Midnight Shadow Reviews

"Here, in certain communities, the life of which is found nowhere else in all the world, these people of darker hue have demonstrated their abilities in self-government by the orderly processes of law of which they are capable when unhampered by outside influence." Thus reads a rather patronizing foreword to this otherwise modest little whodunit produced and directed by George Randol, a purveyor of all-black entertainment. The mostly white crew behind Midnight Shadow may have harbored loftier goals, but the result of their labors is much more Hollywood than the introduction would suggest -- and technically no worse than many a low-budget job from Monogram or even Republic Pictures. Oddly, though, the comic relief characters here, played by Richard Bates and a delightful Buck Woods, come across just as stereotypical as, say, Mantan Moreland or Willie Best in their more mainstream efforts. Clinton Rosemond, in contrast, offers a strong portrayal as the murder victim and minor roles are well acted by the likes of Napoleon Simpson and Ruby Dandridge, the mother of star-crossed lead actress Dorothy Dandridge. Although not an important film in the African-American oeuvre, Midnight Shadow, which was filmed at rental stages in Hollywood, remains a modestly entertaining mystery thriller of the old school.