A man and his wife have a less-than-enjoyable time at the movies.A man and his wife have a less-than-enjoyable time at the movies.A man and his wife have a less-than-enjoyable time at the movies.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 1 nomination total
- Movie Patron
- (uncredited)
- Movie Patron
- (uncredited)
- Movie Patron
- (uncredited)
- Ticket Taker
- (uncredited)
- Child Who Stares
- (uncredited)
- Wife
- (uncredited)
- Mr. Pennelly
- (uncredited)
- Movie Patron
- (uncredited)
- Usherette
- (uncredited)
- Movie Patron
- (uncredited)
- Movie Patron
- (uncredited)
- Movie Patron
- (uncredited)
- Mr. Baum
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
Benchley's short films are generally pleasant, but only occasionally rise to the level of his written output. Many of them focus on the foibles of bourgeois domestic life, and come off rather like the later TV sitcoms of the '50s. However, the filmed versions of Benchley's double-talk lectures sometimes scale the heights of inspired insanity he regularly reached in his magazine pieces, and one very early talkie from 1928, The Sex Life of the Polyp, is one of my favorite Benchley shorts, a perfect little gem of comic absurdity.
As for the item at hand, A Night at the Movies is a pleasant but unremarkable effort devoted to the petty irritations encountered by Mr. and Mrs. Average during an evening at the local Bijou. There is confusion with the tickets, difficulty finding seats, a tall fat man who sits directly in front and blocks the screen, someone with a persistent cough, and a moment of strangeness involving a small boy with an eerie stare. (Today, of course, a major problem would be pagers and cell-phones going off during the show.) For modern viewers this short may be more valuable as social history than as comedy, seeing as how it was made in an era when men in public places had to find a place to stow their hats, and dancers performed at movie theaters between the features. On that level this film is an interesting time capsule.
This modest comedy short may not look like much alongside the Marx Brothers, but don't dismiss Robert Benchley. You'll just need to look elsewhere for his funniest and freshest work.
*** (out of 4)
Oscar-nominated Robert Benchley short has a couple (Benchley, Betty Ross Clarke) going to the movie where all sorts of trouble starts. Benchley has to put up with losing his tickets, sitting behind a tale man and then getting lost while trying to find an exit. This comedy doesn't feature too many laughs but it's still highly entertaining just because it's fun seeing someone else go through various trouble that could happen at a movie theater. Benchley's style of comedy does aim for laugh-out-loud moments but instead just mild smiles seeing stuff that I'm sure we've all gone through and it's rather funny how this film, now seventy-two-years old, is still relevant today. I've seen quite a few of Benchley's shorts but I've read that none of them could compare to his comic writing but as of this date I've yet to read anything from him.
Is this actually funny? I know Benchley was some kind of comedy star of his day. I don't really get it. It's complaining about the movie going experience as it gets played in the movie theaters. I guess that could work if done well. First, I don't like this couple. I don't care about their movie going experience. The kid is almost funny. I can see the attempt, but the result is no laughs.
Did you know
- TriviaJust after Robert Benchley buys his tickets from the cashier (Gwen Lee), he walks past a poster advertising My Dear Miss Aldrich (1937), which features Lee.
- Quotes
[first lines]
Husband: Well, now, let's see - at the, uh, Mirdaline, there is "The Third Glove"; it says it's the best show in town.
Wife: Oh, I've seen that - but I don't mind seeing it again if you haven't.
Husband: No, no; there's no sense in sitting through it a second time. Well, others - uh, showing "Souls on a Tandem".
Wife: What's the picture with it?
Husband: Uh, "The Case of the Missing Milkman".
Wife: Hmm. We can miss that. But I hear "Souls on a Tandem" is good.
Husband: Yes, it is - I saw it last week. I'd just as soon see it again, though.
Wife: Oh, no, no; there's no use your sitting through it a second time.
- Alternate versionsAn alternate version exists where Robert Benchley literally walks in front of the opening titles and addresses the audience.
- ConnectionsFeatured in La grande parade du rire (1964)
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Вечер в кино
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime
- 10m
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1