La doppia vita di Dan Craig

A critical failure at the time of its release and considered something of a let-down for its director and star, (it was certainly an odd choice of material), this 1964 film version of Emlyn Williams' play, (it was written in 1935 and filmed two years later with Robert Montgomery), is nowhere near as bad as people say. It's the one about the young psychopath, (a terrific Albert Finney), who worms his way into the affections of elderly invalid Mona Washbourne, (superb), and her initially stand-offish daughter, (an excellent Susan Hampshire). The problem is that in attempting to get to the psychological heart of the piece director Karl Reisz drains it of all suspense and Clive Exton's screenplay, (I haven't seen or read the original play), is a bit on the dull side. But neither is it a disaster and I have never understood why it disappeared so soon after its initial appearance.

You can tell that Danny (Albery Finney) ain't quite right by the erratic way he rides his scooter. And the fact that we see him chopping up and disposing of a body in the opening scene.

Having charmed his way into the knickers of maid Dora Parkoe (Sheila Hancock), knocking her up, Danny worms his way into the household of Dora's employer, elderly Mrs. Bramson (Mona Washbourne). At first, the old lady's daughter Olivia (Susan Hampshire) dislikes Danny, but the young man's rizz eventually wins her over. But what does Danny keep in the hat box in his room?

Predating real-life serial killer Ted Bundy's activities by a decade, Night Must Fall is a fascinating study of a psychopath who, on the surface, is a charismatic individual, but who is, in reality, a deeply disturbed whack job. While Danny works his magic on Mrs. Bramsom and Olivia, the police are dragging the nearby lake for a missing woman, eventually finding her body, minus the head. And although we never see the missing noggin, it's made pretty obvious where it is (with scenes reminiscent of the infamous box incident recounted by Jeffery Dahmer's father).

Despite adopting a rather annoying 'boyo' Welsh accent for the role, Finney is excellent as the manipulative psychopath, lending his character a much-needed sense of realness (as one might expect from an actor who found fame in the kitchen-sink drama genre). We get glimpses into Danny's past, giving us an insight into what has made him so flaky, both his mother and father dying when he was very young; this also goes some way to explaining the rather perverse mother/son relationship he develops with Mrs. Bransom, which leads to the film's shocking climax.

Well acted, grim, and surprisingly brutal at times, Night Must Fall is a compelling study of a dangerous individual, and, although I didn't quite buy into the ending, in which Danny realises that the game is up and is reduced to a gibbering wreck, I still recommend the film to fans of gritty psycho-thrillers.

I've heard about this British gem, and I was stoked to see that it was on TCM (UK) the other night. Albert Finney is superb as Danny, well the entire cast is very strong. I'd heard about it from the Freddie Francis link (he was Director of Photography)and I wasn't disappointed, it just has his unique stamp all over it.

For most of the film, the audience is waiting for something to happen as the tension is kept to a maximum throughout the film. The final payoff is superb and shows just why Finney is one of Britains best actors. I thought it was a lot like that other British twisted family oddity 'Girly' (US title) but with fewer sexual undertones.

It's a shame Night Must Fall isn't more well known as it's a true gem of 60's British cinema.

To each his own taste, but I have to disagree with the other review of this movie. I love Albert Finney's performance as a psychopath who has the gift of perceiving the innermost needs of those he meets and then molding his own personality to take advantage of those needs. (I don't know anyone from Wales, nor do I know what a stereotypical "mad Welshman" is.) He and Mona Washbourne play off each other superbly. I do agree with the other review's assessment of the cinematography, and especially love the lighting. To see Finney in TOM JONES (previous) or TWO FOR THE ROAD (following), although he is young, his face does have character and expression lines - he is human. The lighting in this movie smooths his face to make it seem devoid of affect; you feel that his reactions to the people and the world around him spring not from human emotion but from insanity. If you're an Albert Finney fan I definitely recommend viewing this movie and making your own judgment.

I loved this film, but it's not for everybody. There are many experimental aspects (music, camera angles, the performances) that reflect the time period in which it was filmed. Think Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe, Dr. Strangelove, Psycho, etc, and you'll be more prepared. It came the year after Tom Jones and was co-produced by Finney, and as a result, was not the kind of film Finney fans were expecting. I suspect that is why the film is not more well known.

A couple of IMDb viewers were rather harsh concerning Finney's performance, but I have to disagree. I was completely mesmerized and I highly recommend it.

Probably not a good movie to watch on a dark stormy night by yourself. At the same time, don't expect a typical horror film--I was thrown off by the very beginning and halfway through, I was questioning what I had seen--I think this was deliberate, and has a lot to do with Danny's character. I think this is a cautionary tale more than anything else. You'll understand what I mean if you've seen it.