frankwiener Living in very violent times when there seems to be an epidemic of psychopaths in every direction, I am especially impressed by Robert Montgomery's complex portrayal of Danny, a manipulating con artist with a psychological condition that is, under the circumstances, believably complicated and unpredictable. This role is very different from any that I have seen from Montgomery, and it demonstrates his true talent as an actor. With the exception of the World War II drama "They Were Expendable", many of Montgomery's films unfortunately never allowed him the opportunity to demonstrate his true skill as an actor as this one did.To a slightly lesser extent, the same holds true for Rosalind Russell here, who brings intricacy to the role of Olivia as she is simultaneously attracted to Danny while she also loathes him. Why else would she protect him from the police by vouching for the unusually heavy hat box? And why would she risk returning alone to her aunt's isolated house on a night when everyone else is overwhelmed by a sense of prevailing fear about a murderer at large and suspected to be within close proximity. In my humble view, these strange actions on the part of Olivia are not illogical holes in the plot as much as revelations of her own internal, psychological conflict as both a repressed and oppressed victim of her current situation. While she despises Danny, she is also fascinated by his sinister, deranged, and impulsive behavior. This complex character study is not only about a psychopath but about a woman who is captivated by him. In combination, both Montgomery and Russell fulfill the task wonderfully. Yes, the production may be stagey and excessively talky, but these two top professionals kept me absorbed from start to finish, even though we knew of Danny's guilt from the very first scene. Although many reviewers praised Dame Whitty as the cantankerous, disagreeable, old hag, I found the character to be unbearably annoying. Perhaps Whitty played the part too well because I couldn't stand watching her for very long. She reminded me of the grateful tenants of the Las Vegas shooter, killer of 59 innocent people in real life, who praised their former landlord for "everything that he had done for them". They were very lucky that they didn't end up like old lady Bramson. God forgive me, but I was actually glad when she ultimately met the destiny that was designed for her from the start. Perhaps her niece felt the same way and did in fact facilitate the final outcome as at least one other IMDb reviewer contends.Richard Thorpe, as director, and Edward Ward, as musical composer, accumulated hundreds of film credits to their names, and their extensive movie experience produced excellent results here . Among many successful atmospheric touches, I especially appreciated the pan shot of the mysterious, surrounding forest at the height of tension, which I found very sophisticated and advanced for 1937. Ward's powerful musical score also contributed to the overall, suspenseful atmosphere. Kathleen Harrison, who played Alistair Sims' long suffering maid, Mrs. Dilbert, in "A Christmas Carol" (1952), as well as other Dickensian characters, is always a cinematic treat never to be underestimated.

