Night Must Fall

"Night Must Fall," which was originally a play by Emlyn Williams, contains three fantastic roles for actors, and as a film, it has been beautifully cast, directed (by Richard Thorpe), and photographed. Set in an English cottage in a village that borders a forest, Rosalind Russell lives with her horrid, verbally abusive aunt. Along comes Danny, basically brought into the household to be spoken to about a promised marriage to one of the maids in the house. Danny is a sexual opportunist, a murderer, and a psychopath who can hone in on what each person he meets needs and wants. He soon becomes charmingly indispensable to the aunt. The Russell character senses his black soul but is attracted to him nonetheless, and he knows it. What transpires is an intriguing mystery and psychological drama.

Robert Montgomery was a wonderful actor, adept at many kinds of roles but most often cast in the light comedies so often made in the '30s. Here he is fantastic - a charming, frightening liar with a huge ego who thinks his crafty mind will win in the end. Russell gives a beautiful, underplayed performance as an unhappy young woman, dating a man she's not sure she loves, attracted to this stranger and to the possibility of something interesting happening to her. Dame May Witty is great as an abrasive shrew.

This is one of those gems - and doesn't Hollywood know it, they've remade it enough - but it's a real tour de force for the right actors. A winner.

This is one of those films that gets lost in the shuffle when it comes to scary thriller films. It needs a re-look by everyone.

I'll say right off that I'm a huge Rosalind Russell fan but she was sorta bland in this one. She's a lot better in her screwball comedies. She has a co-headliner in this and he should be cause...he's the star.

Robert Montgomery is just super creepy in this. He plays the perfect sociopath in this fine little thriller. You wouldn't think with him in this it would come off as eery and scary as it does but he plays the villain so well it was a pleasure to watch. What makes him so good is that during the film you know he's bad but he doesn't come off that way. It's in a sorta roundabout way with sly inferences here and there. Wait until the end though. Evil finally rears its ugly head.

This film is well worth a look in horror/thriller circles. I think it gets overlooked because of its age. Even for 1937 though, it's damn effective if your gonna watch this on a cold/dark Saturday night. Give it a try and be amazed on how well it works.

Other commentators have complained about the "talkiness" of this thriller, and it can't be denied that much of the movie's almost-two-hour running time is squandered in the Welsh equivalent of blarney. (Thank original author Emlyn Williams, and remember this was originally a stage play -- in fact, I've seen it on stage, where it may work even better, with its more obvious and mannered mechanisms). You won't find a cast this good at a Wednesday matinee, however. Roz Russell, in plain-Jane getups, plays a definite third wheel to Robert Montgomery's charming psycho and Dame May Whitty's steely but dependent old battleaxe. Whitty walks away with the movie even though wheelchair-bound; she's amusingly annoying and in almost every scene, but at the end, when panic strikes her and she skitters off into hysteria, she shows what a great old trouper she was -- almost the British version of Marie Dressler. If you aren't totally spoiled by the whiplash pacing of today's movies, Night Must Fall still packs a special thrill for lovers of literate, well-acted melodrama. Just be a wee bit patient.

Somewhat forgotten, uniquely entertaining "thriller" about the happenings of an old English cottage when news of a missing then discovered murdered woman surrounds household. Rosialnd Russell, looking very prim and proper(and Oh! so young!), gives a good performance as a bullied niece with loads of imagination, a repressed sexual bent, and some genuine ambivalent feelings toward life, death, and the whole notion of what is exciting and what is dull. She takes orders from the wonderful Dame May Witty giving a grand performance as an imperious woman in a wheelchair trying to clutch on to anything in her life that will still give it meaning. Her household is visited upon by a young man that has been seeing one of the servant girls - Robert Montgomery - and he manages through his "charm" to worm his way into her home. We know at the very beginning that his intentions are not noble as we see him talk about Witty's wealth and spy on her as she locks away her valuables. Witty adopts Montgomery, now working in her home, as a kind soul full of funny anecdotes and good will. Russell knows differently but either is unwilling to accept what kind of person Montgomery is or is excited by that very same kind of person he may be. The murder looms the entire time in the background. Richard Thorpe does one heck of a good job infusing this film with taut tension and gentle humour. His use of setting and cinematography in particular show great craftsmanship. He is also blessed with three strong performing leads. Witty is an absolute treasure. Russell is very good, and Montgomery gives what might be his best performance. His light Cockney-like accent is believable, and although I found his character despicable from the very beginning - that credit for making what many perceived as a charming local initially affable and then later very detestable is a credit to Montgomery's acting craft. He plays a psychopath very well indeed. Night Must Fall will not dazzle you with action sequences, nor will you even see any actual violence. The film is very talky, but wonderfully so and relies almost entirely on the dialog and the believability of the acting. Movies like this sure aren't made any more. They just involve way too much thinking.

I had never heard of this movie. I watched it the other night on Turner Movie Classics.

Robert Montgomery is amazing in this role. His subtle English accent reminded me of Paul McCartney. He is totally immersed in this role.

Rosalind Russell is not that impressive until about the middle of the movie.

Her unwilling attraction to Babyface finally makes sense.

The other great performance was by Dame May Witty. She fell hook, line, and sinker for Babyface.

Had Babyface not been so self-destructive and amoral probably Mrs. Bramson would have left him her entire estate.

I strongly recommend this movie. It is beautifully filmed, directed, and acted. It is one of those movies made in the 30s that is surprisingly better than many of today's movies, and much more intrinsic in its twists and turns. All of the characters are defined and varied.

This could give Hitchcock a run for his money.