Product Details

• Actors: Bela Lugosi, John Archer, Wanda McKay, Tom Neal, Vince Barnett
• Directors: Wallace Fox
• Writers: Gerald Schnitzer, Sam Robins
• Producers: Barney A. Sarecky, Jack Dietz, Sam Katzman
• Format: Black & White, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: ROAN
• DVD Release Date: October 17, 2000
• Run Time: 61 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00004YS6L
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #295,035 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Bowery at Midnight" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

A kindly soup kitchen operator & professor of criminology uses his soup kitchen as a front for a criminal gang who commit a series of daring robberies & murders. When things get out of hand he kills his henchmen who wind up as zombies in the cellar of the soup kitchen. Studio: Wea-des Moines Video Release Date: 08/16/2005 Starring: Bela Lugosi Run time: 61 minutes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars DVD Tranfer from a less than spectacular source print, June 22, 2002

By 

Michael W. Miller (Franklin, VA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bowery at Midnight (DVD)

This is the first Alpha Video DVD I have purchased and I must say, "you get what you pay for." Yes, this DVD is cheap, but it isn't entirely worthless. The source print for the DVD is from an Astor Pictures rerelease. There are several scratches, but the picture is pretty clear. The sound is not perfect, but typical of the Monogram pictures of the period. There are some annoying splices that break some of the dialogue.

The film itself is probably in the middle of the pack of Lugosi's Monogram programmers. Not the best, but certainly far superior to his two East Side Kids films. Lugosi plays a man leading a double life, one a college professor and the other as a ruthless gangster. Not really a true horror picture other than the drug addicted doctor that works for Lugosi.

Just a couple of more comments about Alpha Video. There are no extras on this DVD and there are only 4 chapters (and they don't even cover the entire film!). Also amusing is that the website listed on the back doesn't even take you to the Alpha Video website. The one positive is that the artwork on the DVD is very nice and will make collectors take notice.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What's that smell in the basement?, February 17, 2004

By 

cookieman108 "cookieman108®" (Inside the jar...) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bowery at Midnight (DVD)

Bowery at Midnight (1942) stars Bela Lugosi in one of his many 'poverty row' films, a time when Lugosi was on the outs with the major studios and subsequently worked with independent studios like Monogram and PRC. Directed by Wallace Fox (the back of the box mistakenly says Wallace 'Cox'), most known for his westerns, who also directed another one of Lugosi's low-end films called The Corpse Vanishes (1942). Bela plays three roles in this film, a kindly soup kitchen operator on skid row, a psychology professor and loving husband, and finally a vicious crime lord (I kept wondering when this character found time to sleep).

Basically the plot runs that Bela runs a soup kitchen, enlisting the aid of various criminal elements that pass through to perform heists, jobs, scores, whatever, while maintaining a secret life as a educator...once an individual outlives his usefulness in Lugosi's crime organization, that individual is then eliminated, keeping turnover high and costs down. This also helped to keep Lugosi's activities secret. Also, if a henchman exhibited the slightest bit of treachery, he was gone...like all the way gone, if you know what I mean (I love how they would bury these poor fellows in the basement, and then put markers with their names, no less, showing where each one rested. Not the smartest move, in my opinion, but whatever). And that soup kitchen/criminal lair...I haven't seen that many secret doors in like...well...ever. How in the heck did they keep track of all of them? Anyway, one of Bela's students, who is involved with Bela's female assistant at the soup kitchen, decides to do a paper on transients, unaware that his teacher is also the man in charge of the soup kitchen. He finds himself in dire trouble as he stumbles across Bela's alter ego, and soon the police are involved. There was an actor in the movie, Dave O'Brien, who plays a detective, which I recognized from somewhere, but couldn't place until I finally remembered he was also in the movie 'Reefer Madness' aka 'Tell Your Children' (1938). Soon Bela's worlds begin to collide as the police close in, and he meets a suitable fate involving recently deceased criminals resurrected from the dead?! This movie has everything. For a cheapie little movie, I found much to like with the sets and decor. The makers of this movie may not have had much, but what they had, they used very well. A fine example of making the best of what you've got. Oh, and keep an eye out. About 17 minutes into the movie, you may notice a movie poster for one of Lugosi's other poverty row movies, made within the same year. The hour run time serves nicely to keep things moving as the pace rarely slows down.

This disc was released by Lugosi's Estate, and has many worthwhile features including a digitally remastered picture from 35mm film elements, commentary by film historian Ted Newsom and Bela Lugosi, Jr., a photo gallery, some trailers featuring Lugosi's other poverty row releases including one with the Bowery Boys, a wonderful mini movie poster insert, and there is even a radio episode called "Gasoline Cocktail" from some old time radio crime show. If you are interested in getting this movie on DVD, this is the one to get, rather than some of those cheaper releases floating around.

Cookieman108

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Script . . . Excellent Bela, March 2, 2003

By 

Edward Garea "Edward Garea" (Branchville, New Jersey United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bowery at Midnight (DVD)

One item few fans know about Bela Lugosi is that, in his spare time, he was an excellent gourmet cook. Give him a few ingredients, a little time, and he could give the Iron Chef a run for his money. This philosophy also influenced Lugosi's films. Quite often he was called upon to make a decent meal from scattered leftovers. Sometimes his main ingredient would be a portion of ham, depending on the film involved. But, give him a good script and he shone like the sun breaking through on a cloudy day.

"Bowery at Midnight" gives Lugosi a chance to stretch his acting legs. He plays a character who uses three different guises during the course of the film. By day he is a respected professor of criminal psychology as the City University. In his spare time, he is a kindly do-gooder who runs a soup kitchen in the Bowery. But we soon learn this is a cover for his real persona, a snarling, ruthless crime boss who mistreats everyone who had the bad fortune to work for him. Work for this Lugosi at your own peril, for when he has decided you have lost your usefulness, he tosses you to his henchman doctor for disposal. Unknown to Bela, the doc, whom he has also badly misterated, gets revenge by transforming them into zombie-like creatures and keeps them in the mission's basement. When the police catch on, Bela goes to his mistreated employee for help and a place to hide. The doc is more than happy to oblige, leading Bela down the steps to the basement - and his doom at the hands of those he had previously cast aside.

Given the 61 minute running time, the script has to sacrifice characterization for action, but it keeps its continuity quite well and makes sense throughout the film. It's actually fun to see Lugosi in three different characters, going from the pompous, elitist professor of criminology to the kindly, caring social worker to the thoroughly nasty gang boss.

This is the second DVD in the "Bela Lugosi Presents" series and like the first, "The Devil Bat," it is loaded with wonderful extras. First, the picture quality is excellent, as it digitally remastered from a 35mm print. You will not find this quality in other DVD versions of this movie. Secondly, the commentary by Ted Newsom and Bela Lugosi, Jr., serves to enhance the viewing experience by filling us in on behind the scenes information on both the film and Bela's private life. A rare photo and poster gallery is included, as well as a collectable movie poster insert, giving a flavor of the times to the viewer. As if that wasn't enough, a few Lugosi trailers are thrown in as is, as an extra bonus, "Gasoline Cocktail," a radio drama starring none other than Bela himself. If you think his voice is exceptional in the movies, wait until you hear it on radio. Simply fabulous for Bela fans, and cinema fans in general.

I can only hope that Ted Newsom and Bela Lugosi, Jr. do not stop here. Having whetted our appetites with this feast for eyes and ears, we impatiently look forward to their next offering.