jamesraeburn2003 An American heiress called Ellie Thomsen (Hayley Mills) marries a restless, mysterious chauffeur called Michael Rodgers (Hywel Bennett) and they move into their dream house, Gipsys Acre, on the south coast of England. However, the dream soon turns sour when a rather sinister and eccentric elderly woman called Miss Townsend (Patience Collier), who claims to be a descendent of the family who perished in a fire that destroyed the house that once stood on the same site, warns them that their home will bring them nothing but misfortune. Dismissing her as a crank they take no notice and go on about living their lives. But, things start going wrong when Ellie's beloved companion Greta (Britt Ekland) moves in. Michael becomes jealous that his wife spends more time with her than she does him. There are also Ellie's sponging relatives to contend with, Aunt Cora (Lois Maxwell) and her husband Reuben (Peter Bowels) as well since, although they live fifteen miles away, they spend a lot of time around Gipsys Acre. Then tragedy strikes when Ellie is killed whilst out horse riding. It appears that the horse was frightened by something; perhaps by the apparition of the creepy Miss Townsend, and threw her off causing her neck to be broken. The inquest returns a verdict of death by misadventure, but the distraught Michael isn't satisfied. After accompanying Ellie's solicitor Lippincott (George Sanders) to America to settle his wife's affairs, Michael returns to Gipsys Acre to find Greta still living there. Did they really despise one another as much as they appeared to and does the house have more sinister surprises in store for them?Based on one of Agatha Christie's darker and scarier murder mystery novels, this British psychological thriller suffers from a build up that is too slow and rather tedious. But, as soon as it gets into its stride, it delivers a killer twist that takes the audience completely by surprise, and if you can live with the sluggish first half, it is well worth taking the trouble to stick with it. As you watch it, and this is part of the fun, you will wonder whether the story is going to go for an out and out supernatural explanation or a more rational and earthly one. Anyhow, the genuinely shocking climax will leave you asking yourself if the perpetrator of the crime was of sound mind or did Gipsys Acre really possess some sinister ghostly power. After all there are stranger things in life and on earth that we mortals cannot understand.Performances are generally good all round. Hayley Mills is convincingly lovely and vulnerable as the good natured but rather naive Ellie; whom we can see is loaded with money and everyone around her is just trying to take advantage of her. Lois Maxwell and Peter Bowels are noteworthy as her out for what they can get relations and Britt Ekland is stand out as Greta. She offers a finely judged performance combining an air of mystery with her fondness of Ellie (or is she as devoted to her as much as she appears to be?) and her love of life. Hywel Bennett was also better than I expected him to be as the restless and somewhat unscrupulous chauffer Michael who cleverly hides a more sinister side to his personality that isn't easily detectable.Bernard Herrmann's music score sounds as if it was cobbled together from his various assignments for Alfred Hitchcock and it seemed to me if the producer-director team of Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat were having a go at outdoing the old master of suspense at his own game. They don't quite succeed, of course, but they do manage to stage some fairly scary sequences and some good suspense it has to be said.

tim-oliver Endless Night remains one of my favourite films and I watch my DVD copy at least twice a year.Having first viewed this marvellous (but apparently long forgotten) film back in 1973 (age 11), in the on- board cinema of a P&O cruise liner, I loved it from the first moment I heard the wonderfully atmospheric opening music from Master Composer Bernard Hermann. This music immediately transforms the film to an old Hitchcock style thriller and the very interesting direction and performances follow it through.Hywel Bennett is superb as the lead actor and narrator and I was fooled in 1973 to believing Haley Mills really was a genuine American.Production values are mostly high, but one suspects money was tight and probably run out by the time the film entered post production.Had Hitchcock put his name to this one, I'm sure it would be hailed as his final masterpiece (as appose to Marnie). However, I believe the film had trouble reaching a wide release and I imagine the critics were unkind, because it was very modern in its look and production design and a little different from the novel.I very much enjoy Endless Night every time I see it and the ending is still a surprise to those I show it to.A very well crafted film, which although a little flawed in final post production (lack of money to polish), is really a superb and entertaining classic film.I hope Endless Night one day receives the recognition it truly deserves.

Peter Grunbaum This movie starts out as a great Hitchcock thriller similar to Vertigo or something, then escalates into endlessly describing the life of the married couple. I'm writing this before the movie has ended, and maybe there's a good ending but quite honestly it is not worth it sitting through scene after scene of superfluous story-telling. Quite honestly, that is why Hitchock is such a master. Because he understands how to create suspense and never to leave in a single, indifferent moment in a movie. The movie is called "Endless Night" (A Blake quote: Some are born to sweet delight / Some are born to endless night). But just coming up with a few good things in the movie and then showing a lot of stuff that never should have been in it is not the way to make a good movie.

TheLittleSongbird I am a huge Agatha Christie fan, and Endless Night is no exception. The book is not quite the masterpiece I would deem as The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, A Murder is Annoucned and especially And Then there were None, but it is very interesting and psychologically complex. This film adaptation is every bit as interesting, while it meanders slightly in the pace in the middle act it benefits from a fine cast and a great story.The story is typical Christie, which means very interesting with enough suspense to satisfy complete with a final solution that is delightful and shocking. I do think some of the book was more suspenseful, but Endless Night here does do a good job in conveying an atmosphere that is both resolutely creepy and unsettling. It is also quite unusual, as has been observed it isn't the twists or red herrings that form the story of Endless Night it is the characters and their relationships. A vast majority of the time, the characters are developed well and the relationships and situations are believable enough.The production values are top notch, the photography is suitably atmospheric while the scenery, lighting and costumes evoke the period beautifully. The score from maestro Bernard Hermann is both jaunty and haunting, the script is decently written and doesn't feel too stilted and the direction is admirable. The cast do a fine job, Hayley Mills is wonderful to watch, and Britt Ekland and George Sanders in one of his last films and roles do a solid job supporting her.All in all, a very interesting adaptation. 8/10 Bethany Cox