Two in the Dark (1936) User Reviews (10)

Amnesia Victim Mystery

[Jim Tritten · 7/10 · 22 January 2008]

Concise little mystery in which the hero needs to piece together who he is after suffering amnesia and realizing he is the major suspect in a murder case. Walter Abel does a credible job of not knowing who he is and working on the little clues that develop with the assistance of a girl he meets in the park. Margot Graham, Britain's Jean Harlow, does an excellent job of helping a stranger, believing him against all the evidence to the contrary, and, of course, developing a relationship.

The movie opens with a man stumbling forward in the fog - appropriate for the story line - and then wandering into Mason Park. Not much to go on to figure out his identity: initials in a hat band, theater tickets, and foreign cigarettes. Obtaining the aid of a female friend, they set off to the police station for assistance. Just before entering, the newspapers arrive and report on the murder of producer Richard Denning by a man in a pin stripe suit. Guess who is wearing a pin stripe suit? There is a very cute little scene that follows where Abel buys new clothes at a store run by an amateur detective. There are a couple of nice scenes that are as probably as good as it gets in this type of movie. One overhead shot of Abel jumping from a rooming house window stands out. Another notable is the use of the title of the novel on which the film is based as the title of a play that is important to the story.

The hero is never in danger - he just uncovers bits and pieces of his life and deals with them in turn. Naturally the actions of the police and the real villain(s) thwart Abel's attempts to return to normalcy. About mid-way through the movie, the plot gets a little confused as the hero is introduced to a series of people who know him and have obviously been placed in the story to provide an alternative answer to "who killed Richard Denning." A flashback near the end of the movie reveals the hero's non-complicity in the murder and explains all of the clues that have pointed to him. Still it is not quite enough to have the viewer or the police reach the correct conclusion on the actual murderer although the motive is reasonably clear. In the end, justice is served and boy gets girl.

Alan Hale does a great job as the detective inspector and Eric Blore is his usual excellent butler. The beautiful Erin O'Brien has a brief but memorable part.

Recommended. I watched this movie during the same month that TCM highlighted the Whistler series. It is much much better.

pretty good

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 5 May 2015]

I saw this before, either this film or a remade version. I recognized it as soon as I saw the first scene in the park, where a man with a bloody head and amnesia (Walter Abel) meets a woman on the opposite bench (Margot Grahame) who is down on her luck and at that moment, homeless.

The man has $500 on him, which as far as I'm concerned is still a lot of money to carry around -- back in 1936 it was a fortune.

He finds out from the front page of the newspaper that there has been a murder, and he wonders if he was a part of it. The police are looking for a man who matches his description and wears a pinstriped suit.

He gives Marie money to square things with her landlady, and he takes a room there himself, after buying a new suit.

The man spends quite a bit of time trying to find out who he is, believing himself to be the victim's chauffeur, and runs into police at the man's residence. Can he remember and clear himself?

Pretty good B movie with the unusual casting of Walter Abel in the lead. He was more of a character actor, but he handles himself pretty well, as does Margot Grahame.

On hand also are Wallace Ford, Gail Patrick, Eric Blore, and Alan Hale, all of whom are terrific.

Entertaining. No great shakes, but a nice cast and decent story.

Typical 'Who Dun It'!!!

[xerses13 · 6/10 · 12 January 2013]

Amnesiac 'Ford Adams' (Walter Abel) wandering through a Boston Park meets sympathetic 'Marie Smith' (Margot Grahame), believing that he has committed a crime, MURDER. What follows is a typical mystery programmer that any of the Studios of the 1930s would churn out to complete there programming schedule. After the usual twists and turns the likable Couple not only prevail, revealing the real/reel culprits, but find 'true love'.

The film has two (2) redeeming features that makes it a worthwhile watch. It moves in a brisk 72" minutes and has a fine cast of supporting character actors. Who knew how to bring this type of material to a satisfying conclusion. You cannot go very wrong with a cast that includes Wallace Ford, Gail Patrick, Alan Hale, J. Carroll Naish, etc.

