Or chilling, as is the case with 1945s dead of night, a movie from plummy british film staple ealing studios. The last, and most famous sequence, involves michael redgrave as a ventriloquist losing his grip on reality which was basically remade as magic with anthony hopkins many years later. The merging of dreaming and reality is what becomes truly terrifying. Although his surname appears as redgraves in the opening titles of kipps, the mistake was corrected and he is named correctly in the cast list at the end of the film. Dead of night opens with architect walter craig played by mervyn johns being summoned to a country house on the pretense of acquiring work. Released 1945, dead of night stars mervyn johns, michael redgrave, roland culver, mary merrall the movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 44 min, and received a score of out of 100 on metacritic. Despite its success, dead of night was a deadend for ealing. Dead of night 1945 architect walter craig mervyn johns goes to pilgrims farm to see a potential client. Johns, googie withers, sally ann howes and michael redgrave. Michael redgrave, in full sir michael scudamore redgrave, born march 20, 1908, bristol, gloucestershire, englanddied march 21, 1985, denham, buckinghamshire, premier british stage and film actor, noted for his intellectual performances following a short tenure as a schoolmaster, redgrave began his stage career in 1934 with the liverpool playhouse.
Ealing studios dead of night 1945 is one of just a handful of true horror films of. Betty field uses a beautiful mask to attract kindhearted law student michael robert. Dead of night is a 1945 film about an architect who senses impending doom as his halfremembered recurring dream turns into reality, and the guests at the country house encourage him to stay as they take turns telling supernatural tales. Directed by alberto cavalcanti, charles crichton, basil dearden. Audio commentary with film historian tim lucas documentary. Dead of night, british horror anthology film, released in 1945, that is considered a classic of the genre. Michael redgrave as maxwell frere in the ventriloquists dummy imdb. Dead of night is a 1945 ealing studios horror anthology film, starring mervyn johns, googie withers, sally ann howes, and michael redgrave. Dead of night stands out from british film of the 1940s, when few horror films were being produced in the country horror films had been banned from production in britain during the war, and it had an influence on subsequent british films in. In the framing story, a group of people meet in a country house and one man declares he has seen the meeting in a dream and that everyone was horribly murdered. Us release and the story of an unbalanced ventriloquist michael redgrave who believes his amoral dummy is truly alive.
No 15 best horror film of all time film the guardian. Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at. Dead of night haunts above and beyond its imitators popmatters. Dead of night uk official dvd 2014 we are based in south london near croydon and if preferred this item can be picked up by appointment. The writing, direction and cinematography does all of this. But the whole story hinges on michael redgraves stunning performance as maxwell if. Dead of night, british horror anthology film, released in 1945, that is considered. Dead of night 1945 stream and watch online moviefone. Dead of night is the best horror anthology film ever made. Starring mervyn johns, michael redgrave and googie withers, dead of night represented a departure for ealing from the classic comedy mode and is instead a spooky psychological thriller made up of five chilling ghost stories. Michael redgrave, mervyn johns, googie withers, roland culver, mary merrall, basil radford, naunton wayne. The climactic story of a ventriloquist michael redgrave and his sinister dummy stands out. Dead of night hooks into our subconscious and doesnt let go.
Import from the netherlands with english soundtrack. The images and stories will stay with you, just like any childhood fears do. The individual segments were directed by alberto cavalcanti, charles crichton, basil dearden and robert hamer. Each of the different stories was helmed by a different director, yet it blends together almost seamlessly. Ronald grant archive a compendium ealing horror, directed by four of the studios talents, remains influential in the genre, even if its more creepy. At the end of this roundrobin, johns suddenly and without warning kills. Dead of night michael redgrave wdummy rare photo ebay.
Tame to todays standards many of its short stories can be traced to horror plots today. Saw it years ago and have been looking for a copy of it ever since. With four accomplished directors contributing, dead of night is a. Appreciating dead of night, the birth of the horror.
Michael redgrave, mervyn johns, naunton wayne, basil radford, sally ann howes, charles crichton. Dead of night british film 1945 britannica encyclopedia britannica. But dead of night has a reputation and cult following that outpaces them all. Michael redgrave w his dummy dead of night vintage photo. It is a series of ghost stories leading up to a unique and unexpected twist ending, long before they came into vogue. Dead of night stands out from british film of the 1940s, when few horror films were. We are one of the few places left still accepting cheques. Basil dearden directs this opening bit, as architect craig mervyn johns, greeted by foley roland culver meets mary merrall, googie withers, frederick valk, antony baird and sally ann howes, mystery already, in the ealing studios lighthorror anthology dead of. Dead of night 1945 quite simply the most terrifying film ever made. Dead of night is a 1945 british anthology horror film, made by ealing studios. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or instore pickup. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing dead of night 1945 near you. Dead of night is a 1945 british anthology horror film a gothic or horror. Michael redgrave s unforgettable ventriloquist in dead of night.
Sir michael scudamore redgrave cbe 20 march 1908 21 march 1985 was an english stage and film actor, director, manager, and author. For years dead of night was only available in prints of varying visual quality but with an adequate soundtrack only. Film anthology dead of nights influence went far beyond what its. Now this new dvd theres a bluray also gives us the best sounding soundtrack ever along with topnotch picture quality.
He had not yet finished work for anthony asquith on the way to the stars 1945 when he was approached by ealing to appear in dead of night. Of the movies five segments, arguably the most notable is the episode featuring. Michael redgrave is superb as the ventriloquist in, by far, the films strongest episode. Dead of night is as good as it gets, the framing story itself is a comment of how we can return over and over again to a good movie. The featurette has a number of critics commenting but the star is matthew sweet who is always. Find movie and film cast and crew information for dead of night 1945 alberto cavalcanti, charles crichton, basil dearden, robert hamer on allmovie. Dead of night uk official special edition dvd 1945. This blu ray edition has a superb print, subtitles and an indepth appreciation of the film that makes it an essential purchase for fans of the supernatural. He received a nomination for the academy award for best actor for his performance in mourning becomes electra 1947, as well as two bafta award for best british actor nominations for his performances in the night my number came up 1955 and time without. Guests mervyn johns, michael redgrave, roland culver at an english estate recall nightmares. Dead of night stands out from british films of the 1940s, when few horror films were being produced.
The movie concludes when it turns out to be a dream that is about to come true. However, most of these films fell short because the filmmakers failed to grasp. It stars mervyn johns, googie withers, sally ann howes and michael redgrave. More interested in playing a schizophrenic than in the supernatural ramifications, redgrave mastered the art of throwing his voice with the coaching of peter brough, a popular ventriloquist on british radio. Find out where to watch, buy, and rent dead of night online on moviefone. Of the movie s five segments, arguably the most notable is the episode featuring a tormented ventriloquist.
When he arrives at the house, he gets the feeling that he has been there before. Remembering dead of night featurette 75 mins restoration comparison stills gallery trailer. Michael redgrave plays the troubled ventriloquist who begins to believe his. Night at the museum epic dvds 2006 dvd edition year. Michael redgraves unforgettable ventriloquist in dead of night. The film is probably bestremembered for the ventriloquists dummy episode with redgrave. Michael redgraves performance as the ventriloquist is probably the best he ever gave on screen, even better than that in the other two fine films he made, the importance of being ernest and lady on a train, both classics.
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