We are one of the few places left still accepting cheques. Dead of night hooks into our subconscious and doesnt let go. Dead of night, british horror anthology film, released in 1945, that is considered a classic of the genre. With four accomplished directors contributing, dead of night is a. It is a series of ghost stories leading up to a unique and unexpected twist ending, long before they came into vogue. Appreciating dead of night, the birth of the horror. Dead of night opens with architect walter craig played by mervyn johns being summoned to a country house on the pretense of acquiring work. 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. Dead of night haunts above and beyond its imitators. Dead of night stands out from british film of the 1940s, when few horror films were.
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. 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. The individual segments were directed by alberto cavalcanti, charles crichton, basil dearden and robert hamer.
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. No 15 best horror film of all time film the guardian. It stars mervyn johns, googie withers, sally ann howes and michael redgrave. But dead of night has a reputation and cult following that outpaces them all. Guests mervyn johns, michael redgrave, roland culver at an english estate recall nightmares. 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.
Us release and the story of an unbalanced ventriloquist michael redgrave who believes his amoral dummy is truly alive. The movie concludes when it turns out to be a dream that is about to come true. Audio commentary with film historian tim lucas documentary. 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. Ronald grant archive a compendium ealing horror, directed by four of the studios talents, remains influential in the genre, even if its more creepy. Each of the different stories was helmed by a different director, yet it blends together almost seamlessly. The son of british actor roy redgrave, michael redgrave attended clifton college and cambridge university. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or instore pickup. A professional by 1934, redgrave made his london debut in loves labours lost in 1936, and that same year appeared in his first film, hitchcocks the secret agent 1936. 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. If youve seen a horror movie in the last six decades, youve seen dead of night.
Dead of night michael redgrave wdummy rare photo ebay. Or chilling, as is the case with 1945s dead of night, a movie from plummy british film staple ealing studios. The writing, direction and cinematography does all of this. Film anthology dead of nights influence went far beyond what its. The featurette has a number of critics commenting but the star is matthew sweet who is always. Michael redgrave, mervyn johns, naunton wayne, basil radford, sally ann howes, charles crichton. At the end of this roundrobin, johns suddenly and without warning kills. Even better is the story by firsttime director hamer. Remembering dead of night featurette 75 mins restoration comparison stills gallery trailer. Dead of night is one of those movies that actually started a genre. Still the greatest multistory ghosthorror picture, this uncharacteristic ealing film expertly. Michael redgrave, mervyn johns, googie withers, roland culver, mary merrall, basil radford, naunton wayne. Sir michael scudamore redgrave cbe 20 march 1908 21 march 1985 was an english stage and film actor, director, manager, and author. Dead of night stands out from british films of the 1940s, when few horror films were being produced.
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. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing dead of night 1945 near you. Michael redgrave plays the troubled ventriloquist who begins to believe his. Dead of night is a 1945 british anthology horror film a gothic or horror. The climactic story of a ventriloquist michael redgrave and his sinister dummy stands out. Now this new dvd theres a bluray also gives us the best sounding soundtrack ever along with topnotch picture quality. Find movie and film cast and crew information for dead of night 1945 alberto cavalcanti, charles crichton, basil dearden, robert hamer on allmovie.
Night at the museum epic dvds 2006 dvd edition year. Dead of night british film 1945 britannica encyclopedia britannica. A dead scary horror movie that skimps on the blood but not the. Michael redgrave is superb as the ventriloquist in, by far, the films strongest episode. Find out where to watch, buy, and rent dead of night online on moviefone. Import from the netherlands with english soundtrack. Of the movie s five segments, arguably the most notable is the episode featuring a tormented ventriloquist.
Dead of night 1945 architect walter craig mervyn johns goes to pilgrims farm to see a potential client. Saw it years ago and have been looking for a copy of it ever since. Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at. But the whole story hinges on michael redgraves stunning performance as maxwell if. Dead of night is a 1945 british anthology horror film, made by ealing studios. Dead of night haunts above and beyond its imitators popmatters.
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. Dead of night, british horror anthology film, released in 1945, that is considered. Betty field uses a beautiful mask to attract kindhearted law student michael robert. 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. Michael redgraves unforgettable ventriloquist in dead of night. Dead of night is the best horror anthology film ever made. The film is most remembered for the concluding story, which features redgrave and concerns a ventriloquists malevolent dummy. Johns, googie withers, sally ann howes and michael redgrave. When he arrives at the house, he gets the feeling that he has been there before. Dead of night 1945 quite simply the most terrifying film ever made.
Dead of night is a 1945 ealing studios horror anthology film, starring mervyn johns, googie withers, sally ann howes, and michael redgrave. For years dead of night was only available in prints of varying visual quality but with an adequate soundtrack only. While teaching high school, redgrave became involved with amateur theatricals. The film is probably bestremembered for the ventriloquists dummy episode with redgrave. Sometimes called the portmanteau film, the subgenre has a long tradition beginning in germany with the. Tame to todays standards many of its short stories can be traced to horror plots today. 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. 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. However, most of these films fell short because the filmmakers failed to grasp. Directed by alberto cavalcanti, charles crichton, basil dearden. Of the movies five segments, arguably the most notable is the episode featuring. The merging of dreaming and reality is what becomes truly terrifying. Michael redgrave as maxwell frere in the ventriloquists dummy imdb.
With mervyn johns, michael redgrave, roland culver, mary merrall. 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. 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. Dead of night uk official special edition dvd 1945. Michael redgrave s unforgettable ventriloquist in dead of night.
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. Despite its success, dead of night was a deadend for ealing. 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 1945 stream and watch online moviefone. The images and stories will stay with you, just like any childhood fears do. Michael redgrave w his dummy dead of night vintage photo.
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