Dead of Night (1945)

Directors:

Alberto Cavalcanti
Charles Crichton
(more)

Writers:

H.G. Wells (original story) &
E.F. Benson (original story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

15 February 1946 (Finland)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Plot:

An architect senses impending doom as his half-remembered recurring dream turns into reality. The guests at the country house encourage him to stay as they take turns telling supernatural tales.

Plot Keywords:

Dream | House | Architect | Nightmare | Recurring Dream

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Mervyn Johns	...	Walter Craig
Roland Culver	...	Eliot Foley
Mary Merrall	...	Mrs Foley
Googie Withers	...	Joan Cortland
Frederick Valk	...	Dr. Van Straaten
Anthony Baird	...	Hugh Grainger (as Antony Baird)
Sally Ann Howes	...	Sally O'Hara
Robert Wyndham	...	Dr. Albury
Judy Kelly	...	Joyce Grainger
Miles Malleson	...	Hearse Driver
Michael Allan	...	Jimmy Watson
Barbara Leake	...	Mrs O'Hara
Ralph Michael	...	Peter Cortland
Esme Percy	...	Antiques Dealer (as Esmé Percy)
Basil Radford	...	George Parratt
Naunton Wayne	...	Larry Potter
Peggy Bryan	...	Mary Lee
Allan Jeayes	...	Maurice Olcott
Michael Redgrave	...	Maxwell Frere
Elisabeth Welch	...	Beulah
Hartley Power	...	Sylvester Kee
Magda Kun	...	Mitzi
Garry Marsh	...	Harry Parker
Renee Gadd	...	Mrs. Craig (as Renée Gadd)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Patrick Aherne	...	Doctor at Psychiatric Hospital (uncredited)
Paul Bonifas	...	French Nightclub Patron in 'Ventriloquist's Dummy' Segment (uncredited)
Peter Jones	...	Fred - Barman in 'Golfing Story' Segment (uncredited)
John McGuire	...	Hugo Fitch in 'Ventriloquist's Dummy' Segment (uncredited)

Directed by
Alberto Cavalcanti		(segments "Christmas Party" and "The Ventriloquist's Dummy") (as Cavalcanti)
Charles Crichton		(segment "Golfing Story")
Basil Dearden		(segments "Hearse Driver" and "Linking Narrative")
Robert Hamer		(segment "The Haunted Mirror")

Writing credits
H.G. Wells		(original story) &
E.F. Benson		(original story) &
John Baines		(original story) &
Angus MacPhail		(original story) (as Angus Macphail)
John Baines		(screenplay) &
Angus MacPhail		(screenplay) (as Angus Macphail)
T.E.B. Clarke		(additional dialogue)
John Baines		segments "The Haunted Mirror" and "The Ventriloquist's Dummy" (uncredited)
E.F. Benson		segments "Hearse Driver" and linking narrative (uncredited)
Angus MacPhail		segment "Christmas Party" (uncredited)
H.G. Wells		segment "Golfing Story" (uncredited)

Produced by
Michael Balcon	....	producer
Sidney Cole	....	associate producer
John Croydon	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Georges Auric		(music composed by)

Cinematography by
Stanley Pavey		(lighting) (as Stan Pavey)
Douglas Slocombe

Film Editing by
Charles Hasse

Art Direction by
Michael Relph

Costume Design by
Marion Horn		(dresses)
Bianca Mosca		(dresses)

Makeup Department
Tom Shenton	....	makeup

Production Management
Ronald Brantford	....	unit manager
Hal Mason	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Rowland Douglas	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Norman Hipwell	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Claude Hudson	....	third assistant director (uncredited)
P. Potter	....	third assistant director (uncredited)
Billy Russell	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Heather Armitage	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Jim Morahan	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Tony Rimmington	....	junior draughtsman (uncredited)
Len Wills	....	draughtsman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Len Page	....	recordist
A.E. Rudolph	....	recordist
Eric Williams	....	sound supervisor
Nikolai Boulatoff	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Mary Habberfield	....	dubbing editor (uncredited)
Tom Otter	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Lionel Banes	....	special effects (as L. Banes)
Cliff Richardson	....	special effects (as C. Richardson)

