One Thrilling Night

A small town couple's honeymoon in New York turns into a thrill ride filled with gangsters, stolen loot, and missing bodies.

Among the few wartime comedies that are still genuinely funny today, Monogram's ONE THRILLING NIGHT (aka HORACE TAKES OVER). stars John Beal and Wanda McKay as a somewhat dimwitted newlywed couple honeymooning in New York. Beal hopes to spend some "quality time" with Wanda before he's to report for Army induction the next morning, but this hardly seems likely. The couple's tiny hotel room is constantly invaded by pesky strangers, the more contentious of which is criminal Tom Neal, who's looking for a cache of loot hidden by Pierce Lynden. Despite the well-meaning efforts of house detective Warren Hymer, poor Beal is kidnapped twice before the night is over. Engaging in its silliness, ONE THRILLING NIGHT is a special favorite of B-picture enthusiasts: When one such movie buff asked John Beal why his character continually hangs a "Do Not Disturb" inside his hotel suite, the actor replied, "Because he's stupid."