John Howard and Margaret Lindsay star in "A Tragedy at Midnight," a 1942 film from poverty row Republic Studios.Greg Sherman (John Howard) is a radio personality who solves cases that the police have failed to do. So the police hate him. His wife Beth (Lindsay) is a mystery writer. One evening, Beth goes out to visit her sister while Greg goes to a party. The next morning, he wakes up and nudges his wife, who doesn't move. When he looks more closely, it's not his wife, but a dead woman he doesn't recognize. She has a knife in her back.When Beth returns, she thinks he spent the night with another woman and calls the police. Greg escapes and, once Beth realizes the truth, the two of them try to find out the identity of the woman and also who killed her.This is a good mystery, actually, and it goes quickly, perhaps more quickly than intended since I understand the version on Netflix is cut. John Howard and Margaret Lindsay are fine. Howard calls her "Mommy," which William Powell calls Myrna Loy in the "Thin Man" films, so this is an unashamed ripoff. It probably was supposed to be a B version series of films as well, but it didn't happen.Keye Luke plays the couple's servant and he's not what one would call politically correct today.Entertaining.

In the best of circumstances, meaning complete and uncut, "A Tragedy at Midnight" still could not be called a good movie. The writing is awful, the direction slipshod--shots rarely match, and in some scenes the actors don't seem to realize they're on camera; they stare down until their cue comes, at which time they suddenly leap into character--and the acting in many cases is pure burlesque. Most Abbott and Costello movies are more realistic. The goal was obviously to do a screwball mystery, ala "The Thin Man," with a little "Ghost Breakers" thrown in, but the characters here act like imbeciles. Having said that, the version of this film that is readily available on Netflix makes matters even worse by having had about one-quarter of its original running time chopped out, so as to fit into an hour time slot for television. This 53 minute version makes no sense--none--since the eliminated footage was apparently all exposition. What's left of the film involves a radio sleuth who makes the cops look like idiots (no big task here), and wakes up one hungover morning next to the corpse of a woman, not his wife. Can he solve the mystery, clear himself, elude the police, appease his wife, and still make his Wednesday broadcast? John Howard and Margaret Lindsay have very little chemistry, and Keye Luke's servant role makes the work of Mantan Moreland look dignified. There is also a huge cast of solid solid character actors, mostly wasted in virtual extra roles. Republic should have stuck to serials.

Great movie, but I couldn't help comparing it with William Powell/Myrna Loy combination movies. The lead, John Howard, even looks similar to Wm. Powell, but slimmer and a bit more handsome. Margaret Lindsay has not the class nor looks that Myrna Loy has (the way she comports herself, especially in the evening-gown scene. Notice her gait is not very feminine). The evening gown is not very classy, either. Her delivery is not as polished, and her eyelashes are a bit too chi chi. The scene in Pierre's was funny, other than the part where she starts taking scissors to the hat---as a hat collector, it pained me to see her mutilate a one-of-a-kind original hat! Other than her, the only complaint is the overacting of the "comic" foils (like the scene when the studio guy's hair is left standing up in a "Mohawk" and he has a stupid, pained look on his face; too vaudeville for me). I hated the way he called his wife "Mommy" all the time, especially as they had no kids! The servant steals the show in many scenes; great lines, great acting, and great fun. Fast beat and some great lines, it's a good mystery flick.

A Tragedy at Midnight (1942)This is a snappy, genuinely funny movie. It's very short, and it's certainly a contrivance--a catchy idea and a necessary series of pratfalls and twists--but it entertains, which was the idea for a second feature like this, a counterpart to a bigger A-movie. Remember also that this is not a noir, but a crime film in the mold of the 1930s "Thin Man" series, with a combination of wise cracks and narrow escapes.The hook is that the leading man, played by John Howard (who played the "other man" in "Philadelphia Story"), has a radio show where he makes fun of the police for not solving crimes, and then solves them on the air. He comes home to find a dead woman in his wife's bed. His wife, Margaret Lindsay, helps him solve this crime, which they eventually do right on the air in a fun ending.I see that this has a very low rating, and that surprises me. Yes, the movie is slight and obvious, but only like the best television shows are (and t.v. shows get inflated ratings here). What I mean is, I think you'd find the movie rather well done and a fun time if you don't expect a full feature experience. Howard and Lindsay are both strong, likable, and convincing. The echoes of "The Thin Man" do make you realize that Powell and Loy are a different caliber altogether. But if you have a lazy 45 minutes, give this a shot.