Twilight Hour

Twilight Hour
Danish poster
Directed by	Paul L. Stein
Written by	Jack Whittingham
Based on	Twilight Hour by Arthur Valentine
Produced by	Louis H. Jackson
Starring	Mervyn Johns Basil Radford Marie Lohr
Cinematography	James Wilson
Edited by	Douglas Myers
Music by	Hans May
Production company	British National Films
Distributed by	Anglo-American Film Corporation
Release date	12 February 1945 (1945-02-12)
Running time	85 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Twilight Hour is a 1945 British drama film directed by Paul L. Stein and starring Mervyn Johns, Basil Radford, and Marie Lohr. ^{[1] [2]} It was written by Jack Whittingham based on the 1944 novel of the same title by Arthur Valentine. ^[3]

Cast

• Mervyn Johns as Major John Roberts
• Basil Radford as Lord Chetwood
• Marie Lohr as Lady Chetwood
• A. E. Matthews as General Fitzhenry
• Lesley Brook as Virginia Roberts
• Grey Blake as Michael Chetwood
• Ian McLean as Hemingway
• Barbara Waring as Gladys
• Brefni O'Rorke as Richard Melville
• Margaret Vyner as Angela
• Joyce Heron as Diana
• Marie Ault as Liz
• Cecil Bevan as Hartley
• Marjorie Caldicott as Mrs. Trim
• Noel Dainton as chauffeur
• Gabrielle Daye as housemaid
• Toni Edgar-Bruce as Mrs. Cardigan
• Margaret Emden as Duchess of Wetherby
• Violet Gould as charwoman
• Alfred Harris as Wilkinson
• John Howard as William Rolands
• Ruby Miller as Mother Superior
• Ethel Royale as Mrs. Rolands
• Roy Russell as Sir John Gough
• Christopher Steele as Mr. Cardigan
• Edward Stirling as Magistrate
• Elsa Tee as Jeavons
• Richard Turner as The Abbot
• Rita Varien as Mrs. Murphy
• Bertram Wallis as Duke of Wetherby
• Olive Walter as marchioness
• David Ward as Roger
• C. Denier Warren as photographer
• H. Victor Weske
• Sybil Wise as Miss Perkins
• Victor Wood as footman

Production

The film was shot at the British National Studios in Elstree, with sets designed by art director Wilfred Arnold.

Reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "The sterling sincerity of Mervyn Johns' work and determined support from Basil Radford, Marie Lohr and Lesley Brook save this piece. They succeed despite a script which attempts to find interest in any and every irrelevant detail presumably because of a basic failure to keep the main and subsidiary themes in perspective. Direction also suffers from this confusion, so that tempo is periodically slowed to concentrate on nonessentials. Photography is good and contributes much to the atmosphere of the country-house sequences. The burial alive of Mervyn Johns and his escape are factors for those who consider the suitability of films for children." ^[4]

Picturegoer wrote: "An exceedingly good performance by Mervyn Johns as a gallant officer ... helps to bolster up a somewhat synthetic, romantic comedy-drama." ^[5]

Leslie Halliwell wrote: "Plodding and very predictable drama with popular cast." ^[6]

References

1. "Twilight Hour". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
2. Vagg, Stephen (14 September 2025). "Forgotten British Film Moguls: Lady Yule". Filmink. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
3. Goble, Alan. The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Walter de Gruyter, 1999. p. 471. ISBN   3598114923.
4. "Twilight Hour". The Monthly Film Bulletin . 11 (121): 140. 1 January 1944. ProQuest   1305805709.
5. "Twilight Hour". Picturegoer . 14: 12. 5 February 1945. ProQuest   1771167938.
6. Halliwell, Leslie (1989). Halliwell's Film Guide (7th ed.). London: Paladin. p. 1058. ISBN   0586088946.

External links

• Twilight Hour at IMDb