Directors
Basil Dearden - The wraparound story at the farmhouse, and "The Hearse Driver."
Alberto Cavalcanti - "The Christmas Party" and "The Ventriloquist's Dummy"
Robert Hamer - "The Haunted Mirror"
Charles Crichton - "The Golfer's Story"
Cast
Mervyn Jones - Walter Craig
Frederick Valk - Dr. van Straatan
Roland Culver - Eliot Foley
"The Hearse Driver"
Anthony Baird - Hugh Grainger
Judy Kelly - Joyce Grainger
Miles Malleson - the hearse driver/ bus conductor
"The Christmas Party"
Sally Ann Howes - Sally O'Hara
Michael Allen - Jimmy Watson
"The Haunted Mirror"
Ralph Michael - Peter Cortland
Googie Withers - Joan Cortland
Esmé Percy - The antiques dealer
"The Golfer's Story"
Basil Radford - George Parratt
Naunton Wayne - Larry Potter
Peggy Bryan - Mary Lee
"The Ventriloquist's Dummy"
Hartley Power - Sylvester Kee
Michael Redgrave - Maxwell Frere
Gary Gerani writes about the importance of the anthology film "Dead of Night" within the horror genre in his book "Top 100 Horror Movies."
"Anthology style movies have had an uneven history at the box office. Audiences tend to prefer a single plot, theme and set of characters into which they can invest their emotions for ninety some-odd minutes. But of all the popular film genres, horror seems best suited to the fractured, multi-tale format, with or without a unifying 'host.' And undoubtedly the best of these episodic fright films is one of the first ever made, Dead of Night." (p.148)
The film opens as architect Walter Craig (Mervyn Johns) is driving out to a country house to discuss renovations with a guy named Elliot Foley (Roland Culver).
When Craig arrives, a handful of guests are sitting in the living room.
He's rather dumbfounded when he enters because even though he's never met the people inside, he knows them for a reoccurring dream. He's also so familiar with the situation, thanks to his dream, that he's able to predict events that will occur around the house. He then predicts something terrible is going to happen before he leaves.
A psychologist named Dr. van Straatan is one of the guests present. He tries to convince Craig that his fears are only in his head. The others, however, take an interest in Craig's insight and start telling each other about strange experiences they've personally had. These are where the stories begin.
When Craig arrives, a handful of guests are sitting in the living room.
He's rather dumbfounded when he enters because even though he's never met the people inside, he knows them for a reoccurring dream. He's also so familiar with the situation, thanks to his dream, that he's able to predict events that will occur around the house. He then predicts something terrible is going to happen before he leaves.
A psychologist named Dr. van Straatan is one of the guests present. He tries to convince Craig that his fears are only in his head. The others, however, take an interest in Craig's insight and start telling each other about strange experiences they've personally had. These are where the stories begin.
The Hearse Driver
This segment is based on a story by E.F. Benson.
Hugh Grainger (Antony Baird) races cars for a living. One particular racing accident lands him in the hospital.
Hugh Grainger (Antony Baird) races cars for a living. One particular racing accident lands him in the hospital.
One sleepless night, as his health has vastly improved, he notices the clock in his room stops.
He gets up and happens to look out of his hospital window. A horse-drawn hearse is sitting underneath his window on the street below. The driver (Miles Malleson) looks up at Grainer and says in a Cockney British accent, "just room for one inside, sir."
This, of course, freaks out Grainger. Soon after the experience, he's discharged from the hospital.
He waits to catch a bus. And when it arrives, the bus conductor is the same man he saw driving the hearse.
"Just room for one, inside," he tells Grainger.
Dumbfounded, Grainger doesn't board. The bus pulls away. And what happens next leaves Grainger thankful he listened to his instinct.
He gets up and happens to look out of his hospital window. A horse-drawn hearse is sitting underneath his window on the street below. The driver (Miles Malleson) looks up at Grainer and says in a Cockney British accent, "just room for one inside, sir."
This, of course, freaks out Grainger. Soon after the experience, he's discharged from the hospital.
He waits to catch a bus. And when it arrives, the bus conductor is the same man he saw driving the hearse.
"Just room for one, inside," he tells Grainger.
Dumbfounded, Grainger doesn't board. The bus pulls away. And what happens next leaves Grainger thankful he listened to his instinct.