The only real reservation is with actor Walter Abel. RKO never had much luck developing leading man material. Usually borrowing quality from other Studios, like Cary Grant or Fredric March. Mr. Abel delivers all dialog with the same flat monotone that you cannot distinguish if he is angry, concerned, passionate or scared. It all sounds the same. RKO should have realized that they had a dependable character actor and not a leading man. That should have been obvious from the previous years THE THREE MUSKETEERS. Never was there a more tepid 'D'Artagan' featured, either on screen or stage! What a contrast from the fine Female actors they developed, like Ann Harding, Katherine Hepburn, Irene Dunne and Ginger Rogers.

second

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 18 April 2020]

In Boston, unemployed actress Marie Smith (Margot Grahame) finds a disoriented man (Walter Abel) sitting on a park bench. He can't remember anything and is maybe connected to a recent murder.

After watching the 1945 remake first, this has essentially the same plot. The difference being that this movie plays it straight up without the comedy. It starts without a bloody head wound which helps excuse why Marie doesn't take him to the hospital. It also helps that she's not driving a cab. Being on foot allows them to not go directly for medical or police help. The movie's tone is a lot simpler without the comedic screwball fun but that's also the best part of the 1945 movie for me. All in all, it's a good start which slowly gets to the conclusion. It's not the most compelling but it has some good elements.

Conundrum of the monogram initials

[greenbudgie · 7/10 · 21 July 2022]

Amnesia is a good subject matter for a mystery movie especially when the sufferer may have forgotten committing a murder. Walter Abel plays the unfortunate individual beset by an unwanted blank sheet in his life. But he is lucky that he chooses to sit on a park bench opposite a temporarily vagrant actress played by Margot Grahame. She helps sort out what the items in the man's pocket tell about him as the man is too dazed to think clearly for himself. A theater stub gives the name of a venue and another clue leads them to a hotel called the Yorkshire Arms. Also there is a fancy monogram which is designed in a way that could represent either the initials RD or DR. RD is the initials of a man of the theater called Richard Denning who has been murdered by two shots from a gun. Denning had been involved in a play called 'Dark Menace' in which a line from the play including the words "a couple of slugs" which is overheard just before Denning is shot twice. Margot Grahame's character, Marie, proves to be quick-thinking in order for Walter Abel being taken in for questioning about the murder. A nice refined portrayal from her with witticisms about being married is "usually the first thing a man forgets" and telling him he'd "make a sphinx curious." Her and Eric Blore's performance as the fainthearted Edmund Fish are my choice characters which I look forward to enjoying again sometime.

Strangers in the night

[russjones-80887 · 6/10 · 17 January 2021]

As a man with a head injury staggers through a park late at night, he attracts the attention of Marie Smith, a struggling actress. He has no memory but believes he may have been involved in a murder. They set out to learn his identity and solve the mystery.

Pleasant film with Walter Abel and Margot Grahame working well as a pairing and there is good back up from Alan Hale and Wallace Ford. An interesting film, perhaps a little slow in the middle with a quick conclusion, but not overlong and will pass the time.

Amnesiac trying to find out the truth, also about himself

[myriamlenys · 7/10 · 5 June 2022]

Pretty entertaining movie, based on the evergreen "amnesia" premise : our male protagonist finds himself wandering around bloodied and confused, without remembering his own name. Things get hairy when he turns out to be connected to a murder case, but happily he's met a resourceful young actress who's taken a shine to him...

"Two in the Dark" is an amusing mix of comedy and mystery, with two engaging protagonists. (The female half of the duo is especially clever.) The story zips along quickly, with twists and flourishes that might have been plotted by a Hitchcock at his most playful. Swallowing the amnesia premise whole does, of course, require a generous suspension of disbelief, since any head wound serious enough to cause amnesia would also be serious enough to cause considerable physical damage. As a result it's far more likely that our hero would spend the picture crawling around on all fours in the gutter, puking his poor guts out.

