Night Comes Too Soon

Night Comes Too Soon
American poster
Directed by	Denis Kavanagh
Written by	Edward Bulwer-Lytton (story) Pat Dixon
Produced by	Harold Baim
Starring	Valentine Dyall Anne Howard Alec Faversham
Cinematography	Ray Densham
Edited by	Dorothy Elliot
Production companies	British-Animated Productions, and Federated Film Corporation
Distributed by	Butcher's Film Service
Release date	24 May 1948 (1948-05-24)
Running time	52 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Night Comes Too Soon (U.S. tite: The Ghost of Rashmon Hall; also known as AGhost Story) is a 1948 British second feature ('B') ^[1] horror film directed by Denis Kavanagh and starring Valentine Dyall, Anne Howard and Alec Faversham. ^[2] It was written by Pat Dixon based on the 1859 story The Haunters and the Haunted by Edward Bulwer-Lytton, ^[1] and also incorporates the "changing picture" component from The Mezzotint by M. R. James.^{[ citation needed ]}

Cast

• Valentine Dyall as Dr. George Clinton
• Anne Howard as Phyllis
• Alec Faversham as John
• Howard Douglas
• Beatrice Marsden as Mrs. Paxton
• Arthur Brander
• Anthony Baird as Lionel Waddell
• Frank Dunlop
• David Keir as the estate agent
• Monti DeLyle as ghost of Rinaldo Sabata
• Nina Erber as ghost of Marianna Sabata
• John Desmond as ghost of the sailor

Production

It was shot at a manor house near Mill Hill, part of a trend of renting country houses rather than studio space by low-budget producers after the Second World War. ^[1]

Reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "The story, as filmed, is unlikely to chill any spines, and those who have read or seen Lord Lytton's play The Haunted and the Haunters, of which this is an adaptation, will scarcely consider it an impressive piece of work. Those who have not will wonder what it is all about. The film's chief interest lies in the effective use of lighting in the 'ghostly' sequences." ^[3]

Kine Weekly wrote: "Valentine Dyall impresses in a theatrical sort of way as George Clinton, but Anne Howard and Alec Faversham lack screen experience as Phyllis and John. The rest are merely stooges." ^[4]

Picturegoer wrote: "This short ghost story fails in its intention to make the flesh creep. It is treated heavy-handedly, and is not nearly clear enough in its intention. Valentine Dyall is theatrically effective, but there is not a great deal to be said about the rest of the cast." ^[5]

The Daily Film Renter wrote: "Valentine Dyall, star of this Federated production, invests the psychic with velvety arrogance." ^[6]

In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "mediocre", writing: "Dreary chiller with no scares." ^[7]

References

1. Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' Film. London: BFI/Bloomsbury. p. 118. ISBN   978-1-8445-7319-6.
2. "Night Comes Too Soon". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
3. "Night Comes Too Soon" . The Monthly Film Bulletin . 15 (169): 16. 1 January 1948. ProQuest   1305817532.
4. "Night Comes Too Soon" . Kine Weekly . 371 (2124): 17. 15 January 1948. ProQuest   2676977962.
5. "Night Comes Too Soon". Picturegoer . 17: 12. 22 May 1948. ProQuest   1771163206.
6. "Night Comes Too Soon". The Daily Film Renter. 17 (5648): 6. 12 January 1948. ProQuest   2587873843.
7. Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 234. ISBN   0-7134-1874-5.

External links

• Night Comes Too Soon at IMDb