The Dead Of Night Credits
THE DEAD OF NIGHT 1945
Ealing Studios London
Run Time 100 mins approx
English Black & White
Sound RCA
Available on DVD and Video In selected outlets.
The Cast:Mervyn Johns (Walter Craig); Michael Redgrave (Maxwell Frere); Googie Withers (JoanCortland Frederick
Directors
Alberto Cavalcanti, Robert Hamer, Charles Crichton, Basil Dearden
Photography
Stan Pavey. Lighting Douglas Slocombe
Screen Play
John Baines; Angus Macphail
Music
Georges Avril
Producer
Michael Balcon
Writing Credits The Golf Scene Written By H.G.Wells D.O.B 21 September 1866 Died 13 August 1946
The Hearse Scene Written By E.F.Benson son of the arch bishop of Canterbury D.O.B 24 July 1867 Died 29 February 1940.
Ealing Studio's Dead Of Night (1945) ranks as probably one of the best supernatural horror stories of its time of vintage British Cinema, that is besides The Halfway House (1944).
It is one of those films very much alike to The Halfway House where there is a blend of something pure and magical which captivates it's audience to such an extent that you are compelled to sit this whole film out to the end.
But more often then not to re watch this film time and time again never to get tired of it.
Walter Craig (Mervyn Johns) an architect arrives at Pilgrims farm Kent, to sort out some renovation work for an Elliot Foley. Walter soon joins a number of guests sitting around a roaring open fire. Walter is then introduced to the guests but one of those guests seem to be more important to him then any of the others. Dr Van Straaten (Fredrick Vaulk) is there to listen to each personal story of something horrific or ghostly that befell one of the guests in the room. However Dr.Van Straaten seems to have another angle on each guests story something completely explainable as being either scientific or something of the imagination.
One guest Walter Craig has a much darker story to tell in fact it is a story which involves everyone in that very room, Including Dr Van Straaten.
A Recurring
Cavalcanti's story of a talented ventriloquist Maxwell Frere (Michael Redgrave) is a very enigmatic as well as powerful tale, ventriloquist and dummy seem to have this very close relationship however the relationship turns sour as the voices inside Freres head get the better of him and he is taken over by the dummy. Frere is driven to attempted murder being constantly written off by his dummy partner who has threatened that he will dump Frere and work for another Ventriloquist. The ending to this scene is a powerful one.
Magic in 1978 bore a strong resemblance
This has to be one of the most haunting films of all time and is like a magnet once you watch this film for the first time you will be hooked it has an immense aurora around it.
CC 2007
Dead Of Night Preview Here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-h87StFquI
Purchase the Film Here From Amazon.co.uk http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddvd&field-keywords=The+Dead+OF+Night&x=16&y=15
Ealing Studios London
Run Time 100 mins approx
English Black & White
Sound RCA
Available on DVD and Video In selected outlets.
The Cast:Mervyn Johns (Walter Craig); Michael Redgrave (Maxwell Frere); Googie Withers (Joan
Directors
Alberto Cavalcanti, Robert Hamer, Charles Crichton, Basil Dearden
Photography
Stan Pavey. Lighting Douglas Slocombe
Screen Play
John Baines; Angus Macphail
Music
Georges Avril
Producer
Michael Balcon
Writing Credits The Golf Scene Written By H.G.Wells D.O.B 21 September 1866 Died 13 August 1946
The Hearse Scene Written By E.F.Benson son of the arch bishop of Canterbury D.O.B 24 July 1867 Died 29 February 1940.
Ealing Studio's Dead Of Night (1945) ranks as probably one of the best supernatural horror stories of its time of vintage British Cinema, that is besides The Halfway House (1944).
It is one of those films very much alike to The Halfway House where there is a blend of something pure and magical which captivates it's audience to such an extent that you are compelled to sit this whole film out to the end.
But more often then not to re watch this film time and time again never to get tired of it.
