DEAD OF NIGHT (1945)

Michael Redgrave

DEAD OF NIGHT (1945). Directors: (Alberto) Cavalcanti; Charles Crichton; Basil Dearden; Robert Hamer.

Walter Craig (Mervyn Johns of Edward, My Son) comes to a house to see about a possible restoration, and encounters a group of people that he has seen in a dream. He wants to leave, because in his nightmare things end very badly, but some of the guests tell of their own peculiar experiences. Grainger (Anthony Baird), a racer who nearly died, has a vision of a hearse that warns him of disaster; a young girl, Sally (Sally Ann Howes) discovers the ghost of a little boy (uncredited) during an party in an old house; Peter Cortland (Ralph Michael) is given an antique mirror whose original owner comes to possess him; a triangle over a woman, Mary (Peggy Bryan) and two golf enthusiasts leads to comical, supernatural complications; and Dr. Van Straaten (Frederick Valk of Bad Blonde) relates the tale of a ventriloquist (Michael Redgrave), who is convinced that his dummy, Hugo, is alive and wants a new partner. The best tale by far is the last of the five, and it boasts an intriguing script and a superb performance from Redgrave, whose despair is palpable. The mirror story isn't bad, but the other two aren't that well developed. The fourth story about the golf enthusiasts is pretty stupid and not especially amusing. Georges Auric [Caesar and Cleopatra] has contributed an interesting score. In addition to the ventriloquist story, the most memorable sequence details poor Walter's exacting and delirious nightmare.

Verdict: Redgrave and the dummy make the movie. *** out of 4.

BAD BLONDE

The two beautiful blonds of "Bad Blonde"

BAD BLONDE (aka The Flanagan Boy/1953). Director: Reginald Le Borg.

Handsome amateur boxer Johnny Flanagan (Tony Wright) gets a shot at the big time when he's taken under the wing of promoter Giuseppe Vecchi (Frederick Valk). Unfortunately, Johnny is greatly disturbed by the presence of Vecchi's sexy and much younger wife, Lorna (Barbara Payton of Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye), and after initial animosity she can't help but notice the hunky boxer. This leads to expected complications, none of which are especially entertaining. This is the kind of old-fashioned, even sexist movie where the deplorable actions of a "nice guy" are blamed exclusively on the influence of an "evil" woman [attitudes which are still prevalent in some quarters even today]. Although Payton was better known for the scandals she got embroiled in than for her movies, she was not a bad actress and is fine in this, although not given a very dimensional role to play. Wright's inexperience is obvious, but he has his moments as well and Valk is good as the cuckolded Italian. Movies like this should at least be fun to watch but this is just tedious, and even the sexy leads can't save it. Le Borg, whose direction on this is quite stodgy,  also directed Voodoo Island and many other B movies. This was another Hammer studio crime drama released in the U.S. by Lippert.

Verdict: A far cry from The Postman Always Ring Twice. *