The Christmas Party
Based on a story by Angus MacPhail, "The Christmas Party" this segment centers on teenager, Sally O' Hara (Sally Ann Howes). Sally tells of her experience encountering the ghost of a child during a Christmas party held inside a huge mansion.
All the young guests start a game of hide-and-seek.
Sally runs up a few flight of stairs and hides behind window curtains.
A boy named Jimmy finds her, and then hides with Sally.
All the young guests start a game of hide-and-seek.
Sally runs up a few flight of stairs and hides behind window curtains.
A boy named Jimmy finds her, and then hides with Sally.
Jimmy tells her about a murder that happened in the mansion years ago. Sally doesn't let the tale scare her, though.
They decide to hide up near the attic. Sally finds a door that leads to a nursery. She walks in and finds a little boy crying all by himself.
She tries to console him, and then tucks him into bed. He says his name is Francis Kent.
Afterwards, she heads back downstairs with all the other party goers.
She inquires about the little boy upstairs she claims to have seen. Sally tells one of the adults about him and says his name is Francis. When its explained who Francis is, she nearly collapses with dred.
They decide to hide up near the attic. Sally finds a door that leads to a nursery. She walks in and finds a little boy crying all by himself.
She tries to console him, and then tucks him into bed. He says his name is Francis Kent.
Afterwards, she heads back downstairs with all the other party goers.
She inquires about the little boy upstairs she claims to have seen. Sally tells one of the adults about him and says his name is Francis. When its explained who Francis is, she nearly collapses with dred.
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| Ralph Michael and Googie Withers in the story "The Haunted Mirror." |
After Sally tells her story, a wife named Joan Cartland (Googie Withers) talks about an antique mirror she gave her husband, Peter (Ralph Michael), as a birthday gift.
At first Peter loves the mirror. It fits in their apartment well.
But he starts seeing his reflection in an unfamiliar room whenever he looks in the mirror.
He thinks he's loosing his mind. Even when looking in the mirror with Joan, he can see the unfamiliar room, but can't see Joan's reflection. Joan says she doesn't see what her husband claims to be seeing.
Concerned, Joan looks into the mirror's history and who the previous owner was.
The antique dealer who sold her the mirror tells Joan it belonged to a Francis Etherington who had murdered his wife after thinking she was having an affair.
When Joan returns home after visiting the antique dealer, she finds Peter sitting alone in the dark facing the mirror. He's not himself at all, and accuses her of cheating on him.
Things become violent fast, until Joan is forced to take care of the situation with her husband and the mirror herself.
He thinks he's loosing his mind. Even when looking in the mirror with Joan, he can see the unfamiliar room, but can't see Joan's reflection. Joan says she doesn't see what her husband claims to be seeing.
Concerned, Joan looks into the mirror's history and who the previous owner was.
The antique dealer who sold her the mirror tells Joan it belonged to a Francis Etherington who had murdered his wife after thinking she was having an affair.
When Joan returns home after visiting the antique dealer, she finds Peter sitting alone in the dark facing the mirror. He's not himself at all, and accuses her of cheating on him.
Things become violent fast, until Joan is forced to take care of the situation with her husband and the mirror herself.
Golfer's Story
Based on the short story, "The Tale of the Inexperienced Ghost" by H.G. Wells, this segment is the comic relief of the movie.
Golf buddies, George Parratt (Basil Radford) and Larry Potter (Naunton Wayne), fall in love with the same woman, Mary Lee (Peggy Bryan).
To figure out which one of them will pursue Mary's affection, they agree to let a game of golf figure that out for them. The winner will have Mary's hand. The loser will not interfere in any way, and will disappear forever.
Parratt ends up winning by cheating. Defeated, Potter walks into a nearby lake and drowns himself.
Soon, his ghost appears to Parratt demanding he gives Mary up. If he doesn't he has to haunt him for the rest of his life.
Of course, he doesn't. Potter's ghost, meanwhile, forgets how to make himself disappear.
This becomes a major problem on Parratt's wedding night.
Golf buddies, George Parratt (Basil Radford) and Larry Potter (Naunton Wayne), fall in love with the same woman, Mary Lee (Peggy Bryan).
To figure out which one of them will pursue Mary's affection, they agree to let a game of golf figure that out for them. The winner will have Mary's hand. The loser will not interfere in any way, and will disappear forever.
