The Last Warning

Rarely seen since its 1929 premiere, the final feature film by German-born director Paul Leni (Waxworks, The Cat and the Canary, The Man Who Laughs) transplants the old haunted house genre into a Broadway theater setting, where the premeditated murder of a leading actor occurs during a performance. Even more unsettling is the abrupt disappearance of the body while the police are investigating the actor’s death. The theater is shut down for five years, but reopens when a mysterious producer reassembles the cast and crew of the ill-fated performance to re-enact the circumstances that culminated in the on-stage homicide. Originally released as a silent film, The Last Warning features some effective camera effects and sophisticated editing, but is somewhat bogged down with connect-the-dots storytelling and too many cases of the jittery cast emoting broad displays of terror and apprehension. Vivacious leading lady Laura La Plante is top-billed, but she is mostly lost in a throwaway role that failed to capitalize on her charisma. Still, fans of silent film may overlook the hokum and want to see one of the most elusive of Leni’s titles. Extras include a video essay by film historian John Soister, a stills gallery, and a booklet with essays by Soister and film composer Arthur Barrow. A strong optional purchase. (P. Hall)