Dead of Night (1945)

Architect Walter Craig (Mervyn Johns) 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.

Directors:

Alberto Cavalcanti (as Cavalcanti), Charles Crichton

Writers:

John Baines (screenplay), Angus MacPhail (screenplay) (as Angus Macphail)

Stars:

Mervyn Johns, Michael Redgrave, Roland Culver

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mervyn Johns	...	Walter Craig (segment "Linking Story")
Roland Culver	...	Eliot Foley (segment "Linking Story")
Mary Merrall	...	Mrs. Foley (segment "Linking Story")
Googie Withers	...	Joan Cortland (segment "Linking Story") / (segment "The Haunted Mirror")
Frederick Valk	...	Dr. Van Straaten (segment "Linking Story") / (segment "The Ventriloquist's Dummy")
Anthony Baird	...	Hugh Grainger (segment "Linking Story") / (segment "The Hearse Driver") (as Antony Baird)
Sally Ann Howes	...	Sally O'Hara (segment "Linking Story") / (segment "Christmas Party")
Robert Wyndham	...	Dr. Albury (segment "The Hearse Driver")
Judy Kelly	...	Joyce Grainger (segment "Linking Story") / (segment "The Hearse Driver")
Miles Malleson	...	Hearse Driver (segment "The Hearse Driver")
Michael Allan	...	Jimmy Watson (segment "Christmas Story")
Barbara Leake	...	Mrs. O'Hara (segment "Linking Story")
Ralph Michael	...	Peter Cortland (segment "The Haunted Mirror")
Esme Percy	...	Antique Dealer (segment "The Haunted Mirror") (as Esmé Percy)
Basil Radford	...	George Parratt (segment "Golfing Story")

Storyline

Architect Walter Craig (Mervyn Johns), seeking the possibility of some work at a country farmhouse, soon finds himself once again stuck in his recurring nightmare. Dreading the end of the dream that he knows is coming, he must first listen to all the assembled guests' own bizarre tales.

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Plot Keywords:

dream | architect | psychiatrist | premonition | mirror | 

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Taglines:

Even GREATER than "Seventh Veil"

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Genres:

Drama | Horror

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

U.S. distributors thought that the original print of the movie was too long. Therefore, the golfing tale and the Christmas ghost tale were cut. This confused American audiences who could not understand what Michael Allen, from the Christmas ghost tale, was doing in the nightmare montage at the end.

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Goofs

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.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Eliot Foley: Ah! Walter Craig?
Walter Craig: How do you do? You're Eliot Foley.
Eliot Foley: That's right. So glad you were able to come, let's have your bag.
[takes Craig's bag]
Eliot Foley: We'll put the car away afterwards. You know it struck me after I'd telephoned you, rather a cheek on my part asking a busy architect like yourself to come down and spend the weekend with a set of complete strangers.
Walter Craig: Not a bit.
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...
[...]

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Alternate Versions

The UK release is 105 minutes long and features five stories (The Hearse Driver, The Christmas Party, The Haunted Mirror, The Golfing Story, and The Ventriloquist's Dummy). When originally released in the USA, two of the stories (The Christmas Party and The Golfing Story), were removed to shorten the film to 77-minutes. Later reissues and television version reinstated the missing segments.

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Connections

Referenced in EastEnders: Episode dated 14 March 2000 (2000)

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Soundtracks

Dawn of Freedom
(uncredited)
Music by Adolf Lotter

User Reviews

Clever imaginative classic horror

"They just don't make them like they used to", is one of those clichéd sayings spouted by older folk and ignorantly dismissed by the young. However, "Dead of Night" is a shining example of where these words may be applied without fear of being misplaced.

From my youth, I remember several episodic horror films, made up from short stories and cleverly linked together but this was by far the best. Although I can't remember the age at which I first saw it I can definitely remember being really quite terrified at times. There's no grotesque blood spilling, or horrific undead monsters, CGI special effects or anything that todays horror filmmakers seem to have on their "must include" list. In fact, it's the charm of the film that gives the horror aspect such a contrast to work against.

Think of it as the spookiest episodes of The Twilight Zone merged into one terrific movie and you won't be far off.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English French

Release Date:

15 February 1946 (Finland)

Also Known As:

Al morir la noche

Filming Locations:

Ealing Studios, Ealing, London, England, UK

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,919

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ealing Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1