Rent Dead of Night (1945)

Spoilers follow ... - Dead of Night review by NP

Ealing films, the warm and cosy home of lovingly crafted British comedies, branched out into slightly more unnerving territory with this early anthology. At a country house, in an age where, following communal afternoon tea, the local doctor likes to offer round the cigarettes, Walter Craig (Mervyn Johns) turns up and recognises the ensemble (none of whom he has ever met) from his recurring dreams.

In this world, where everyone speaks in the clipped tones of racing horse commentators, (“I can’t leave. This is Mr Craig and I’m a character in his dream.” “Oh how do you do? Such fun, charades!”) the anecdotal stories everyone tells merely confirm Craig’s suspicions. He can see their future: he knows what is going to happen.

I cannot knock a 72 year old production for being dated, so I won’t. But it is. The extreme politeness and styles are often difficult to get past, even harder to take seriously. To begin with, such chills as there are are very tame and wholesome. The segment featuring the malevolent mirror is where things pick up, giving the impression ‘Dead of Night’ is unveiling its frights in a measured way. Until the following dreadful golfing farce sequence lets things down. “Totally incredible and decidedly improper,” to quote Mrs Foley (Mary Merrall).

If you can sit through that segment, the best and most widely remembered is saved till last. Maxwell Frere (Michael Redgrave) is a ventriloquist, performing and popular with packed audiences every night. So when it becomes apparent that the dummy Hugo appears to be the controlling element of the partnership, initially amusing music-hall scenes become genuinely tense. This is partly due to the writing, in which Hugo’s comedy jibes to his partner become increasingly spiteful, and Redgrave’s performance, in which the showbiz charade slips and he becomes edgy whilst still continuing with the act.

The Director for this final segment is Alberto Cavalcanti, who eschews the brightly lit jollity of the other stories and coaxes an intense performance from Redgrave. To say this finale is the best of the bunch is understating things. In its way, it is a masterpiece.

In case Walter Craig’s plight has been forgotten in all this, the twist ending gives the film’s climactic moments a nice sense of closure.

Brilliant Classic 1945 British Horror Portmanteau film, never tire of watching it - Dead of Night review by PV

This is superb. The whole thing. Great Mervyn Johns also in CAVACANTI'S Went the Day Well (from a Graham Greene short story). Charles Crichton went on to direct A FISH CALLED WANDA many decades later.

I love Portmanteau films, TORTURE GARDEN my favourite, but Hammer made loads (incl one which nicks the mirror story from here) and there are some in 1950s of more gentle stories by Somerset Maugham.

I liked all the stories and am not going to criticise a film nearly 80 years old of being sexist and not pc. The funny golfing story is perfectly placed before the horrific end story with the ventriloquist, Basil Radford scar is from the trenches in WWI. These days, woke metoo movies would think the equal and opposite of this just fine of course, and the gender hypocrisy is stark. I have no time for it.

The final story is superb and the shooting is great throughout, German expressionist shadows abound.

The ventriloquist section is the most famous, strongest track at the end - that bite always sends a shiver down the spine!

Interestingly, a ventriloquist famous in early 60s, DENNIS SPICER, had a puppet called Jimmy Green rather like this one, and had a trick at the end - he was on US Ed Sullivan show 5 times then Royal Variety Performance 2 weeks before his death ina car crack age 31. Available on Youtube and other platforms. Watch until the very end to see what I mean.

Really believable. Brilliant acting and writing. TEB Clarke was script doctor, it seems, added material - he is always a class act writer for Ealing.

Elizabeth Welch the mixed race singer died age 99 in 2003, forgotten now but in loads of films, must have influence Shirley Bassey. She was born in USA, moved to Paris then lived and died in London where she moved before WWII. Stormy Weather he signature tune. Lovely to see her here.

MAGIC a 1970s movie with Tony Hopkins very influenced by the classic last section here, with the ventriloquist doll.

5 stars all day long.