Walter Craig (Mervyn Johns) an architect arrives at Pilgrims farm Kent, to sort out some renovation work for an Elliot Foley. Walter soon joins a number of guests sitting around a roaring open fire. Walter is then introduced to the guests but one of those guests seem to be more important to him then any of the others. Dr Van Straaten (Fredrick Vaulk) is there to listen to each personal story of something horrific or ghostly that befell one of the guests in the room. However Dr.Van Straaten seems to have another angle on each guests story something completely explainable as being either scientific or something of the imagination.
One guest Walter Craig has a much darker story to tell in fact it is a story which involves everyone in that very room, Including Dr Van Straaten.
A Recurring
Cavalcanti's story of a talented ventriloquist Maxwell Frere (Michael Redgrave) is a very enigmatic as well as powerful tale, ventriloquist and dummy seem to have this very close relationship however the relationship turns sour as the voices inside Freres head get the better of him and he is taken over by the dummy. Frere is driven to attempted murder being constantly written off by his dummy partner who has threatened that he will dump Frere and work for another Ventriloquist. The ending to this scene is a powerful one.
Magic in 1978 bore a strong resemblance
This has to be one of the most haunting films of all time and is like a magnet once you watch this film for the first time you will be hooked it has an immense aurora around it.
CC 2007
Dead Of Night Preview Here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-h87StFquI
Purchase the Film Here From Amazon.co.uk http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddvd&field-keywords=The+Dead+OF+Night&x=16&y=15
The Search For The Locations
I started out last year about 3 months after the Halfway House project was finished setting up some of the research which would be needed to find all locations used in the Dead Of Night. Some had already been touched upon and at least one location had already been found but no actual up to date photographs were taken. Funds were lacking at this time as enough had already been spent on the Halfway House project and that my attention had to be devoted somewhere else so the work already done as well as the research had to take a back seat and was shelved for the time being. I had decided upon a date when these photographic shoots would take place and decided upon March 2007 as this would be an ideal time for the fact that other work commitments could be put off allowing me some time to get these shoots correct weather permitting.
All the shots of all locations would have to be done in the same day and that this would be the only chance of getting all shots done. There was one big gripe however, the farmhouse used in the film was still as yet undiscovered i had been working along side another person and there were at least three farm buildings we were set to look at but the only snag was i would not be available until after Christmas 2006, So we made plans that we would shelve the project until early March 2007.
I had been watching a most interesting set of circumstances unfold at britmovie.co.uk concerning the location of the farmhouse there was a flurry of activity there and it seemed that something was going to turn up this farm house. I added that alike to The Halfway House i believed that all locations were very close together.
We were on the verge of uncovering this farmhouse but we were beaten to the post and one member of britmovie.co.uk Paul Osbourne is the one who is responsible for finding the Farmhouse used in the Dead Of Night and has kindly given me permission to enter this find onto this site.
Congratulations are in order to Paul for the tremendous work he did in finding this farm house. Also it is with great thanks to all those on britmovie.co.uk including Barbara who kept up the momentum to find this farm house and we will now arrange film shoots to be done of the farm house as well as other key locations which will be carried out shortly.
There is however a much larger push at the moment to find the building that was used for the hospital scene in which Car racing driver, Hugh Grainger (Anthony Baird) was recovering. Also there was the other scene in which we see Hugh Grainger looking out from his Hospital ward window we see the back end of what appears to be a stylish mansion. But where were these two buildings.
I later found one of these buildings which was situated very near the Ealing Studio set itself the name of the building use in the film was infact Pitzhanger Manor in Ealing London.
However the hospital seemed to be much more difficult to locate but we had a number of possibillities one of which was Ravenscourt Park Hospital however there were some slight differeneces the windows for a start. I also looked at buildings in Putney but nothing came anywhere near my still pictures.
However 24th April 2007 came a breakthrough after going back over new stills it was discovered that the Hospital or Nursing home was also in fact within the grounds of Ealing studio's and faced in the direction of Pitzhanger manor. What this building was really used for is unknown but it was definitely used as the setting for the nursing home.
In one scene where Hugh Granger (Antony Baird) Looks out from his window you can actually see a reflection in the open window of Pitzhanger manor, this is no artistic backdrop. There is also another scene when Hugh Granger is about to step onto the bus, in a window off to the righ you can see what again appears to be a back drop Pitzhanger manor. This is in fact the exact spot that the hearse had earlier been seen.
