One Thrilling Night

One Thrilling Night

Year: 1942

Runtime: 69 mins

Language: English

Director: William Beaudine

ComedyMystery

A newlywed couple enjoys a night of honeymoon bliss in New York before the groom is set to join the army, but their celebration turns terrifying when they discover a corpse hidden under their bed. The shocking find drags them into a dangerous encounter with gangsters, leaving the bride trembling with fear.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – One Thrilling Night (1942)

Explore the full timeline and setting of One Thrilling Night (1942). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

New York City, Hotel Clarke

The action centers on Hotel Clarke in New York City, a bustling urban hotel where guests mingle with staff, managers, and unexpected visitors. The corridors, lobby, and rooms become the stage for a frantic caper that pulls in every corner of the establishment. The hotel setting amplifies the chaos as a trunk, a body, and a gangland scheme collide with everyday life.

🏨 hotel setting 🗽 New York City 🎭 Comedy

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:25

Main Characters – One Thrilling Night (1942)

Meet the key characters of One Thrilling Night (1942), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Horace Jason (John Beal)

A newlywed whose earnestness and naiveté land him in a tangled espionage-like farce. He clumsily negotiates danger and secrecy, trying to protect his wife while the city around him spirals into chaos.

💼 Husband 🕵️‍♂️ Naive protagonist

Millie Jason (Wanda McKay)

Horace's wife, quick-witted and determined. She orchestrates room-to-room maneuvering, keeps her nerves in check, and proves adaptable as the night spirals with gangsters and mistaken identities.

👰 Wife 🧠 Quick thinker

Pete Mooney (Ernie Adams)

A crafty gangster who crashes into the newlyweds' night through a window. He is opportunistic and plays the role of the schemer who tries to stay one step ahead of law and rivals.

🕶️ Gangster 🗝️ Opportunist

Joe Richmond (Lynton Brent)

Partner in crime who helps stash the trunk and evade pursuit. He contributes to the chaos and the rapid shifts that propel the farce.

🕵️‍♂️ Criminal 🧭 Cooperating sidekick

Frankie Saxton (Tom Neal)

Gangster leader who pursues the missing Duke Keesler and the ransom. He embodies the film's mobbed-up energy and becomes a foil for the couple's improvisation.

🧥 Gangster boss 🧭 Pursuer

Duke Keesler (Pierce Lyden)

The man whose supposed murder or involvement kickstarts the events; later found alive and central to the mistaken identity plot.

💼 Victim 🎭 Plot pivot

Pat Callahan (Warren Hymer)

The hotel detective who tries to restore order, investigates with authority, and helps guide the couple through the hotel’s chaos.

🕵️ Hotel detective 🚨 Authority

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:25

Major Themes – One Thrilling Night (1942)

Explore the central themes of One Thrilling Night (1942), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🎭 Mistaken Identity

The couple is swept up in a case of mistaken identity when Horace is misread as a gangster Duke Keesler. disguises, misread clues, and rapid reversals drive the comedy as characters chase the wrong person. The farce hinges on look-alikes, disguises, and verbal misdirection that escalate the tension before the truth emerges.

🕵️ Crime and Law Enforcement

Guns, gangsters, and a diligent hotel detective create a cat-and-mouse rhythm throughout the night. Police presence, an arrest, and a rescue attempt punctuate the plot, giving the comedy its structure. The hotel turns into a temporary theater of crime where wit and bravado must outpace danger.

💑 Marriage Under Pressure

A newlywed couple navigates fear, confusion, and chaos while trying to protect their bond. Their cooperation under pressure reveals resilience, humor, and a fragile trust that sustains them through a night of peril. The early-morning wake-up call at the end underscores their commitment amid uproar.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:25

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Frantic One-Night Farces like One Thrilling Night

Comedic chaos erupts from a single misunderstanding, propelling characters through a frantic evening.If you enjoyed the non-stop comedic chaos of One Thrilling Night, you'll love these movies. This collection features similar stories where a single night spirals into madness due to a hilarious misunderstanding, blending fast-paced action with lighthearted suspense in movies like One Thrilling Night.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern revolves around an initial, often trivial, event—like finding a body or being mistaken for someone else—that snowballs into an unpredictable adventure. Characters are thrust into a world of chase sequences, narrow escapes, and comedic encounters with antagonists, with the plot driven by a rapid sequence of cause-and-effect mishaps rather than deep character development.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their shared high-energy pacing and a core premise built on farcical misunderstanding. They balance tension with humor, creating an experience that is more playful and chaotic than genuinely threatening, resulting in a light, entertaining romp.

Comedic Crime Capers with Innocent Protagonists like One Thrilling Night

Ordinary people accidentally stumble into a criminal world, turning their lives upside down.For fans of One Thrilling Night who enjoy stories of ordinary people caught in criminal webs. Discover movies like One Thrilling Night where innocent protagonists, such as newlyweds or tourists, find themselves in hilarious and tense encounters with gangsters, leading to comedic escapes and misunderstandings.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative follows a 'fish out of water' structure, where protagonists defined by their normality are suddenly plunged into a high-stakes criminal plot. Their journey is one of reaction and survival, using their wits and sheer luck to outmaneuver professional criminals, often leading to situations where their very innocence becomes an unexpected advantage.

Why These Movies?

This thread groups films by their core dynamic: the collision of an innocent, everyday world with a seedy criminal underworld. The shared appeal is the contrast between the protagonists' naivete and the danger they face, creating a blend of genuine suspense and situational comedy that keeps the emotional weight light.

Unlock the Full Story of One Thrilling Night

Don't stop at just watching — explore One Thrilling Night 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 One Thrilling Night is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

One Thrilling Night Summary

Read a complete plot summary of One Thrilling Night, 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.

One Thrilling Night Summary

One Thrilling Night Timeline

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

One Thrilling Night Timeline

One Thrilling Night Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of One Thrilling Night that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

One Thrilling Night Spoiler-Free Summary

More About One Thrilling Night

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about One Thrilling Night: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About One Thrilling Night

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