Dead of Night (1945)

Directed by Alberto Cavalcanti [Other horror films: The Halfway House (1944), Dead of Night (1945)], Charles Crichton [Other horror films: N/A], Basil Dearden [Other horror films: N/A], & Robert Hamer [Other horror films: N/A]

While a classic of both British horror and anthology horror, I have to admit that Dead of Night has never been a film I think about too often. It’s a decent film, and possesses both a solid framing sequence and a few solid stories, but overall, I think the movie is just okay.

It’s not the first anthology horror, of course – even if you’re hesitant about counting Waxworks (which I could understand), there’s the 1919 German film Unheimliche Geschichten (or Eerie Tales). Like many anthology films, it’s uneven, much like Dead of Night tends to be, but there is plenty to appreciate about this one.

The framing sequence is pretty good, and even a bit more involved than many framing stories you’d later see in Amicus films (Tales from the Crypt, Torture Garden, The Vault of Horror). It’s a good framing sequence with a fun conclusion and decent ideas, which is definitely not something you see in every anthology (though I like the film overall more, compare the framing story of Screamtime to this one).

Of the five stories (‘The Hearse Driver’, ‘The Christmas Party’, ‘The Haunted Mirror’, ‘The Golfer’s Story’, and ‘The Ventriloquist’s Dummy’), I’d say only two are quite good, being ‘The Hearse Driver’ and ‘The Ventriloquist’s Dummy.’ ‘The Hearse Driver’ is really simple, but I enjoyed how it went, and it had a great Twilight Zone vibe to it. ‘The Ventriloquist’s Dummy’ is a longer story, but the ending to it, reminiscent of both Psycho and Pin, was quality.

And to be fair, ‘The Haunted Mirror’ isn’t shabby. It’s just that I wanted a bit more meat. I don’t know where the additional protein would have been derived from, but it was a solid story, and I just wanted a bit more. It’s also within reason to say ‘The Christmas Party’ is okay, though it’s somewhat derivative and more spooky than scary, and I feel like the story’s been done better.

‘The Golfer’s Story’ isn’t without potential, but as anyone who has seen the movie knows, it leans toward a more comic tone. There’s a ghost who can’t properly disappear, and he and the man he’s haunting have to try and make the best of the awkward situation, especially as the man is getting married, and doesn’t want to make sweet love to his new wife in front of a ghost. We’ve all been there, guys. For a comedy story, I guess it’s okay, but I didn’t care for it, as I’m not one who wants silly stories mixed up with his horror.

Somewhat amusingly, there’s no performances, save Michael Redgrave’s, that really stood out. Redgrave did great in ‘The Ventriloquist’s Dummy’, and it’s probably a big part as to why that story is one of the most memorable things of the film. Frederick Valk and Sally Ann Howes are decent, but when it comes to great performances, it’s really just Redgrave and maybe Miles “‘Just room for one inside, sir,’” Malleson.

Anthology horror films are hard to get right, because so often, there’s a story or two that just cut it. It’s the same with Dead of Night – the framing story is solid, and it does possess some good segments – but overall, Dead of Night is just okay. I thought it the first time I saw it, and I’ve thought it each time I’ve seen it since.

6/10