The Midnight Message

Johnny is a young Western Union messenger who helps support his mother, who ekes out a living sewing on an old machine. When he stumbles into a robbery he chases off the crooks and saves a frightened young woman, and later brings the culprits to justice. The grateful father rewards Johnny, and the small windfall allows him to improve his mother's lot. The film keeps its focus tight on everyday struggles, quick action, and a clear moral arc, following Johnny as he uses courage and resourcefulness to protect his family and his community.

Directed by Paul Hurst and released in 1926, the picture stars Johnny Fox as Johnny, with Mary Carr, Wanda Hawley, Creighton Hale, and Stuart Holmes in supporting roles. It was distributed in the silent era circuit and reflects filmmaking conventions of the mid 1920s.

No reliable box office records survive for this film, which is common for many silent era titles. There is no well documented financial history, so its commercial reach and gross receipts remain unclear in modern sources.

The movie did not leave a large footprint in later pop culture, but its rescue-and-reward scene and the image of a messenger boy standing up to criminals are familiar motifs of the period. Its depiction of a working family and the symbolic new sewing machine capture everyday concerns of 1920s viewers, even if the film itself is rarely cited today.

Modern critical material is sparse; available ratings are limited, with a single recorded vote averaging 6.0 out of 10. The story stresses themes of duty, family loyalty, and simple justice, favoring straightforward storytelling over psychological complexity. Performances emphasize clear moral types, and the narrative rewards honest action, making the film a snapshot of popular moral values and cinematic style from its era.