What a Night! (1928) Review: Bebe Daniels is a Firecracker

Is What a Night! worth watching today? Honestly, yeah, if you have a soft spot for those late 1920s movies where everyone seems to be moving at 1.5x speed.

It’s a perfect pick for people who love the 'spunky girl' trope. If you hate silent films where the plot relies on people losing and finding the same piece of paper four times, you’ll probably want to skip this one.

Bebe Daniels plays Dorothy Winston, and she is basically the whole movie. She’s got these massive, expressive eyes that do about 70% of the acting for the rest of the cast.

She’s a rich girl, an 'heiress'—which in 1928 movies meant you had nothing to do but get into trouble. Her dad buys a ton of ads in the local paper, so she basically forces her way into a reporting job.

It’s kind of cynical when you think about it. She didn't get the job because she's good; she got it because her dad is the biggest spender.

But Dorothy doesn't care. She wants to be in the thick of it.

The newspaper office scenes are actually my favorite part. They look so messy.

There are stacks of paper everywhere and guys in visors looking stressed out. It feels way more authentic than some of the more polished newsrooms you see in later films.

Neil Hamilton plays Joe Madison, the editor’s son. He’s fine, I guess.

He looks like he’s constantly worried his hair is going to get messed up. He has this very stiff way of walking, like he’s carrying an invisible tray of drinks.

The chemistry between him and Bebe is... okay? It’s more like a brother and sister who are forced to share a toy than a romantic couple.

The real plot kicks in when Dorothy goes to interview a gunman in jail. This scene is actually pretty great.

She’s so out of place in a jail cell with her fancy clothes and her 'I'm a serious journalist' face. She manages to get the guy to talk about a canceled check.

This check is the 'McMuffin' of the movie—wait, MacGuffin. I always get those mixed up.

Anyway, this check links a bad guy named Mike Corney to a corrupt politician named Patterson. It’s standard crime stuff, but the way they chase this piece of paper is frantic.

There is a bit of a lull in the middle where they talk about a libel suit. It gets a bit bogged down in the legal talk, which is hard to follow in silent title cards.

I found myself looking at the background extras instead. There’s one guy in the newsroom who is just aggressively typing on a machine that doesn't seem to have any paper in it.

It reminded me of the energy in It's the Old Army Game, just that sense of 1920s chaos where everyone is doing something in the corner of the frame.

Wheeler Oakman plays the heavy, Mike Corney. He has a great 'bad guy' face.

He looks like the kind of guy who would kick a dog just to see if it would bark. When he recovers the check from Dorothy, you actually feel a little bad for her.

But she’s Dorothy Winston, so she just gets it back again. The back-and-forth with the evidence is a bit much.

At one point, she gets photographic evidence too. It’s like the movie realized the check wasn't enough drama, so they added a camera into the mix.

There is a weirdly long shot of a telephone. I think the director was really impressed with how telephones worked.

The ending is a bit of a meta-joke. Dorothy and Joe decide to write 'the story of their life' together.

It’s cute, if a bit cheesy. It makes the whole movie feel like a long prequel to a marriage.

The pacing is high burstiness—fast, then slow, then suddenly a chase. It’s not as polished as something like The Strong Man, but it doesn't really try to be.

I noticed a small smudge on the lens during one of the outdoor shots near the end. It kept distracting me.

Also, the hats. The hats in 1928 were unbeleivable.

Dorothy wears this one hat that looks like a felt bucket. I don't know how she saw where she was going.

If you're looking for a deep dive into the human condition, look elsewhere. Maybe check out Go West, Young Woman if you want more of that period's specific flavor.

But if you want to see a movie that feels like a sugar rush, What a Night! is a good time. It’s messy and the plot is thin as a wafer, but Bebe Daniels makes it work.

She just has that 'it' factor. You can't take your eyes off her, even when the plot is just people incriminateing each other over bank records.

One last thing—the title cards are actually pretty funny. They have a bit of bite to them.

I liked the one where they describe the corrupt boss. It’s very blunt.

It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a fun relic. Sometimes that's all you need on a Tuesday night.

Just don't expect the mystery to keep you guessing. You’ll know exactly what’s going to happen the moment the check appears.

Still, it’s a fun ride. 🎥