger" character from ''London After Midnight'' influenced the Babadook's design.] Retrieved 02 Dec '20</ref>
The only known copy of ''London After Midnight'' is believed to have been destroyed in a large fire that supposedly occurred in the MGM Studio in either 1965 or 1967 in Vault 7. Verifiable information is difficult to find on the event, and it is still debated about amongst classic film fans to this day.<ref>[http://monsterkidclassichorrorforum.yuku.com/topic/59541/MGM-Vault-7-fire-1965-or-1967#.V7OJVKLqrDc Discussion amongst fans about the year the MGM Vault 7 fire occurred] Retrieved August 16, 2016</ref>  What seems to be commonly accepted is that the fire was caused by a combination of an electric spark and the nitrate film base used in the older film. Nitrate film base decomposes into a gas that is just as flammable, making it a likely cause for extreme fires. Several other films may have been lost due to the same fire such as ''A Blind Bargain'', and ''[[The Divine Woman (partially found silent drama film; 1928)|The Divine Woman]]''. It is noted that MGM began making more of an effort to preserve its films around this period, potentially confirming that a fire may have occurred around that time.
 
==Availability==
===The MGM Fire===
The only known copy of ''London After Midnight'' is believed to have been destroyed in a large fire that supposedly occurred in the MGM Studio in 1965 in Vault 7. Verifiable information is difficult to find on the event, and it is still debated about amongst classic film fans to this day.<ref>[http://monsterkidclassichorrorforum.yuku.com/topic/59541/MGM-Vault-7-fire-1965-or-1967#.V7OJVKLqrDc Discussion amongst fans about the year the MGM Vault 7 fire occurred.] Retrieved 16 Aug '16</ref>  What seems to be commonly accepted is that the fire was caused by a combination of an electric spark and the nitrate film base used in the older film. Nitrate film base decomposes into a gas that is just as flammable, making it a likely cause for extreme fires. Several other films may have been lost due to the same fire such as [[A Blind Bargain (lost silent Lon Chaney film; 1922)|''A Blind Bargain'']], and [[The Divine Woman (partially found silent drama film; 1928)|''The Divine Woman'']]. It is noted that MGM began making more of an effort to preserve its films around this period, potentially confirming that a fire may have occurred around that time.
 
===Current Status===
It is unknown if any copies of the film exist. Several nitrate frames recovered from an unknown collector and well over 200 production images have survived, and rumours of surviving prints have persisted as early as the 1980s, although none of these sources have been confirmed, and any effort to find a complete version of the film have proven unsuccessful.


==Reconstruction==
==Reconstruction==
A reconstruction of the film was assembled by Rick Schmidlin, a well-known filmmaker and film archivist, using over 200 still shots and a complete script. The film/slideshow is accompanied by an entirely original score from composer Robert Israel. This reconstruction was aired on the television station Turner Classic Movies on August 15th, 2002 as part of their tribute to Lon Chaney.<ref>[http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/410361%7C475/London-After-Midnight.html Turner Classic Movies discusses a future airing of the reconstruction of ''London After Midnight''] Retrieved August 16, 2016</ref> The reconstruction is also included on the Lon Chaney Collection DVD set.
A reconstruction of the film was assembled by Rick Schmidlin, a well-known filmmaker and film archivist, using over 200 still shots and [https://oldhollywoodincolor.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/london-after-midnight-loc-script-copy.pdf a complete script.] The film/slideshow is accompanied by an entirely original score from composer Robert Israel. This reconstruction was aired on the television station Turner Classic Movies on August 15th, 2002 as part of their tribute to Lon Chaney.<ref>[http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/410361%7C475/London-After-Midnight.html Turner Classic Movies discusses a future airing of the reconstruction of ''London After Midnight''.] Retrieved 16 Aug '16</ref> The reconstruction is also included on the Lon Chaney Collection DVD set.