Parratt ends up winning by cheating. Defeated, Potter walks into a nearby lake and drowns himself.
Soon, his ghost appears to Parratt demanding he gives Mary up. If he doesn't he has to haunt him for the rest of his life.
Of course, he doesn't. Potter's ghost, meanwhile, forgets how to make himself disappear.
This becomes a major problem on Parratt's wedding night.
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| Michael Redgrave (right) and Hugo in the story "The Ventriloquist's Dummy." |
The Ventriloquist's Dummy
Dr. van Straaten tells his own tale about an interview he conducted with a ventriloquist named Maxwell Frere (Michael Redgrave). Frere is famous for his performances with his dummy, Hugo. He appears at various nightclubs and other venues. Frere is an English gentleman while Hugo is insulting and quick with his biting remarks.
An American ventriloquist, Sylvester Kee (Hartley Power) travels to England to meet Frere and his dummy.
Hugo, who seems cognizant and tends to speak for himself, evidently wants to leave the act with Frere and join with Kee.
During an act, Hugo seems to get out of hand, and Frere tries to silence him. Hugo then bites his hand which draws blood.
After that show, Kee meets with Frere and Hugo in Frere's hotel room to talk business.
The next morning, Frere finds Hugo in Kees' room, and accuses him of trying to steal his dummy. He ends up shooting Kees and is, of course, arrested.
This is where Dr. van Straaten gets involved. He meets with Frere in his jail cell, and then has Hugo brought to the cell.
He watches as Frere has an argument with Hugo, and attempts to suffocate the dummy with a pillow before smashing its head in with his foot.
When Kee, who survives being shot, visits Frere in the hospital, he finds that Frere isn't himself anymore.
An American ventriloquist, Sylvester Kee (Hartley Power) travels to England to meet Frere and his dummy.
Hugo, who seems cognizant and tends to speak for himself, evidently wants to leave the act with Frere and join with Kee.
During an act, Hugo seems to get out of hand, and Frere tries to silence him. Hugo then bites his hand which draws blood.
After that show, Kee meets with Frere and Hugo in Frere's hotel room to talk business.
The next morning, Frere finds Hugo in Kees' room, and accuses him of trying to steal his dummy. He ends up shooting Kees and is, of course, arrested.
This is where Dr. van Straaten gets involved. He meets with Frere in his jail cell, and then has Hugo brought to the cell.
He watches as Frere has an argument with Hugo, and attempts to suffocate the dummy with a pillow before smashing its head in with his foot.
When Kee, who survives being shot, visits Frere in the hospital, he finds that Frere isn't himself anymore.
This is the creepiest story, thanks in large part to Hugo. It's also a story that obscures what's real and what's pure delusion, which is done really well. Nothing is obvious in this segment.
In the final act back inside the house, Craig's horrific prediction comes true. He murders Dr. van Straaten. During this tragic event, he starts seeing himself within each of the stories he has heard throughout the course of the movie.
Soon, he wakes up at the sound of the phone ringing, and tells his wife he had a terrible nightmare. The caller is Eliot Foley, inviting him to his country home to discuss renovations.
As the credits start rolling, we see Craig driving down the same country road from the beginning of the movie. He then stops at the same country house and is greeted by Eliot Foley.
"Dead of Night" is a well-made psychological film with a theme (or so it seems to me) of human reaction to death and eternity.
Soon, he wakes up at the sound of the phone ringing, and tells his wife he had a terrible nightmare. The caller is Eliot Foley, inviting him to his country home to discuss renovations.
As the credits start rolling, we see Craig driving down the same country road from the beginning of the movie. He then stops at the same country house and is greeted by Eliot Foley.
"Dead of Night" is a well-made psychological film with a theme (or so it seems to me) of human reaction to death and eternity.
The first story seems to portray the looming reality of death. This leads to other stories surrounding individuals facing or confronting death in various manners.
The reality of death is told in various unique ways. The movie doesn't completely rely on grotesque images and monsters to frighten the audience. Reality and mental delusion are obscure.
It ends with Craig in an eternal loop. Is he in some kind of hell for his deed? Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result.
It ends with Craig in an eternal loop. Is he in some kind of hell for his deed? Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result.