Looking through the original Ealing Pictures of the Studio's themselves you can just about make out this large building which was used as the nursing home. However it no longer stands today and has been demolished.
I would ask any one that views this site if you have any original photographs of the Ealing site to please contact me.
This is an update to the find of the Farmhouse. I am not able to provide you with the location of this farmhouse as its owners would rather that the location stay anonymous i ask that all viewers to this site respect the privacy of all persons homes or property that we have featured here.
To be able to bring you certain locations we have either donated funds to charity or have been given express permission to use certain articles or pictures on this site
I would also like to thank Mr H. Jones for so kindly giving me permission to photograph his dwelling.
All the shots of all locations would have to be done in the same day and that this would be the only chance of getting all shots done. There was one big gripe however, the farmhouse used in the film was still as yet undiscovered i had been working along side another person and there were at least three farm buildings we were set to look at but the only snag was i would not be available until after Christmas 2006, So we made plans that we would shelve the project until early March 2007.
I had been watching a most interesting set of circumstances unfold at britmovie.co.uk concerning the location of the farmhouse there was a flurry of activity there and it seemed that something was going to turn up this farm house. I added that alike to The Halfway House i believed that all locations were very close together.
We were on the verge of uncovering this farmhouse but we were beaten to the post and one member of britmovie.co.uk Paul Osbourne is the one who is responsible for finding the Farmhouse used in the Dead Of Night and has kindly given me permission to enter this find onto this site.
Congratulations are in order to Paul for the tremendous work he did in finding this farm house. Also it is with great thanks to all those on britmovie.co.uk including Barbara who kept up the momentum to find this farm house and we will now arrange film shoots to be done of the farm house as well as other key locations which will be carried out shortly.
There is however a much larger push at the moment to find the building that was used for the hospital scene in which Car racing driver, Hugh Grainger (Anthony Baird) was recovering. Also there was the other scene in which we see Hugh Grainger looking out from his Hospital ward window we see the back end of what appears to be a stylish mansion. But where were these two buildings.
I later found one of these buildings which was situated very near the Ealing Studio set itself the name of the building use in the film was infact Pitzhanger Manor in Ealing London.
However the hospital seemed to be much more difficult to locate but we had a number of possibillities one of which was Ravenscourt Park Hospital however there were some slight differeneces the windows for a start. I also looked at buildings in Putney but nothing came anywhere near my still pictures.
However 24th April 2007 came a breakthrough after going back over new stills it was discovered that the Hospital or Nursing home was also in fact within the grounds of Ealing studio's and faced in the direction of Pitzhanger manor. What this building was really used for is unknown but it was definitely used as the setting for the nursing home.
In one scene where Hugh Granger (Antony Baird) Looks out from his window you can actually see a reflection in the open window of Pitzhanger manor, this is no artistic backdrop. There is also another scene when Hugh Granger is about to step onto the bus, in a window off to the righ you can see what again appears to be a back drop Pitzhanger manor. This is in fact the exact spot that the hearse had earlier been seen.
Looking through the original Ealing Pictures of the Studio's themselves you can just about make out this large building which was used as the nursing home. However it no longer stands today and has been demolished.
I would ask any one that views this site if you have any original photographs of the Ealing site to please contact me.
This is an update to the find of the Farmhouse. I am not able to provide you with the location of this farmhouse as its owners would rather that the location stay anonymous i ask that all viewers to this site respect the privacy of all persons homes or property that we have featured here.
To be able to bring you certain locations we have either donated funds to charity or have been given express permission to use certain articles or pictures on this site
I would also like to thank Mr H. Jones for so kindly giving me permission to photograph his dwelling.
The Golf Club
The golf club was one location that took some time to find in fact i don't think that i was altogether on my own in thinking that Stoke Park House as well as Stoke Poges Golf Course was in fact the initial location.
The Location of the golf course is refered to as Witherton as Elliot Foley tells the tale of two golfers who fall for the same woman. They decide to play 18 holes of golf match play and who ever loses would leave the area for good.