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
===Videos===
{{Video|perrow  =2
  |service1    =youtube
  |id1          =NNpbTTWFs88
  |description1 =TheGamerFromMars' video on the subject.
  |service2    =youtube
  |id2          =EFhZRhNZjCQ
  |description2 =SewerReviewer's video on the subject.
}}
===Posters===
<gallery mode=packed heights=175px>
London_After_Midnight_Alternative_Poster.jpg
London_After_Midnight_Poster_2.jpg
London_After_Midnight_Spanish_Poster.jpg|Spanish poster for the film.
London_After_Midnight_French_Poster.jpg|French poster for the film.
</gallery>
===Cinema Lobby Cards===
<gallery mode=packed heights=175px>
London_After_Midnight_Cinema_Lobby_Card_Main.jpg
London_After_Midnight_Cinema_Lobby_Card.jpg
London_After_Midnight_Cinema_Lobby_Card_2.jpg
London_After_Midnight_Cinema_Lobby_Card_3.jpg
London_After_Midnight_Cinema_Lobby_Card_4.jpg
London_After_Midnight_Cinema_Lobby_Card_5.jpg
London_After_Midnight_Cinema_Lobby_Card_6.jpg
London_After_Midnight_Cinema_Lobby_Card_7.jpg
</gallery>
===Movie Stills===
<gallery mode=packed heights=175px>
<gallery mode=packed heights=175px>
Url.jpg
Lon_Chaney_2.jpg
London After Midnight.jpg
Lon_Chaney_3.jpg
London-after-midnight-movie-poster-1927-1020250906.jpg
Lon_Chaney.jpg
Lon+Chaney.jpg
Lon_Chaney_4.jpg
London_After_Midnight_Found_Footage.jpg|Screencap from an unknown collector via nitrateville.com
London_After_Midnight_Still.jpg|Screencap from an unknown collector via nitrateville.com.
London_After_Midnight_Found_Footage_2.jpg|Another screencap from nitrateville.com
London_After_Midnight_Still_2.jpg
London_After_Midnight_Still_3.jpg|Another screencap from nitrateville.com.
London_After_Midnight_Still_4.jpg
London_After_Midnight_Still_5.jpg
London_After_Midnight_Still_6.jpg
London_After_Midnight_Still_7.jpg
London_After_Midnight_Still_8.jpg
London_After_Midnight_Still_9.jpg
London_After_Midnight_Still_10.jpg
London_After_Midnight_Still_11.jpg
London_After_Midnight_Still_12.jpg
London_After_Midnight_Still_13.jpg
London_After_Midnight_Still_14.jpg
</gallery>
</gallery>


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[[Category:Lost films]]
[[Category:Lost films]]
[[Category:Completely lost media]]
[[Category:Historic]]
[[Category:Historic]]

Revision as of 21:36, 2 November 2022

London After Midnight Theatrical Poster.jpg

Theatrical poster for London After Midnight.

Status: Lost

London After Midnight is a 1927 silent horror/mystery film written by Tod Browning (Dracula, Freaks) and starring Lon Chaney (The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Phantom of the Opera). The film is an adaptation of The Hypnotist, written by Browning as well. It is also one of the last major films to star Lon Chaney before his death on August 26th, 1930. A remake of the film was produced by Browning in 1935 titled The Mark of the Vampire.

Synopsis

Lon Chaney as "the Stranger", shows off his frightening wings.

Sir Roger Belfour, the head of a luxurious mansion, is found dead alongside a suicide note. Professor Edward Burke (Lon Chaney) is placed in charge of investigating the incident. Sir James Hamlin, Belfour's neighbor, was the last to see him alive. Naturally, Burke questions him and Belfour's butler, Williams. Burke's questioning leads him to suspect Arthur Hibbs, Hamlin's nephew.

Five years later, the mansion has become dilapidated and is now a subject of ill omen. The mansion is now occupied by an eccentric old man who goes by the name Roger Belfour and a ghostly woman, renting from Hamlin. Professor Burke is once again drawn to the house to investigate stories of vampires residing within. Unbeknownst to the others, the man is actually Burke in disguise. With the use of hypnosis and a fake setup of vampires, Burke tricks Hamlin into revealing that he was the one who murdered Sir Roger Belfour five years before.

Release and Criticism

London After Midnight was shown at The Capitol in New York City on December 11th and ran for approximately 65 minutes.[1] Variety criticized the actors for being mostly uninteresting and also predicted that the film would sell solely on Lon Chaney's name.[2] Despite these critiques, the film was met with moderate success. Modern critics praise Chaney's makeup work as the creepy old man.

Despite the film's loss, Lon Chaney's appearance in the film has become a horror icon of its own right, influencing some portrayals of Dracula and other monsters such as The Babadook in 2014.[3]

Availability

The MGM Fire

The only known copy of London After Midnight is believed to have been destroyed in a large fire that supposedly occurred in the MGM Studio in 1965 in Vault 7. Verifiable information is difficult to find on the event, and it is still debated about amongst classic film fans to this day.[4] What seems to be commonly accepted is that the fire was caused by a combination of an electric spark and the nitrate film base used in the older film. Nitrate film base decomposes into a gas that is just as flammable, making it a likely cause for extreme fires. Several other films may have been lost due to the same fire such as A Blind Bargain, and The Divine Woman. It is noted that MGM began making more of an effort to preserve its films around this period, potentially confirming that a fire may have occurred around that time.

Current Status

It is unknown if any copies of the film exist. Several nitrate frames recovered from an unknown collector and well over 200 production images have survived, and rumours of surviving prints have persisted as early as the 1980s, although none of these sources have been confirmed, and any effort to find a complete version of the film have proven unsuccessful.

Reconstruction

A reconstruction of the film was assembled by Rick Schmidlin, a well-known filmmaker and film archivist, using over 200 still shots and a complete script. The film/slideshow is accompanied by an entirely original score from composer Robert Israel. This reconstruction was aired on the television station Turner Classic Movies on August 15th, 2002 as part of their tribute to Lon Chaney.[5] The reconstruction is also included on the Lon Chaney Collection DVD set.

Gallery

Videos

TheGamerFromMars' video on the subject.

SewerReviewer's video on the subject.

Posters

Cinema Lobby Cards

Movie Stills

References