dougdoepke Following a grisly murder, a pushy stranger worms his way into a rich, old lady's remote household, much to disapproval of her uptight secretary.What a good touch when Danny (Montgomery) roughly shoves the house cat and then smilingly tells Mrs. Bramson (Witty) how much he likes the little four-footed critters—a neat introduction to his devious nature. I wish the rest of the movie were this well executed. Aside from being overlong and too talky as other reviewers point out, (some silent mood scenes are badly needed), there's a big hole in the middle that's been generally overlooked. Surprisingly, it concerns that otherwise excellent actress Rosalind Russell.Key to the plot is the highly refined, severely repressed Olivia's (Russell) conflict over Danny. She's both attracted and repelled by him. He's such a low, boisterous type, it's hard to see her attraction to him at any level. But the script has wisely prepared us with her attraction to dark, woodsy things. Now, the movie's key scene is in the kitchen where Danny boldly confronts Olivia's repressed attraction. To this point, Olivia has had only one outward emotion, namely an emotionless expression consonant with her inner discipline and station in the household. Danny's aim is to force from her an acknowledgment of what he knows she feels even though she won't admit it even to herself.Crucial to this pivotal scene is that actress Russell convey even the slightest expression of the inner conflict she is now experiencing— conflict we know she's experiencing from the dialog. But try as I have, I can't spot a single change of expression. She's grudgingly okaying the words, but without the necessary conflicted behavior. In short, her words say one thing, her manner another. Thus, we're not drawn into her conflict, we merely observe it in the dialog. And crucially-- instead of becoming active participants in the story, we're encouraged to remain passive observers.In terms of story development, the role of Olivia becomes unconvincing, especially since the deadpan continues for the rest of the film. It's especially implausible when the plot has her hide the severed head in order to save Danny from the law. As a result, her motivations from the kitchen scene on ring hollow, thereby undercutting her pivotal role in the movie as a whole. It wouldn't be accurate to say that Russell therefore walks through the part in uninterested fashion. Rather, I'm inclined to blame director Thorpe for not providing the proper cues, especially in that key kitchen scene. At the same time, I wish Montgomery's Danny were not so extreme, bordering at times on the clownish. For a usually restrained actor, it's a real departure, robbing his character of any hint of needed menace. Still and all, the idea of Danny's acting out for the benefit of his "double"— the one that emerges in the mirror scene at the end-- remains a provocative one.Where Danny's blustery, overdone charm really works is with tyrannical old Mrs. Bramson. His is just the kind of overriding personality that would melt her icy reserve. At the same time, Witty steals the film with a rock solid performance, especially during that exhausting breakdown scene that even had me gasping for breath. I also like that morbid sight-seeing tour with E. E. Clive as the guide. That people would pay to see a gravesite suggests to me the basic gentility of small town England for whom murder is such an unusual and curious event. I gather from IMDb that studio head L. B. Mayer didn't like the results and didn't want to release the film. Whatever the failings, It's far from being that bad. Ironically, it appears that had Mayer himself wanted to do justice to the material, he would have assigned a top studio director instead of the thoroughly mediocre Thorpe (check out his credits). In fact, the movie as a whole suffers from uninspired direction, its rich atmospheric potential left visually untapped. As far as I can tell, Thorpe simply filmed the script that was handed him and nothing more. After all, his reputation with the studio rested on efficiency, i.e. bringing projects in under budget.I just wish someone like Hitchcock had gotten hold of the material first. With its rich potential for nuance and atmosphere, a gifted psychologist like Hitch could have made something really memorable. Unfortunately, as the movie stands, it's a long way from that point.

Benoît A. Racine (benoit-3) "Night Must Fall" was a very offbeat murder thriller for MGM in 1937. It was produced for the main reason that the Emlyn Williams play was a great popular success on both sides of the Atlantic. It may have flopped at the box office for several reasons but certainly not for lack of quality: the acting is superb (the US actors actually making an effort to sound British alongside national British treasures like Dame May Witty, Kathleen Harrison and E.E. Clive), the pacing is vivid and the dynamic music score (by the almost forgotten Edward Ward) was nothing if not prophetic of things to come. In spite of its occasional staginess and theatricality (yes, there is a difference between the two), it was very audacious in bringing adult themes and deep motivational analysis to film narrative, a lesson that wouldn't be lost on the later Hitchcock and a host of film noir and horror directors and writers on both sides of the pond. Hitchcock had used Williams' talents as a journeyman providing additional dialogue to his "Man Who Knew Too Much" but certainly could not afford such a hit as this play with the British film budgets of the time and would certainly have cut deep into its Shakespearian speeches. The film got past the censors in the first place because, to Americans, anything British was considered "quaint" and therefore acceptable - even when the plot almost gets away with murder. Still, its preoccupation with questions of social class, sociopathy, sexual attraction and the slightest hint of a happy end must have been quite a shock to the system for the British movie-going public. It is worth mentioning that this film (and its remake) was banned outright in Finland - where nights are very long indeed - as both outrageous to community standards and too horrific for Scandinavian nerves. Nowadays, there is a heavy metal band fom Finland called "Night Must Fall". In conclusion, this is a film that set up several precedents which have been emulated all through the rest of the XXth century, which makes it an unrecognized cinema masterpiece. Another way of sizing up its brilliance is comparing it to its 1963 remake, which fails in almost every respect.P.S.: The entire film is available on YouTube.

manger-2 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.