MONDAY 5th NOVEMBER 2001
THE BIG SNOOZE
DEAD OF NIGHT 1945.(103 mins) A classic portmanteau film,comprising a set of stories of the supernatural which evoke 'the terror one wakes to, not from'. No true horror films were made in Britain during the War in compliance with government censorship, but borderline fantasies found moderate success.This film is a serious study of the supernatural capturing all the nuances of the British ghost story . Architect Walter Craig,(Mervyn Johns)visits a farmhouse that he has been asked to redesign.When he arrives ,he is surprised to find that the guests are all subjects in his reoccurring dream.Events seem to unfold exactly as in his nightmare,although he only has faint memories of it. Intrigued,the visitors relate their own tales of the supernatural. Hugh(Anthony Baird) tells of a vision he suffered whilst in hospital after a near fatal accident,of a hearse driver (Miles Malleson) complete with horse drawn hearse who announces that there is "just room for one inside". Later,as he is about to board on a bus, the conductor(Miles Malleson again) utters the same phrase.Hugh decides to miss the bus & watches in horror as it drives away,narrowly misses a lorry & plummets off the road.
Young Sally O'Hara(Sally Ann Howes)relates that while at a party playing hide'n'seek,she wandered into a small forgotten room at the large house & found a little boy crying in the darkness.She spent some time with him, but when she returned to the party & explained where she was hiding,she was informed that the child she met was the ghost of Francis Kent,murdered by his sister some years ago. By now Walter Craig is becoming increasingly agitated as he confirms that the events are unfolding just as he predicted & announces that he will soon try to murder Dr.Van Straaten,(Frederick Valk)who has been sceptical of Craig's claims since he arrived. Joan(Googie Withers) explains how her husband, Peter,(Ralph Michael) became possessed by the spirit in an antique mirror that she bought for him as a present.Slowly Peter became a jealous,homicidal maniac,whilst observing an older,Victorian room in the mirror.Concerned Joan learned of the mirror's history from the antique dealer where she purchased it, but when she returned to the flat he tried to strangle her. In a moment of inspiration, she smashed the mirror & ended the spell.
In the weaker of the stories two golfing partners,George & Larry,(Basil Radford & Naunton Wayne)play a round of golf for the love of Mary (Peggy Bryan). Larry loses & drowns himself,but returns to haunt his partner when he discovers that he had cheated. Doctor Van Straaten,a psychologist,relates a case history that he was unable to solve.His patient,Maxwell Frere,(Michael Redgrave)was a ventriloquist slowly but surely adopting the personality of his dummy, Hugo whom he was completely at odds with.Believing that a fellow ventriloquist was trying to steal Hugo,he shot him; In prison Hugo completely took over his personality. Walter Craig enters a nightmarish world of images from each of the stories & then suddenly awakes when he receives a phone call to visit a farmhouse. Michael Redgrave's virtuoso performancet is extremely memorable.(John Maguire portrays the ventriloquist's dummy when it comes to life. He was 25 & only 4 foot high). The ghost stories are chilling; but it's the puppet show that still spooks,no matter how many times it's been ripped off.
Unlike most modern horror compendium tales, the framing story involving Walter Craig is embedded into the narrative & is not just a device to link the tales.Also deserving of praise is George Auric's score that is as equally restrained as the narrative & never intrudes where it isn't needed. Indeed, the moments of silence are scored with as much forethought & intensity as the music itself. The 5 set pieces still echo throughout today's pop culture-in cable creep shows & in Simpsons Halloween specials& the odd feature film. Nevertheless, the original remains fresh, thanks to the able direction,the source material & a virtuoso performance by Michael Redgrave. Dead of Night works well due to the juxtaposing of humour & terror, elements of which can be found in each of the stories, although different directors were responsible for each episode. This suggests a strong guiding hand by producer Michael Balcon who helped bring this experimental idea into full focus. 'Christmas Party' directed by Alberto Cavalcanti from a story by Angus MacPhail.'Hearse Driver' directed by Basil Dearden from a story by E.F. Benson.'The Haunted Mirror' directed by Robert Hamer from a story by John V. Baines.'Golfing Story' directed by Charles Crichton from a story by H.G. Wells. 'The Ventriloquist's Dummy' directed by Cavalcanti from a story by John V. Baines. NFVLS. Prod Co: Ealing Studios.Producer:Michael Balcon.Photographers:Jack Parker,H.Julius.Script:John Baines,Angus MacPhail,T.E.B.Clarke.Editor:Charles Hasse.Sound:Len Page,A.E.Rudolph.Music:Georges Auric.Cast:Mervyn Johns,Sally Ann Howes, Googie Withers, Basil Radford,Michael Redgrave.
THRU THE MIRROR1936. (9 mins.) Mickey Mouse falls asleep reading Lewis Carroll's 'Alice Through the Looking Glass' & dreams himself into wonderland. Made in the golden age of Disney animation,it involves a world where inanimate objects are alive.The scene where mickey eats a nut and is transformed in size is brilliantly done.There’s a lot of dancing; Mickey dances with a top hat & a pair of gloves, and there’s a busby berkley type scene involving cards.The climax,Mickey being chased by hundreds of cards,is fantastic.A superior mickey mouse cartoon.Virtuoso Disney animation anticipates the design & devices used in the later feature version of Alice in Wonderland. NFVLS.Producer:Walt Disney.Director: David Hand.
HOW TO SLEEP1935. (10 mins.) NFVLS.Prod Co:Metro Goldwyn Mayer.Cast:Robert Benchley. DOGGONE TIRED. 1948 (8 mins) The hunting dog is haunted by the rabbit after the rabbit overhears the hunter telling the dog: You'll never catch that rabbit unless you get a good night's sleep. Directed by Tex Avery THE SLEEPWALKER. 1964 (11 mins)
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