An early entry in the horror anthology sub-genre, Dead of Night is an important and highly influential offering from Ealing Studios, one that has provided inspiration for numerous later scary movies, including the popular Amicus portmanteau films of the '60s and '70s.
But as noteworthy as it undoubtedly is, Dead of Night is also somewhat over-rated, the film suffering from that frequent horror anthology handicap, the comic relief story, and just a little too much of the wraparound tale, which begins as architect Walter Craig (Mervyn Johns) arrives at the country home of Eliot Foley (Roland Culver) and his wife (Mary Merrall), having been invited to stay the weekend.
As Walter is introduced to the other guests in the house, he experiences a sense of déjà vu, recognising the names and faces from a recurring nightmare, which he proceeds to divulge. This, in turn, leads to each person recounting their own experience of the supernatural.
Tale number one, The Hearse Driver, is short but sweet, telling of how race car driver Hugh Grainger, injured in a crash, is saved from certain death by a haunting vision of a creepy hearse driver. The shock ending is memorable enough that one can easily forgive the unconvincing miniature model effect.
Story two is traditional ghost story Christmas Party, with Sally O'Hara (Sally Ann Howes) befriending a small boy, unaware that he is in fact the spirit of a murdered child. The twist in the tale is not at all surprising, a disappointment considering the wonderfully melancholy atmosphere that had been so carefully established.
The third tale to be recounted, The Haunted Mirror, is one of the best, and sees Peter Cortland (Ralph Michael) slowly becoming possessed by the spirit of a murderer after his wife (Googie Withers) buys him a haunted mirror. Extremely creepy and well played by Michael and Withers, this one would provide the inspiration for a chapter in the excellent From Beyond The Grave (1974).
Golfing Story stars Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne as sporting and love rivals George and Larry, who play a round of golf to decide who shall win the hand of the woman they both adore. Loser Larry kills himself and winds up haunting George, who had cheated during the game. Played for laughs, this one is out of place and could have been left on the cutting room floor (the shorter American version of the film did just that, along with Christmas Party).
The last segment is about a ventriloquist (Michael Redgrave) who believes that his doll is alive. If that sounds familiar, it's could be because the same idea was used for the Anthony Hopkins film Magic (1978). Like Magic, this one is supremely creepy—there's something that is inherently unsettling about a ventriloquist doll, and this one wastes no opportunity to freak out the viewer.
With its five tales told, Dead of Night wraps things up by revealing that everything we have seen thus far has been part of Walter Craig's recurring dream. The architect wakes up and receives a phone call: it's Eliot Foley inviting him to stay for the weekend. The cyclical dream ending might seem trite these days, but was probably considered rather clever back in 1945.
With more killer than filler, the film is still a neat package of spooky stories, one that will no doubt please most fans of the multi-story format. If anything, it's worth seeing just to see quite how many of the characters light up a cigarette during the entire film: it's almost like smoking was mandatory in the '40s.
But as noteworthy as it undoubtedly is, Dead of Night is also somewhat over-rated, the film suffering from that frequent horror anthology handicap, the comic relief story, and just a little too much of the wraparound tale, which begins as architect Walter Craig (Mervyn Johns) arrives at the country home of Eliot Foley (Roland Culver) and his wife (Mary Merrall), having been invited to stay the weekend.
As Walter is introduced to the other guests in the house, he experiences a sense of déjà vu, recognising the names and faces from a recurring nightmare, which he proceeds to divulge. This, in turn, leads to each person recounting their own experience of the supernatural.
Tale number one, The Hearse Driver, is short but sweet, telling of how race car driver Hugh Grainger, injured in a crash, is saved from certain death by a haunting vision of a creepy hearse driver. The shock ending is memorable enough that one can easily forgive the unconvincing miniature model effect.
Story two is traditional ghost story Christmas Party, with Sally O'Hara (Sally Ann Howes) befriending a small boy, unaware that he is in fact the spirit of a murdered child. The twist in the tale is not at all surprising, a disappointment considering the wonderfully melancholy atmosphere that had been so carefully established.
The third tale to be recounted, The Haunted Mirror, is one of the best, and sees Peter Cortland (Ralph Michael) slowly becoming possessed by the spirit of a murderer after his wife (Googie Withers) buys him a haunted mirror. Extremely creepy and well played by Michael and Withers, this one would provide the inspiration for a chapter in the excellent From Beyond The Grave (1974).
Golfing Story stars Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne as sporting and love rivals George and Larry, who play a round of golf to decide who shall win the hand of the woman they both adore. Loser Larry kills himself and winds up haunting George, who had cheated during the game. Played for laughs, this one is out of place and could have been left on the cutting room floor (the shorter American version of the film did just that, along with Christmas Party).
The last segment is about a ventriloquist (Michael Redgrave) who believes that his doll is alive. If that sounds familiar, it's could be because the same idea was used for the Anthony Hopkins film Magic (1978). Like Magic, this one is supremely creepy—there's something that is inherently unsettling about a ventriloquist doll, and this one wastes no opportunity to freak out the viewer.
With its five tales told, Dead of Night wraps things up by revealing that everything we have seen thus far has been part of Walter Craig's recurring dream. The architect wakes up and receives a phone call: it's Eliot Foley inviting him to stay for the weekend. The cyclical dream ending might seem trite these days, but was probably considered rather clever back in 1945.
With more killer than filler, the film is still a neat package of spooky stories, one that will no doubt please most fans of the multi-story format. If anything, it's worth seeing just to see quite how many of the characters light up a cigarette during the entire film: it's almost like smoking was mandatory in the '40s.