Night World

Night World

Year: 1932

Runtime: 58 mins

Language: English

Director: Hobart Henley

Drama

“Happy” MacDonald runs a speakeasy with his unfaithful wife during Prohibition. On a tumultuous night he faces intimidation from bootleggers, while the club’s star dancer becomes enamored with a grieving young socialite who drinks to escape her tragedy, and other dramatic events unfold.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Night World (1932)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Night World (1932). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Early 1930s

The story unfolds during the Prohibition era, when bootleg liquor and gangsters influence urban nightlife. The nightclub life and tabloid-worthy scandals reflect a society teetering between glamour and crime. Rumors and violence creep in from the margins, shaping choices for Ruth, Michael, and their allies. The atmosphere is tense, as power struggles erupt around the club.

Location

Happy's Nightclub, Outside the Nightclub

On a cold winter's night, the action centers around Happy's Nightclub, a glossy yet perilous hub of performances, deals, and scheming. The club's interior glamor contrasts with the underworld activity that fuels its every scene. Backstage corridors and a back room set the stage for secrets, betrayals, and sudden violence. The surrounding streets echo with prohibition-era tension.

🏙️ Nightlife ❄️ Winter setting 🎭 Glamour and danger

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:59

Main Characters – Night World (1932)

Meet the key characters of Night World (1932), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Ruth Taylor (Mae Clarke)

A chorus dancer who becomes entangled with Ed Powell and finds unexpected kinship with Michael Rand. She is practical, compassionate, and decisive, using charm to navigate the club’s dangerous social maze. Her choices drive much of the nightclub’s emotional core, balancing desire with the realities of a crime-ridden world.

💃 Chorus dancer 💖 Romantic lead 🧭 Pragmatic

Michael Rand (Lew Ayres)

A wealthy college man haunted by his mother’s murder of his father, now drowning his pain in alcohol. He is intense, sensitive, and capable of decisive action, yet repeatedly pulled between love, revenge, and a desire for escape. His arc intertwines with Ruth’s, offering both danger and tenderness.

💼 Wealthy 🥀 Troubled past 🧭 Inner turmoil

Happy MacDonald (Boris Karloff)

The club owner whose charisma masks a ruthless, controlling nature. He wields power over the nightlife and the people within it, including his wife Jill. His decisions reveal the corrupt’s prioritization of status and profit over loyalty or morality.

🏢 Club owner 🎭 Manipulative 🔪 Dangerous

Jill MacDonald (Dorothy Revier)

Happy’s glamorous wife who becomes involved with Klauss, underscoring a web of jealousy, ambition, and disloyalty. She embodies the film’s tension between allure and moral compromise, contributing to the club’s volatile atmosphere.

💑 Unfaithful partner 🖤 Ambitious 🎭 Glamour

Tim Washington (Clarence Muse)

The doorman who worries about his sick wife, offering a humanizing counterpoint to the criminal world. He embodies quiet loyalty and concern, whose personal tragedy adds weight to the club’s night-time drama.

🧭 Loyal 🕊️ Caring 🧱 Working-class

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:59

Major Themes – Night World (1932)

Explore the central themes of Night World (1932), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕵️ Crime

The plot revolves around illegal liquor, gangsters, and a nightclub that doubles as a front for illicit activity. Characters maneuver through deception, threats, and murders as a result of the era's criminal underworld. Trust is fragile, and power plays drive most decisions. The film uses the setting to explore moral ambiguity and the costs of crime.

💘 Romance

Ruth and Michael’s connection offers a glimmer of hope amid danger. Their bond forms quickly, tested by past traumas, social pressures, and the night’s chaos. The romance serves as a counterpoint to treachery, providing a motive to escape together. Yet their relationship must contend with a world that treats loyalty as fragile.

💀 Fate

The ending underscores how violence and sudden loss redirect lives in this world of crime. Tim's death and the double shootings reshape the characters' futures, forcing choices about loyalty and love. The promise of Bali for Ruth and Michael hints at redemption, but only after tragedy changes their paths. Fate here is harsh, yet it offers a sliver of hope.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:59

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Unlock the Full Story of Night World

Don't stop at just watching — explore Night World in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Night World is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Night World Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Night World, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Night World Summary

Night World Timeline

Track the full timeline of Night World with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Night World Timeline

More About Night World

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More About Night World

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