Das schweigende Dunkel

Silent Dust is a top British film, directed by Lance Comfort, starring Stephen Murray, Nigel Patrick, Sally Gray, Derek Farr, and Beatrice Campbell.

Murray plays a blind man, Robert Rawley, preparing to honor his dead soldier son Simon with a memorial which is to be unveiled soon. He receives a visit from Lord Clendon (Seymour Hicks) who suggests the memorial honors all the soldiers lost in the area. Rawley won't hear of it.

Because of his devotion to his son, his daughter-in-law Angela (Sally Gray) is nervous about telling him of her recent marriage to Maxwell (Derek Farr).

However, Simon (Nigel Patrick) is not dead, but a deserter who has become a con man and a murderer. He shows up at the house (a fabulous home) and blackmails Angela for money, spinning a tale of his miserable life since leaving the service. Flashbacks over his narration tell a different story. His stepmother sees him as well; she and Angela decide Rawley must not know.

But Rawley knows something isn't right in the house - Angela's gasp didn't sound like she twisted her ankle; he doesn't understand the whistling (Angela's signal that the coast is clear); someone drank and moved a liquor bottle. He quietly puts two and two together.

Excellent film with a strong performance by Patrick, who was about 10-15 years too old for the role. In reality he was the same age as Rawley, whose hair was whitened.

A note about the flashback nightclub scene. The singer, Maria Var, had a freak soprano voice along the lines of Yma Sumac, a triple coloratura. She appeared in only one other film, and I could not learn anything about her. The woman had high notes only a dog could hear.

Some trivia: A few years later, Nigel Patrick married Beatrice Campbell, who played his stepmother.

When the picture begins, a blind rich guy has been dedicating himself and his fortune to building a new cricket stadium in memory of his son, Simon, who was killed during WWII. However, there's a bit of a problem with this. Unbeknownst to the old guy, the son is very much alive and he shows up to beg for some money from his 'widow' just before the stadium is dedicated. Where was he and why was he gone? It turns out Simon was a cowardly deserter who ran away to save his butt. And, through the course of the film, it becomes apparent he's a career criminal and sociopath! He's also there to shake down his poor wife now that she has remarried! And this is all learned rather early in the film. So what is next?

Nigel Patrick is exceptional in this film as Simon. Slimy, nasty and 100% unrepentant! And, in the process he makes everyone watching the film hate him thoroughly! Stephen Murray is also excellent as Simon's father...particularly when he realizes what's afoot and confronts his wayward son. All in all, this is one terrific film and I am glad I saw it. Quite the thriller and quite the finale!!

It was the curious title "Silent Dust" that drew me to this interesting story. Here is a film that draws on all the characteristics of well made Noir. Talented Director of Photography Wilkie Cooper has certainly worked very hard to give this film a great deal of visual vitality. This versatile D.O.P. certainly has an impressive list of titles to his credit, ranging from high Drama, Comedy, and Fantasy with such gems as: "I See A Dark Stranger" '46, "Stage Fright" '50 "Pickwick Papers" and a string of acclaimed Harryhausen classics that followed one after another...."7th Voyage of Sinbad", "Mysterious Island" "Jason and the Argonauts" the list goes on....Here, he is working with Cameraman Robert Day, who would later go on to Direct 'The Green Man' and 'Tarzan the Magnificent' (also penning the Screenplay) To help enhance their already strong creative moods, they have the talents of celebrated Art Director C.P. Norman known for: 'This Happy Breed', Night and the City, and 'Titfield Thunderbolt'. Little wonder then, with Director Lance Comfort (Hatter's Castle '42) they were able to reel in such an impressive looking drama.

The Cast also impresses, beginning with beautiful Sally Gray who initially trained as a dancer with Fred Astaire. After suffering a nervous breakdown in 1941 and being off-screen for a long five years, she graduated nicely into dramatic roles. Sally resisted invitations by Hollywood and retired following marriage, 'Silent Dust' unfortunately is one of her last performances. She shines in the role of the Daughter-in-Law to blind man Stephen Murray --who brilliantly plays his part-- The Wife, played by Irish beauty Beatrice Campbell tends to be a little stilted in her delivery, the director perhaps needed to work harder here. Sadly Beatrice's career was cut short with her death at 56. The Son, who hides many dark secrets, is performed with nasty skill by Nigel Patrick. Writers Michael and Ronald Pertwee have fleshed out interesting characters for this compelling story based on their play 'The Paragon'. A near-perfect descriptive Music score by classic French composer George Auric (Moulin Rouge '52) adds the final tonal touches to this intriguing tale.

This title remains well worth catching or buying on DVD - especially the newly released Netwerk vers - while not remastered it features well transferred, clear images and sound. If you were as unfortunate as I, you may have first caught this on Gem Digital TV in Australia. This channel has much to learn about presenting classic films, their annoyingly large 'Lolly Pink' graphics appear before and after each add break, often cutting off essential image and lines of dialog ~ please, let's see a little more respect shown for your viewers and the movies. Tone down the colour and size of your overdone logos! (Seven two, get my vote and more of my viewing for this very reason) K. Roche.

Blind, wealthy Stephen Murray (Robert Rawley) is disciplined and very matter-of-fact. He is wealthy and is the head figure of a country estate. He is organizing a memorial to his son (who was shot dead during WW2) to be unveiled when he is visited by Seymour Hicks (Lord Clandon). Hicks plays a far more sympathetic character and asks Murray to dedicate the memorial to all of the 50 or so villagers who never came back from the war, not just to his son. Murray refuses. At this point, we don't like Murray. One night, Nigel Patrick (Simon Rawley) shows up. Yep - he's the son.....and he's not been killed. He has quietly sneaked back to ask for money to make his escape as an army deserter. He hides in the house and the cast gradually become aware of his presence until he has a confrontation with his dad at the end, for which there can only be one outcome.

Stephen Murray and Nigel Patrick are the standout characters in the film. They are unpleasant people who I find quite likable, and this is due to the way that they deliver their dialogue. Blind Stephen Murray becomes more sympathetic as the film progresses as he stumbles across various anomalies in the household that he runs. Nigel Patrick is great as a lying 'spiv' - his recounting of his life story when he was supposedly on the run is very effectively told against a flashback of what actually happened - a great contrast.

I wasn't sure where the film was going for the first quarter of an hour or so, and was dreading that I had purchased a British comedy because of the comedy music used to accompany Seymour Hicks on his bicycle. Thankfully not. Things pick up with the arrival of Nigel Patrick and its a joy to watch from then on. I do wonder why they pick women that look the same - schoolboy error in the casting department - Sally Carr (Angela) and Beatrice Campbell (Joan) are thoroughly interchangeable. The best female role goes to the housekeeper Yvonne Owen (Nellie).

Overall, some great scenes, some good dialogue and a film worth seeing again.

"Silent Dust" is another brilliant noir directed by Lance Comfort about a soldier who died in WWII but comes back secretly in the family's manor house because in fact he was a deserter, Patrick Nigel is great as always playing that soldier. My favorite character is the blind father, all the scenes with him and Nigel are full of suspense and tension and enlightened with impressively sharp expressionist photography. And gripping musiac score by George Auric. I just can't wait to see another Lance Comfort, "Temptation Harbor" with the beautiful Simone Simon and Robert Newton for example?