Dead of Night

Although Dead of Night has a strong linking narrative, it's actually an anthology of five unconnected ghost stories (of varying quality).

Mervyn (Walter Craig) arrives at a country estate and meets a group of people for the first time...except he's sure he's met them all before. His ability to predict certain events inspires the other guests to offer up their own spooky experiences:

The first one, "Hearse Driver", is one of the better segments. It's a simple idea — a man wakes from a coma and has an eerie premonition of a hearse — but it's done effectively. It sets the tone of the movie, signalling us that it's about mood and suspense, not shocks.

The second segment, "Christmas Party", is the least entertaining. It's a "you mean the entire time I was talking to a ghost" story that's so basic and straightforward, it's usually the first type of ghost story one hears as a kid. It also has a strike against it for taking place during a children's party; a more horrid setting I can't imagine.

"The Haunted Mirror" has an interesting premise: the room reflected in a mirror doesn't match the one in which the mirror hangs. Unfortunately, despite this segment being one of the longest, the idea isn't developed. Instead, the plot drags a bit.

"Golfing Story" is an unsuccessful attempt at a lighthearted reprieve, a breather before the movie's most chilling episode which follows it. Two men compete for a woman (who doesn't seem to have any say in the matter) by playing a game of golf. I try not to indulge in stereotypes, but I kept thinking I should be sipping tea and saying "Yes, yes. Quite witty. Very good then." throughout all the Old Men's Club humour on display here. Sometimes cited as the worst episode, it certainly doesn't belong in this film.

Each story, embraced by the other guests at the estate, is met only with skepticism by Dr. van Straaten (Frederick Valk). He represents the movie's rational viewpoint, but given Dead of Night's tone, he's really just the local stick-in-the-mud, fuddy-duddy. (The fact that he has a German accent means one of two things: he's the old style stereotype of a psychologist, complete with Freud-like accent; or, because he's the dissenting voice, the filmmakers meant to distance him from the post-war audience. Despite the creepiness of the film, it's good-natured, so I suspect it's the former.) Dr. van Straaten proceeds to tell his own spooky story, except he offers a clear and logical explanation for the apparently supernatural elements in what is unquestionably the high point of Dead of Night.

Article Author: Paul De Angelis

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