Things Happen at Night

Strange noises and events start happening at the Prescott family mansion. Household objects are being moved out of place. Mrs. Prescott (Olga Lindo) and the servants are beside themselves, while Mr. Prescott (Alfred Drayton) takes a more skeptical view, even when plagued by hot coals crashing through windows!

The Prescott's are soon visited by a "psychical investigator", who believes that a poltergeist is at work.

The real fun begins when some dinner guests arrive. In addition to the usual shenanigans, the Prescott's daughter exhibits abnormal behavior. Is a possession afoot?

THINGS HAPPEN AT NIGHT is a rather humorous British ghost story. It -somewhat- foreshadows more serious future horror films in the same vein. It's also a lot of fun to watch!

Highly recommended for lovers of old British comedies and lighthearted tales of the supernatural...

Much better than I anticipated - this one is rather cute. Living in a house that's haunted and the ghost possesses the young girl's mind. All she has to do is to think about him and he does things to haunt the girl's family.

This one is very British, a haunted house and a possessed girl, so you will already know or have a general idea of the type of humor you will see in this film. I love the British humor and comedy horror film so this movie is right up my alleyway.

Don't expect this to be perfect - it's simply a B film done all in fun and it is a fun watch if you enjoy British humor and comedy horror films.

Just one question: Why did they add this film to the Dark Crimes 50-Films Pack? LOL I'm glad to have it but it really does not belong in this pack.

8/10

My father hated "English" films. This may have been what he was talking about. Starting with a silly premise, having a bunch of hangdog British comedians react to it, over, and over, and over, and you have this dullard. The plot involves a house that is being haunted by a poltergeist. Chunks of hot coal burn holes in things, pots smash to the ground, things tip over or move, the usual. Enter an insurance agent and an expert on paranormal events. Sound like fun? Unfortunately, it's neither exciting or funny; it just becomes endless. The conclusion is grossly unsatisfying and the reason the poltergeist is in the house is never dealt with. The master of the house a silly, ineffectual man. The daughter, who becomes possessed, is equally dull. The wife is beside herself. Don't bother with this one.

A low key comedy about an impish poltergeist who has invaded the large home of Wilfrid and Hilda Prescott. The imp plays harmless tricks but one of them damages a bear skin rug for which Prescott makes an insurance claim. The always watchable Gordon Harker plays the insurance investigator looking into the merits of the claim. Also on hand is a potential business partner, Vincent Ebury, a paranormal researcher, the two Prescott daughters and the fiancé (and Ebury's son) of the elder daughter. Some of the funniest scenes are those in which the cook and butler appear. Things go bump all through the night and while all this is mildly amusing, it doesn't add up to a really funny or memorable movie. I'm a Harker fan but this isn't one of his better movies. Still, I'm glad I saw it.

Wilfred Prescott (Alfred Drayton) and his wife Joyce (Beatrice Campbell) find that their large country estate house is haunted. Pictures are found turned to the wall, a bearskin rug catches fire, and a window is broken. What's worse, their daughter, Audrey (Gwyneth Vaughan) seems possessed sometimes by this female spirit.

With the help of friend Vincent Ebury (Robertson Hare), insurance investigator Joe Harris (Gordon Harker), and self styled ghost buster Spenser (Garry Marsh), Prescott tries to get rid of the poltergeist.

What follows is a night of comedic slap stick spiced with some clever special effects as the ghost raises windows, levitates plates and vases, and generally bamboozles the ghost hunters. Spenser tries to get a photo, Harris uses a bottle of bug spray as a weapon, and Prescott tries shooting it with a shotgun. It's all quite lighthearted and amusing. Can they ever get this spirit out of the house?

Although uncredited and never seen on camera, Patricia Owens provides the laughing voice of the poltergeist.

I just watched Things Happen at Night (1948) on YouTube. The complete movie is available there. I don't know think it's ever been released on DVD. It's a pleasant way to spend an hour or so.