Sleep, My Love (1948)

Director:

Douglas Sirk

Writers:

St. Clair McKelway (screenplay) and
Leo Rosten (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

18 February 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery

Tagline:

...the most terrifying words a man ever whispered to a woman!

Plot:

Alison Courtland wakes up in the middle of the night on board a train, but she cannot remember how she got there. Danger and suspense ensue.

Plot Keywords:

Train | Femme Fatale | Insanity | Chinese Wedding | Psychological Torment

Cast

Claudette Colbert	...	Alison Courtland
Robert Cummings	...	Bruce Elcott
Don Ameche	...	Richard W. Courtland
Rita Johnson	...	Barby
George Coulouris	...	Charles Vernay
Queenie Smith	...	Mrs. Grace Vernay
Ralph Morgan	...	Dr. Rhinehart
Keye Luke	...	Jimmie Lin
Fred Nurney	...	Haskins
Raymond Burr	...	Detective Sgt. Strake
Marya Marco	...	Jeannie Lin (as Maria San Marco)
Lillian Bronson	...	Helen, the Maid
Hazel Brooks	...	Daphne
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Murray Alper	...	Drunk (uncredited)
Edgar Dearing	...	Hannigan (uncredited)
Jimmie Dodd	...	Elevator Boy (uncredited)
Robert Dudley	...	Peeping Tom at The Maples (uncredited)
Eddie Dunn	...	Bartender (uncredited)
James Flavin	...	Police Lt. Mitchell (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Miss Miller, Courtland's Secretary (uncredited)
Lee Tung Foo	...	Wedding Official (uncredited)
Ralph Montgomery	...	Airport Extra (uncredited)
Ralph Peters	...	Mac - Cop (uncredited)
Lillian Randolph	...	Maid at Parkhurst's (uncredited)
Syd Saylor	...	Milkman (uncredited)
Charles Sherlock	...	Passerby (uncredited)
Anne Triola	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Beal Wong	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)

Directed by
Douglas Sirk

Writing credits
St. Clair McKelway		(screenplay) and
Leo Rosten		(screenplay)
Leo Rosten		(novel)
Decla Dunning		uncredited
Cy Endfield		uncredited

Produced by
Ralph Cohn	....	producer
Harold Greene	....	associate producer
Charles 'Buddy' Rogers	....	producer (as Chas. Buddy Rogers)
Mary Pickford	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Rudy Schrager

Cinematography by
Joseph A. Valentine		(director of photography) (as Joseph Valentine)

Film Editing by
Lynn Harrison

Art Direction by
William Ferrari

Set Decoration by
Howard Bristol

Makeup Department
Burris Grimwood	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Marjorie Lund	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Robert M. Beche	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Clarence Eurist	....	assistant director

Sound Department
William M. Randall Jr.	....	sound recordist (as William Randall)

Stunts
David Sharpe	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Edward Colman	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Milton Gold	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Enzo A. Martinelli	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sophie	....	gowns: Miss Colbert
Margaret Jennings	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
David Chudnow	....	musical supervisor
Rudy Schrager	....	conductor
Rudy Schrager	....	musical director (uncredited)

Other crew
Mary Pickford	....	presenter
Marcel Frym	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Mary Catherine Whitlock	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Triangle Production

Distributors

• United Artists (1948) (USA) (theatrical) (released thru)
• United Artists (1949) (France) (theatrical) (as Les Artistes Associés)
• Constantin Film (1950) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Olive Films (2012) (Canada) (DVD) (DVD and Blu-ray)
• Olive Films (2012) (USA) (DVD) (DVD and Blu-ray)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate #12726) | West Germany:16 (nf) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Hal Roach Studios - 8822 Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Triangle Production

Trivia:

"The Screen Guild Theater" broadcast a 30 minute radio adaptation of the movie on April 19, 1948 with Claudette Colbert reprising her film role.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Alison is ready to fly back from Boston, the plane on the runway is a United Airlines flight. But when the plane begins to taxi, it now has an Eastern Airlines logo.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Magical Eye (1989)

Psychological Melodrama

There are overtones of "Gaslight" in this watchable little movie from 1948 in that it has the same plot -that of a husband trying to persuade his wife that she is going mad .It sets its story in a then contemporary USA rather than foggy London town in the era of hansom cabs and cobbled streets. The husband is Richard Courtland (Don Ameche) who wishes to get his paws on his wife Alison 's inheritance in order that he can then marry his mistress ,the delectable Daphne ( Hazel Brooks)/the wife is played by Claudette Colbert. To this end he is covertly administering hypnotic drugs. The movie opens with Alison on a train and not knowing how she got there.Later she tries to jump from a balcony with no apparent motive for her actions and the movie builds to a neat and edgy climax on the Brooklyn Bridge .Out to stop the husband's evil machinations is "Bruce Eliot" played by Robert Cummins

Supporting roles are in the capable hands of such performers as George colouris (playing a phoney shrink),Raymond Burr as a sceptical policeman and such adroit bit part players as Ralph Morgan and Keye Luke .They indeed ,outshine the leads who are all adequate but slightly miscast and playing against type

The plot is predictable but Douglas Sirk does a good job of building suspense with some deft Hitchcockian touches