Dead of Night (1945)

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.

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") / (segment "Christmas Party")
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") (as Antony Baird)
Sally Ann Howes	...	Sally O'Hara (segment "Linking Story") / (segment "Christmas Party")
Robert Wyndham	...	Dr. Albury (segment "Linking Story")
Judy Kelly	...	Joyce Grainger (segment "Linking Story")
Miles Malleson	...	Hearse Driver (segment "Linking Story")
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, 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:

Horror

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English French

Release Date:

15 October 1945 (UK)

Also Known As:

Al morir la noche

Filming Locations:

Ealing Studios, Ealing, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ealing Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

US distributors thought that the original print of the film 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 linking story.

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Goofs

During the dummy sequence, when sitting and talking with Mr. Kee, the dummy's hand changes position from table to knee.

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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 episodes. When originally released in the USA, two of the episodes were removed to shorten the film to 77-minutes. Later reissues and television version reinstated the missing segments.

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Connections

Edited into Hackers (1995)

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Soundtracks

Passing By
(Vous qui Passez sans me Voir)
Music by Johnny Hess and Paul Misraki
French lyrics by Charles Trenet
English lyrics by Jack Lawrence

User Reviews

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!