"Dead of Night" feels a little ahead of its time as a psychological thriller and an anthology. Or, perhaps its more better to say the movie is foundational in the horror genre.
I may have to re-watch this movie to gain some clarity about the entire premise.
I thought I had "Dead of Night" figured out within the first 30 minutes. I anticipated that all the people in the room were dead and it would later be revealed they were all living some sort of hell. That's not quite the case.
The movie slows down right before the last act. There's a slight but distinct foreboding feeling that wafts from story to story. It's interrupted in "The Golfer's Story."
That segment is intentionally silly, and ends with an uncomfortable situation. On Mary and Parratt's wedding night, Mary obviously wants Parratt to take her to the bedroom so they can consummate their marriage.
But Potter is forced to haunt him as he forgot how to make himself vanish. So, when they go into the bedroom, the idea is that Potter is going to be forced to watch them.
Of course, it doesn't get that far as Parratt accidentally makes himself vanish leaving the ghost of Potter to...umm...fill in for him. No pun intended.
It would have been so much better if this story were depicted with the same trepidatious tone as the other stories. I haven't read Wells' story this is based on. I don't know if his short story is meant to be comedic or not. Either way, the comedy feels out of place in this movie.
The movie slows down right before the last act. There's a slight but distinct foreboding feeling that wafts from story to story. It's interrupted in "The Golfer's Story."
That segment is intentionally silly, and ends with an uncomfortable situation. On Mary and Parratt's wedding night, Mary obviously wants Parratt to take her to the bedroom so they can consummate their marriage.
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| Mervyn Jones as Walter Craig in "Dead of Night." |
Of course, it doesn't get that far as Parratt accidentally makes himself vanish leaving the ghost of Potter to...umm...fill in for him. No pun intended.
It would have been so much better if this story were depicted with the same trepidatious tone as the other stories. I haven't read Wells' story this is based on. I don't know if his short story is meant to be comedic or not. Either way, the comedy feels out of place in this movie.
In "The Golfer's Story", Basil Radford, who plays George Parratt, and Naunton Wayne, who plays Larry Potter both starred as a double act in Alfred Hitchcock's 1938 movie "The Lady Vanishes" where they played Caldicott and Charters. They were popular enough that their characters in "Dead of Night" are derived from Caldicott and Charters.
Though the movie doesn't rely on hideous creepy things that generally scare audiences (or did in 1945), it packs in a lot of frightful elements surrounding premonitions of death, spirits, cognizant (maybe?) ventriloquist dummies, unrequited love, and insanity.
After the credits rolled, I couldn't wait to start writing. The story has been lingering in my head since I watched it.
I recognize Welsh actor Mervyn Johns from his later role as Bob Cratchit in the 1951 British film "Scrooge." English actor Miles Malleson, who plays the hearse driver in this movie, also appears as "Old Joe" in "Scrooge."
But most recognizable of all is the young Sally Ann Howes who is well known for playing "Truly Scrumptious" in the 1968 film "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."
I previously reviewed another horror movie that stars Howes - 1980's "Death Ship."
Though the movie doesn't rely on hideous creepy things that generally scare audiences (or did in 1945), it packs in a lot of frightful elements surrounding premonitions of death, spirits, cognizant (maybe?) ventriloquist dummies, unrequited love, and insanity.
After the credits rolled, I couldn't wait to start writing. The story has been lingering in my head since I watched it.
I recognize Welsh actor Mervyn Johns from his later role as Bob Cratchit in the 1951 British film "Scrooge." English actor Miles Malleson, who plays the hearse driver in this movie, also appears as "Old Joe" in "Scrooge."
But most recognizable of all is the young Sally Ann Howes who is well known for playing "Truly Scrumptious" in the 1968 film "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."
I previously reviewed another horror movie that stars Howes - 1980's "Death Ship."
"Dead of Night" is like a long episode of "The Twilight Zone." It if were a Twilight Zone tale, it would surely be a classic episode worth remembering.
I have yet to find another horror anthology film so well structured with a story well told in a multi-tale format without a singular host to tell it. It's a beautiful foundation to anthology horror films. "Dead of Night" doesn't begin inside a haunted house, or with a hideous monster telling us how we're going to be scared. It begins with a bad dream and a group of ordinary people sitting in a living room telling each other what weird experiences they've had. The uneasy grows from there. Well done!