The plot is notable for the ease with which the police inspectors investigating the crime allow bystanders to pollute not only the murder scene but the investigation itself. All comers are welcome to put in their two cents, including suspects, witnesses and journalists. It's like some kind of interactive detective game open to any random biped. Now I realize that our modern ideas about criminology are, well, modern, but still.

Terrific Premise That Could've Flourished

[thefreelancingsamurai · 6/10 · 10 April 2022]

I expected this film to be awful upon reading other people's reviews; on the contrary, it's a fun mystery that might have benefited from a stronger, more noir-inclined director like Hitchcock.

Perhaps the multitude of characters confused people, but that's the nature of a who-done-it. You need clues and plenty of viable suspects. I do think better pacing and filmography would have made it more engaging. Regardless, I'm not normally fond of amnesia plots, and I found myself thoroughly entertained.

Margot Grahame's character is delightful and brilliant. Her energy and wit are intrinsic opposite Walter Abel's bewildered mystery man, and it is her determination that drives the plot forward. By far, her personality is my favorite part of this film.

It has an extremely strong beginning. I could imagine the setup inspiring more modern stories in the same genre, if it hasn't already. Wish I could rate it a 6.5, but can't quite justify a 7.

Two in the dark in the park on a lark, finding a spark.

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 19 December 2020]

This is the type of film that has a great start, a sagging middle, then bursts back to life towards the end. If you've ever wanted to reach through a theater or TV screen and sock a character, then sit on your hands in the opening sequence. two young people, Walter Abel and Margot Grahame, are sitting opposite each other not saying a word when a police officer comes along and order them to scram. He does the same thing two more times and continues to follow them until they leave the park. They aren't breaking any laws, and she isn't accusing him of pestering her, so there's no reason why they can't just sit there since the park is obviously open. But this is Boston in the 1930's, right after the depression, and it's obvious that people were trying to find benches on occasion to sleep on.

Abel has amnesia and Grahame is homeless, stranded after being dumped by her acting troop, and since he has discovered he has money, he takes her out for him and eggs where they try to put the pieces together of who he is. The only clue is his hat with the initials RD (or DR), and two names come up which have both letters, although opposite. They learn that a theatrical producer named Richard Denning has been murdered and his chauffer (with the opposite initials) is missing.

A play named "Two O'Clock Courage" (the name of the 1945 remake) also becomes a clue and on eccentric cast of characters played by Alan Hale, Gail Patrick, Eric Blore and Erik Rhodes parade through with Hale rather intimidating as the detective on the case. This is mostly enjoyable with a few slags, and Grahame is a good actress. Abel rarely seems to smile or show any emotion, but if I had amnesia, I wouldn't know what kind of mood I was in either. Blore and Rhodes, reunited after those Astaire and Rogers musicals, adds spark.

Entertaining but stupid

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 6 February 2008]

There are so many ridiculous story elements to this B-movie that I just can't bring myself to give it a score any higher than 3 (and this might be a bit generous)--though I must admit that it was rather entertaining at times--but certainly NOT for the entire film.

The story begins with a newly homeless lady meeting a guy in the park who has no idea who he is or where he is. At the same time, a cop comes and tells them to get moving, as it's late and they are loitering. Why, upon discovering this man with a bleeding head and amnesia didn't the lady just tell the cop and then get the man help?! Because, the film required the actors to occasionally act stupidly or bizarrely in order to make the convoluted plot work!! Later, the two decide (finally) to take him to the police station but on the way they see a newspaper that MIGHT indicate the amnesia victim committed a murder. So what does common sense tell you to do? Yep, DON'T take him to the police and help him to investigate the murder like Holmes and Watson!!! While this is stupid (after all he can be a maniac), it also makes no sense because so many people they meet might just be the murderer (if he isn't) and kill them to keep them quiet!! Sp they just blunder into the investigation and no one realizes they are implicated for the longest time!! So, provided you can ignore all this, the film then is only a moderately entertaining whodunit. Without good supporting performances and a rather listless mystery, it just isn't much of a film--only a very clichéd time-passer with a few decent performances.