This Is the Night

Year: 1932

Runtime: 80 mins

Language: English

Director: Frank Tuttle

RomanceComedy

When Stephen, the husband of Gerald’s mistress Claire, finds a pair of tickets for a planned Venice getaway, Gerald must quickly invent a wife to hide the affair. To keep up the ruse, he hires a woman to pose as his wife, keeping Stephen clueless. The fake marriage creates tension as they try to convince all, since Stephen demands the couple travel.

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This Is the Night (1932) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Read the complete plot breakdown of This Is the Night (1932), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

Claire Mathewson’s husband Stephen Mathewson returns unexpectedly from the 1932 Summer Olympics, where he was set to compete in the javelin. He discovers the train tickets for a romantic Venice getaway she has planned with her lover Gerald Gray. Bunny West, Gerald’s friend, lies and says the tickets are actually for Gerald and his wife. With Stephen still suspicious, Gerald must find a fake wife to go to Venice with him. He tries to hire the actress Chou-Chou, but since her boyfriend is a jealous man, she gives the job to out-of-work Germaine, who needs the 2000 franc fee to keep from starving. At first, Gerald thinks she is too demure, but she soon convinces him that she can pretend to be a glamorous wife.

The two couples go to Venice. Bunny, attracted to Germaine, decides to join them. On the train, Stephen questions Gerald and Germaine about how they met. When they arrive in Venice, Claire quickly becomes jealous, as both Stephen and Gerald seem fascinated by Germaine. Claire eventually demands that Gerald send Germaine away immediately, so he orders her to leave the next day. Meanwhile, a drunken Bunny climbs a ladder into Germaine’s bedroom and offers to take her away. After she turns down his offer, he falls into a canal on his way out and is apprehended by two policemen. Stephen believes he hears a burglar and goes to her room to investigate. The two are then caught in a seemingly compromising position by Gerald and Claire. However, Bunny reappears and explains what really happened. Claire breaks off her affair with Gerald. Germaine reveals to Gerald that she is not in fact Chou-Chou and decides to return to Paris, but Gerald catches up to her in a gondola and asks her to marry him.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 11:01

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Farcical romantic comedies with mistaken identities like This Is the Night

Comedies where a simple lie about love spirals into chaotic, hilarious situations.This list features movies like This Is the Night, where a fabricated romance causes a cascade of comedic errors. If you enjoyed the lighthearted chaos of lies spiraling out of control, you'll find similar screwball comedies and witty romantic farces here, full of playful deception and happy endings.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative typically begins with a character telling a small, impulsive lie—often about being married or in a relationship—to avoid embarrassment or exposure. This lie quickly necessitates further deceptions, involving hired actors or unwitting participants, leading to a series of increasingly absurd and coincidental encounters. The plot is driven by the constant threat of discovery, creating a fast-paced sequence of near-misses and misunderstandings that culminate in a farcical climax where the truth is revealed, often resulting in a genuine romantic connection.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped together because they share a specific blend of light, romantic tone and fast, farcical pacing. They prioritize witty dialogue, situational humor, and the absurd complications that arise from a central deception, offering a consistently playful and low-stakes viewing experience focused on romantic entanglements and social comedy.

Playful and chaotic social comedies similar to This Is the Night

Fast-paced comedies where characters navigate a whirlwind of social blunders and witty repartee.Discover movies with a similar feel to This Is the Night, featuring high-society deceptions and fast-paced comic chaos. If you liked the frivolous tone and the humor derived from social embarrassment and quick-witted characters trying to maintain a facade, this collection of sophisticated yet silly comedies is for you.

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Narrative Summary

The plot often revolves around maintaining a social facade—be it a secret affair, a hidden identity, or a fabricated circumstance—within a sophisticated or upper-class setting. The humor stems from the stark contrast between polished appearances and the underlying farce. Characters are constantly improvising and scheming to keep up appearances, leading to a domino effect of coincidences, interruptions, and clever verbal exchanges that drive the narrative forward at a breakneck speed.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their specific mix of a light tone, fast pacing, and moderate intensity derived from social, rather than physical, peril. They create a cohesive experience of bubbly, intellectual humor centered on deception, jealousy, and the absurdities of trying to control social perception, all wrapped in a stylish, romantic package.

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This Is the Night Timeline

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Characters, Settings & Themes in This Is the Night

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This Is the Night Spoiler-Free Summary

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More About This Is the Night

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