One Crowded Night

Remember in "Grand Hotel" when the Doctor in the lobby mutters to himself that "People come and people go and nothing ever happens"? I thought it could apply to the desert motel in "One Crowded Night", but altered a little to, "nothing of great import ever happens".

This picture was on TCM this morning. I had never seen it and, since this was the tack-on day to the Independence Day weekend, I decided, what the heck - can't hurt. Well, I was right. It didn't hurt, and I got to see some Hollywood veteran bit players with something meatier than a walk-on or a face in the crowd.

It really wasn't bad, it just wasn't that good. There were some contrived plot devices to make the screenplay more interesting and it was very short at about 65 minutes. Not necessary to go into detail - several people stop at the motel and they have their own story to tell and matters are brought to a satisfactory conclusion. But there must be a basic flaw in a movie in which the cast of characters is more interesting than the plot. Watchable, if it's on during the next holiday weekend, but don't waste a tape.

Tight, entertaining curio if you accept the coincidence-based premise. Kind of a low-rent "Petrified Forest" that wraps everything up in about 90 seconds with relentlessly upbeat resolutions. Strong character ensemble includes an oddly off-center turn by a very young Gale Storm that avoids the pert, cute qualities of her "My Little Margie." Billie Seward (as Gladys, not a character named Gale Storm as IMDB lists it) registers strongly. I had never seen her before.

Nice B movie starring some fine character actors. The story has different people stopping at a motor court run by a family with secrets. Before the hour & change is up, everyone's problems will be solved. Enjoyable thanks mostly to the cast and some better than average direction for a B. The biggest issue for those who prefer strong stories is that the plot is driven heavily by coincidence. People show up at the most opportune time to keep the story going where the writer needed it to go and everybody seems to have a connection to somebody else. Still, it's impossible to dislike entirely. The strong cast includes Anne Revere, Paul Guilfoyle, William Haade, Billie Seward, J.M. Kerrigan, Don Costello, Emma Dunn, and Gale Storm. Lots of expressive faces and subtle performances. If you're a classic film fan and are looking for something a little off the beaten path, you could do worse than this one.

Drama in the Mojave desert, in this shortie from RKO. Mom runs a motel, and is trying to keep the truth about Dad from junior, as well as from customers who think they recognize her. "Brother Joseph". who turns out to be a doctor, comes along, selling snake oil, and always seems to be channeling W.C. Fields when he speaks. Stuff happens, more guests check in, and their lives will never be the same. Things move right along at a brisk pace here, since we have to wrap all this up in 68 minutes. This is the adult version off the kids book "Pink Motel". Several stories overlap as guests come and go. It's alright. That's all. no big names, no compelling stories. mildly entertaining. Shown now and then on Turner Classics. in IMDb its called One Crowded Night, but it also seems to be known as "It's Later than you Think", which accounts for the scene at the beginning of the film. Directed by Irving Reis... died from cancer at 47.

Obscure RKO programmer. The plot involves a seedy roadside motel and diner that serves as locus for a contrived series of individual stories. Thus, it's not just the night that's crowded. Best things are the authentic 1930's motel setting, along with such stellar performers as hardscabble mom Anne Revere, snake oil salesman JM Kerrigan, and a sweetly deglamorized Gale Storm in one of her first outings. Then too, except for a couple of well-scrubbed ladies, the rest of the cast is also far from Hollywood glamorous. That along with the seedy setting adds good realistic air. Too bad the unrealistic narrative undercuts that air.

Happily, director Reis helms the difficult material in good journeyman fashion—though the gun battle amounts to a laughable expenditure of Hollywood bullets. Perhaps the best thread is Anni (Storm) struggling between the allure of city life and the boringly secure diner. All in all, the 60-minute effort was probably near the bottom of RKO's production line, but the results still manage to oddly entertain.