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.

---

Plot Keywords:

dream | architect | psychiatrist | premonition | mirror | 

---

Taglines:

Even GREATER than "Seventh Veil"

---

Genres:

Horror

---

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

Googie Withers, when interviewed on an Australian TV midday show in the 1980s, revealed that only one take was possible in the mirror smashing scene as Ealing Studios' budget didn't extend to more than one mirror. So she gave it her best shot.

---

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.

---

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...
[...]

---

Connections

Referenced in The 100 Greatest Scary Moments (2003)

---

Soundtracks

Light of Foot
(uncredited)
Music by Carl Latann

User Reviews

Classic horror movie

Scary British horror film with a bunch of people in a beautiful British country house sitting around and telling horror stories.

A man in a hospital has a horrific vision that later saves him; a young girl has a ghostly experience at a Christmas party; there's a haunted mirror sequence; a purportedly humorous ghost story involving two golfers and a downright terrifying sequence. This has Michael Redgrave playing a ventriloquist whose dummy seems to have a life of its own. The dummy is terrifying and Redgrave is superb--he actually became a ventriloquist for the role! It all has a framing story which ends with a somewhat predictable ending. However, back in 1945, this ending was probably brand new and must have jolted audiences.

I caught this on TV back in the 1970s. It was on LATE at night (about 1 am) and I was only 13 but I stayed up to watch it. I was fine with it until the Redgrave sequence and the one following it--those two scared me silly and I couldn't get to sleep--Hugo's face kept appearing in front of me! Seeing it now, all these years later, it STILL works on me. The stories have all been redone as episodes of "Twilight Zone" or "Alfred Hitchcock Presents"...but none have matched this movie. It's well-acted and has multiple directors doing separate sequences. There's next to no violence and no sudden shocks--it scares you but it sort of creeps up on you. A perfect example of subtle horror. The only misstep this makes is the stupid golfer story--it's not funny and pretty dumb--but this is a small complaint. A true horror classic.

The DVD print is in pretty poor condition. The picture is clear but somewhat faded and the audio drops in and out (music especially). Still it is watchable and that's what counts. A 10 all the way.