Straight on Till Morning (1972)

Director:

Peter Collinson

Writer:

John Peacock

Release Date:

August 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

A timid, withdrawn woman meets a man she believes is finally the love of her life, unaware that he is a vicious serial killer.

Plot Keywords:

Dog | Serial Killer | Liverpool | Castle | Murder

Cast

Rita Tushingham	...	Brenda Thompson
Shane Briant	...	Peter Clive
James Bolam	...	Joey
Katya Wyeth	...	Caroline
Annie Ross	...	Liza
Tom Bell	...	Jimmy Lindsay
Claire Kelly	...	Margo Thompson (as Clare Kelly)
Harold Berens	...	Mr. Harris
John Clive	...	Newsagent
Tommy Godfrey	...	Mr. Godfrey
Mavis Villiers	...	Indian Princess
Lola Willard	...	Customer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Paul Brooke	...	Uneasy man (uncredited)
Mike Mungarvan	...	Mr. Harris's Client (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Collinson

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
John Peacock		(as Michael Peacock)

Produced by
Michael Carreras	....	executive producer
Peter Collinson	....	producer

Original Music by
Roland Shaw

Cinematography by
Brian Probyn

Film Editing by
Alan Pattillo

Art Direction by
Scott MacGregor

Makeup Department
George Blackler	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Tom Sachs	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Clive Reed	....	assistant director
Michael Murray	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Alan Bell	....	sound editor
Dennis Whitlock	....	sound re-recordist

Camera and Electrical Department
Keith Blake	....	focus puller (uncredited)

Music Department
Philip Martell	....	musical director

Other crew
Nat Cohen	....	presenter

Production Companies

• Anglo-EMI
• Hammer Film Productions

Distributors

• Anglo-EMI Film Distributors (1972) (UK) (theatrical)
• International Coproductions (1974) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM-EMI (1972) (UK) (theatrical)
• EMI Distribution (1972) (UK) (theatrical)
• Box Office International Video (Australia) (video)

Also Known As:

"Dressed for Death" - USA (video title)
"Til Dawn Do Us Part" - USA (video title)

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

UK:X (cut) | Norway:16 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Earl's Court, London, England, UK

Company:

Anglo-EMI

Trivia:

First film of Paul Brooke.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Peter leads Brenda/'Wendy' into her room for the first time, a crew member is clearly visible, crouching down from the doorway.

Soundtrack:

Straight On Till Morning

British Classic

I hadn't seen this movie for decades because it hasn't been shown on terrestrial TV for years, but I decided to buy the Region 1 DVD release (there's no official Region 2 UK release as yet) and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Well it's difficult to dislike Rita Tushingham in any film, but it's directed in such a great style by the late/great Peter Collinson (director of The Italian Job (1969)fame), with a bleak beginning that could only be Britian of the 1960's/1970's and with a real snap shot of how things were in London back then.

This is a very different type of film from Hammer, when compared to their usual offerings and must have been truly shocking back then with it's level of cruelty, but it's a classic movie you simply have to own and the fact it's unavailable in the UK (the very place it was made & with an all British cast) is scandalous.