Tonight at Twelve (1929) is a messy, awkward dinner party drama

Is this worth watching today? Only if you have a high tolerance for people standing around in fancy clothes and making the worst possible decisions for about an hour.

It is perfect for anyone who loves that awkward, stage-play vibe where every secret comes out over soup. If you hate early talkies where the acting feels a bit stiff, you will probably want to skip this one entirely.

The whole thing starts with Alice Keith, played by Margaret Livingston, who is just radiating suspicion. She finds a note in her husband's pocket that says "Tonight at 12" and basically decides to blow up her entire social circle during dinner.

It’s kind of great how she doesn't wait for a private moment. She just drops the accusation right there in front of the guests like she’s serving a side dish of spite.

The husband, Mr. Keith, looks like he wants to melt into the floor. I honestly forgot his face the moment he stopped talking, which happens sometimes with these 1920s leading men.

Then the son, Jack, does something so incredibly stupid that I actually groaned. He claims the note is his to protect his dad and his future mother-in-law.

He tells everyone he’s having an affair with Mary, the maid. The maid!

You can see the gears turning in Mary’s head when he says it. Mary Doran plays the maid, and she is easily the best part of the movie because she’s so opportunistic about the whole lie.

She’s basically like, "Oh, we're dating now? Great, let’s get married and I'll take all your money." It’s a hilarious pivot in a movie that’s trying so hard to be serious.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Tonight at Twelve (1929) through its definitive frames.

The movie feels very claustrophobic, mostly staying in these big, empty-feeling rooms. It reminds me a bit of the atmosphere in A Night of Mystery, but with more finger-pointing.

There is a shot of Jane, the fiancée, looking absolutely devastated that is held for way too long. It starts to feel like the camera operator got distracted or something.

The sound quality is a bit rough, which is expected for 1929, but everyone talks so loud you won't miss anything. It's that specific kind of yelling-at-the-microphone acting that was popular back then.

I kept waiting for someone to just tell the truth, but they keep piling lies on top of lies. It's a bit like watching a slow-motion car crash involving people in tuxedos.

The way the Eldredge household is run seems chaotic at best. I don't think I saw anyone actually eat any food during this supposed dinner party.

At one point, the drama gets so thick it almost feels like a silent movie with the sound accidentally left on. The gestures are huge and the facial expressions are even bigger.

It isn't quite as dark as something like Phantom Justice, but it has its moments of real tension. Especially when Mrs. Eldredge realizes her daughter's life is being ruined by her own secret.

The ending feels a bit rushed, honestly. Mrs. Eldredge just confesses and then everything sort of resets, except for the poor maid who has to go back to her hometown.

I felt a little bad for Mary at the end. She was the only one who actually seemed to have a plan, even if it was a bit villainous.

It’s a strange little relic. Not a masterpiece, but it’s got a weird energy that kept me watching until the clock actually hit twelve.