Both George Parratt (Basil Radford) and Larry Potter(Naunton Wayne) played such a splendid game however, Larry Potter lost we see him then walk off towards a lake and then drown himself never to be seen again. However Larry Potter would still pop up from time to time until finally he could not leave George at all in fact no matter how much he tried to get back to heaven it was impossible he could not make it back so was set to haunt George for the rest of his days.
George now being the lucky man and gets to marry his sweetheart Mary Lee(Peggy Bryan) the marriage is held at a small village church and both bride and groom are saluted as they walk down the aisle together arm in arm. This scene was in fact filmed at St.Mary The Virgin at Turville Bucks which is only a stones throw away from where the actual farmhouse used in the film still remains to this day at Ibstone Bucks.
On their wedding night there is not the slightest chance that bride and groom will get any peace, in a fit of desperation George tries to find the code that Larry needs to get back to where he should be and in his desperation George ends up disappearing. So the ending to this story is that Larry Potter got to keep the girl and shared the same bed as her.
I had some difficulty in pinning the actual golf course used in the film and it was just by a fluke one day that i was looking through some still shots on a website from the film Goldfinger that i noticed something distinctive and on closer examination i found that i was onto something here. It was Stoke Park House that gave the game away the dome on the roof was what i initially spotted.
I had found a photographer who had taken some very beautiful photographs of Stoke Park House including its golf range and beautiful grounds, I am prowd now to show off those photographs to you and wish to mention the person who took them who has kindly given me permission to use them is Kevin Day.
I also would like to give thanks to Mr. Chester King Director of Stoke Poges Golf Course for granting me permission to use these pictures and showing you the world what a splendid club Stoke Poges really is as well as the grounds that it rests in.
I have since spoken to Mr King concerning registering this film with Stoke Poges as there was no mention at all amongst other films that one story within The Dead Of Night had actually been shot there. So now hopefully as well as James Bond's Goldfinger The Dead Of Night will also gain recognition as being part of the Stoke Poges Golf Clubs history I thank Mr King for that.
The Location of the golf course is refered to as Witherton as Elliot Foley tells the tale of two golfers who fall for the same woman. They decide to play 18 holes of golf match play and who ever loses would leave the area for good.
Both George Parratt (Basil Radford) and Larry Potter(Naunton Wayne) played such a splendid game however, Larry Potter lost we see him then walk off towards a lake and then drown himself never to be seen again. However Larry Potter would still pop up from time to time until finally he could not leave George at all in fact no matter how much he tried to get back to heaven it was impossible he could not make it back so was set to haunt George for the rest of his days.
George now being the lucky man and gets to marry his sweetheart Mary Lee(Peggy Bryan) the marriage is held at a small village church and both bride and groom are saluted as they walk down the aisle together arm in arm. This scene was in fact filmed at St.Mary The Virgin at Turville Bucks which is only a stones throw away from where the actual farmhouse used in the film still remains to this day at Ibstone Bucks.
On their wedding night there is not the slightest chance that bride and groom will get any peace, in a fit of desperation George tries to find the code that Larry needs to get back to where he should be and in his desperation George ends up disappearing. So the ending to this story is that Larry Potter got to keep the girl and shared the same bed as her.
I had some difficulty in pinning the actual golf course used in the film and it was just by a fluke one day that i was looking through some still shots on a website from the film Goldfinger that i noticed something distinctive and on closer examination i found that i was onto something here. It was Stoke Park House that gave the game away the dome on the roof was what i initially spotted.
I had found a photographer who had taken some very beautiful photographs of Stoke Park House including its golf range and beautiful grounds, I am prowd now to show off those photographs to you and wish to mention the person who took them who has kindly given me permission to use them is Kevin Day.
I also would like to give thanks to Mr. Chester King Director of Stoke Poges Golf Course for granting me permission to use these pictures and showing you the world what a splendid club Stoke Poges really is as well as the grounds that it rests in.
I have since spoken to Mr King concerning registering this film with Stoke Poges as there was no mention at all amongst other films that one story within The Dead Of Night had actually been shot there. So now hopefully as well as James Bond's Goldfinger The Dead Of Night will also gain recognition as being part of the Stoke Poges Golf Clubs history I thank Mr King for that.
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