Night Journey (1938 film)

Night Journey
Directed by	Oswald Mitchell
Written by	Jim Phelan Maisie Sharman
Produced by	John Corfield
Starring	Geoffrey Toone Patricia Hilliard Alf Goddard
Cinematography	Geoffrey Faithfull
Edited by	Douglas Myers
Music by	Percival Mackey
Production company	British National Films
Distributed by	Butcher's Film Service
Release date	December 1938 (1938-12)
Running time	76 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	£15,692 [1]

Night Journey is a 1938 British crime drama film directed by Oswald Mitchell and starring Geoffrey Toone, Patricia Hilliard and Alf Goddard. ^[2]

It was shot at Walton Studios as a quota quickie. ^[3] It was a co production between British National and Butcher's. ^{[4] [5]}

The film's sets were designed by the art director R. Holmes Paul.

Premise

A story of the activities of a gang of car thieves whose rendezvous is an all-night café, built up against a disused chalk quarry, where stolen cars are brought to be disguised and sent on their way again for disposal in distant towns.

Cast

• Geoffrey Toone as Johnny Carson
• Patricia Hilliard as Mary Prentice
• Alf Goddard as Tiny
• Edward Lexy as Milstone Mike
• Ronald Ritchie as Lemmy
• Zillah Bateman as Nan
• Charles Farrell as Dave
• Richard Norris as Harry
• Phyllis Morris as Mrs. Prentice

Production

The film was one of a series of movies about British lorry drivers made around this time, others including Night Ride and They Drive By Night . ^[6]

References

1. Chapman, Llewella. "'The highest salary ever paid to a human being': Creating a Database of Film Costs from the Bank of England". Journal of British cinema and television, 2022-10. Vol. 19, no. 4. Edinburgh University Press. pp. 470–494 at 479.
2. Wood p.99
3. Chibnall p.300
4. Vagg, Stephen (14 September 2025). "Forgotten British Film Moguls: Lady Yule". Filmink. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
5. "Night Journey". Kinematograph Weekly. 5 January 1939. p. 6.
6. "In the Night". Manchester Evening News. 16 December 1938. p. 8.

Bibliography

• Chibnall, Steve. Quota Quickies: The Birth of the British 'B' Film. British Film Institute, 2007.
• Low, Rachael. Filmmaking in 1930s Britain. George Allen & Unwin, 1985.
• Wood, Linda. British Films, 1927-1939. British Film Institute, 1986.

External links

• Night Journey at IMDb