 It premiered on Christmas Day 1928 before expanding in January 1929, and was released as both a part-sound as well as a silent film; the silent version is the only known extant version.It was the final film directed by Leni before his death from blood poisoning on September 2, 1929.Response by critics to "The Last Warning" varied, with many praising its performances and cinematography, though several commented on its incoherent plot, and others criticized its integration of sound, feeling it presented optimally as a silent film.