Endless Night (1972)

Director:

Sidney Gilliat

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel)
Sidney Gilliat (writer)

Release Date:

September 1972 (UK)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Victim... or killer?

Plot:

A woman is hired to scare someone to death. |

Plot Keywords:

Title Sung By Character | Rose Garden | Motor Scooter | Marriage | Renoir Painting

Cast

Hayley Mills	...	Fenella 'Ellie' Thomsen
Hywel Bennett	...	Michael Rogers
Britt Ekland	...	Greta
George Sanders	...	Andrew Lippincott
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Bauer	...	Uncle Frank
Peter Bowles	...	Reuben Brown
Geoffrey Chater	...	Coroner
Patience Collier	...	Miss Townsend
Windsor Davies	...	Sergeant Reene
Mischa De La Motte	...	Maynard
Walter Gotell	...	Constantine
David Healy	...	Jason
Helen Horton	...	Aunt Beth
Robert Keegan	...	Innkeeper
Lois Maxwell	...	Cora Walker Brown
Robert O'Neil	...	Broker
Per Oscarsson	...	Santonix
Aubrey Richards	...	Dr. Philpott
Madge Ryan	...	Michael's Mother
Ann Way	...	Mrs. Philpott

Also Known As:

Agatha Christie's Endless Night

Runtime:

99 min | USA:95 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | UK:15 (re-rating) (1989) | UK:AA (original rating) | Singapore:M18 | Australia:M | USA:Not Rated | Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Albergo San Pietro, Positano, Salerno, Campania, Italy

Company:

EMI Films

Trivia:

The lyrics that Hayley Mills sings to the tune of The Doors' song "End Of The Night" are from William Blake's "Auguries of Innocence" (ca. 1803). "Every morn and every night Some to misery are born. Every morn and every night Some are born to sweet delight. Some are born to sweet delight, Some are born to endless night."

Gripping, unusual Agatha Christie mystery. Splendid on all counts.

One of the rare, gratifying occasions when a mediocre book is transformed by experts into a first-rate, memorable movie. "Endless Night" was one of Agatha Christie's last novels--also one of her least satisfying. A macabre romance about a wealthy young American heiress (the glorious Hayley Mills in a mesmerizing, haunting performance) who falls in love with and impulsively marries her sexy albeit mysterious chauffeur (the wonderfully versatile Hywell Bennett who teamed with Ms. Mills in two previous films, the tender comedic drama "The Family Way" and the still-shocking psychosexual thriller "The Twisted Nerve").

The happy lovebirds build their dreamhouse (still an architectural wonder) in England's remote Lake District (lusciously photographed in stunning Technicolor), away from the prying eyes of her avaricious relatives, and their tenderly rendered love story seems headed for a deserved happy ending--until the final reel suddenly reveals a totally unexpected twist that I guarantee will astound even the most astute mystery buff, and leave the hapless viewer in a state of shaken anxiety and sadness. Such an unusual denoument didn't work on the printed page; on film it's a bona fide shocker, thanks to the mastery of its two leads, a knockout turn by the stunning Britt Ekland (as one of Ms. Mills' parasitic relatives), the expert direction by Sidney Gilliatt, and the magificently eerie soundtrack by Bernard Herrmann, no less. "Endless Night" was never released theatrically in the U.S. Properly promoted, it would have made a boxoffice killing. I caught its American premiere on a pay-cable station, expecting nothing (the book was hopeless) and, much to my amazement, finding myself enthralled by this classy artistic treat. Psychological thrillers don't come any better than "Endless Night," which lulls the viewer into a state of bliss not unlike its romantic leads--until the startlingly savage twist ends the film with a disturbing (and heartbreaking) resonance. Hywell Bennett and the grown-up Hayley Mills were two of the finest (not to mention comeliest) young British actors of the late '60s and early '70s, and "Endless Night" might well be their most memorable hour-and-a-half. A must-see for mystery buffs; highly recommended for everyone else.