Something Always Happens (1928 film)

Something Always Happens is a 1928 American silent comedy horror film, directed by Frank Tuttle and starring Esther Ralston. The plot was the work of director Frank Tuttle, from which the screenplay was written by Florence Ryerson and Raymond Cannon, and the subtitles were provided by Herman J. Mankiewicz.[1] The supporting cast features Neil Hamilton, Sôjin Kamiyama, Charles Sellon, Roscoe Karns, Lawrence Grant, and Mischa Auer. The picture was released on March 24, 1928, by Paramount Pictures.[2][3] It is not known whether the film survives, or who holds the rights.[4]

Something Always Happens
Lobby card
Directed byFrank Tuttle
Screenplay byRaymond Cannon
Herman J. Mankiewicz
Florence Ryerson
Frank Tuttle
Produced byJesse L. Lasky
Adolph Zukor
StarringEsther Ralston
Neil Hamilton
Sôjin Kamiyama
Charles Sellon
CinematographyJ. Roy Hunt
Edited byVerna Willis
Production
company
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • March 24, 1928 (1928-03-24)
Running time
55 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)

The Oriental character played by Sôjin Kamiyama in the film resembled Fu Manchu, not surprising as Sax Rohmer's Fu Manchu character was very popular among filmgoers in 1928. Japanese actor Sojin played similar horror roles in The Bat (1926), The Unholy Night (1929) and Seven Footprints to Satan (1929). This film should not be confused with the 1934 sound film of the same title.[1]

In the film, an Englishman arranges for his fiancée to spend the night in a haunted house. He hopes to end her thrill-seeking, but he has unwittingly send her to the mansion of a criminal mastermind from the Orient.

Plot

edit

A thrill-seeking socialite named Diana Mallory is engaged to marry a bland, very proper Englishman named Roderick Keswick. Keswick wants to purge Diana of her thrill-seeking ways, so he arranges for her to spend a night in a haunted house in order to frighten the audacity out of her. Unbeknownst to Keswick, the old mansion is being used as a hideout for an Oriental criminal mastermind named Chang-Tzo, and Diana winds up having the adventure of her life. The house sports some weird characters, one of which is referred to in the film as "The Thing" (Noble Johnson).

Cast

edit
 
Neil Hamilton and Esther Ralston

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era. Midnight Marquee Press. p. 331. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2.
  2. ^ "Movie Review - Don t Marry - THE SCREEN; The Old-Fashioned Impostor. - NYTimes.com". nytimes.com. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  3. ^ "Something Always Happens". afi.com. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  4. ^ Progressive Silent Film List: Something Always Happens at silentera.com
edit