Camera and Electrical Department
H. Julius	....	camera operator
Jack Parker	....	camera operator
Roy Gough	....	still photographer (uncredited)
George Levy	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
Maurice Selwyn	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
Michael Shepherd	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Gerry Turpin	....	focus puller (uncredited)
John Winbolt	....	clapper loader (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Leslie Allen	....	assembly cutter (uncredited)
Daphne Heathcote	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Seth Holt	....	second assistant editor (uncredited)
E. Leverett	....	second assistant editor (uncredited)
F. Thomson	....	second assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Ernest Irving	....	music conductor
Frank Weir	....	band leader: Frank Weir and his Sextet
Bruce Campbell	....	music arranger: song (uncredited)

Other crew
Gwen Bartle	....	continuity (uncredited)
M. Hamilton	....	assistant continuity (uncredited)
Daphne Heathcote	....	continuity (uncredited)
Elaine Schreyeck	....	continuity (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Ealing Studios (present)

Distributors

• Eagle-Lion Distributors Limited (1945) (UK) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1946) (USA) (theatrical) (cut version)
• Parvisfilmi (1946) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Associated British Film Distributors (ABFD) (1949) (UK) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Congress Video Group (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• Státní Pujcovna Filmu (194?) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (video)
• Image Entertainment (laserdisc)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2008) (Finland) (DVD)

Other Companies

• London Philharmonic Orchestra  music played by
• Ealing Studios  music recorded at

Also Known As:

Runtime:

103 min | USA:77 min | Germany:95 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | Argentina:Atp | USA:Approved | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Norway:16

Filming Locations:

Ealing Studios, Ealing, London, England, UK

Company:

Ealing Studios

Trivia:

Parratt and Potter, the very-English characters portrayed by Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne in the Golfing Story are derivatives of Charters and Caldicott, created for Alfred Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes (1938). The double-act proved to be so popular that Radford and Wayne were paired up as similar sport-obsessed gentlemen (or occasionally reprising their original rôles) in a number of productions, including this one. The name-change neatly sidestepped any copyright issues.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: As Peter Cortland stands looking into the mirror his wife-to-be has bought him, the stripes on his tie run from his left side, down to his right. A reverse shot shows the stripes on his tie running in the same direction; obviously not a mirror image.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[Walter Craig drives up to Foley's farmhouse and looks around with an expression part suspicious and part dumbfounded]
Eliot Foley:Ah! Walter Craig?
Walter Craig:How do you do. You're Eliot Foley.
[They shake hands]
Eliot Foley:That's right. So glad you were able to come. Let's have your bag. I'll put the car away afterwards. You know, it struck me, after I'd telephoned you, rather cheek on my part to ask a busy architect like yourself to come down and spend the weekend with a set of complete strangers.
Walter Craig:[to himself] Not complete.
Eliot Foley:You see, we're pretty cramped for space here. We need at least two more bedrooms.
Walter Craig:And with only one living room.
Eliot Foley:Yes, only one living room. However, we'll go into all that in the morning, shall we?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Twilight Zone: The Dummy (#3.33)" (1962)

Soundtrack:

Why Do You Pass Me By?

A CHERISHED CHILDHOOD MEMORY OF FEAR

I was fortunate enough to see this movie the way it was meant to

be seen: I was about 13 and my brother was 11. We were

supposed to go to bed, but we snuck and watched this movie. We

were also fortunate enough to see it on PBS (of all places!) uncut,

without commercial interruption. Perhaps, the fear of being caught

by our parents added to the experience. We sat by the flickering

light of the TV set (on low volume) in the dark. Needless to say, by

the end of the movie we thought our heads would explode with

fear. I thought my eyes would bulge out of my sockets. It was a

definitive bonding experience for me and my brother. Strange that

fear should be so relished! Up to this day, when posed with the

question, "You wouldn't do that?" Our response is in that devilish

high-pitched voice, "Wouldn't I? WOULDN'T I??" Thanks to Anchor

Bay putting out the dvd double feature of Dead of Night with Queen

of Spades (also excellent!), I have just watched it again and that

old friend fear comes right back. Hugo Fitch lives on!