
Having just reviewed the forgotten classic The Halfway House (1944) featuring Mervyn Johns it’s now time to look another film starring him from a year later. Dead of Night is a British horror anthology film from Ealing Studios. This film has also been restored and is also available to purchase on Blu-ray released by Studiocanal back in 2014. So let’s find out if it’s worth a look, here’s my Dead of Night blu-ray review.
- Dead of Night (1945)
- Genre: Horror
- Directed by Alberto Cavalcanti / Charles Crichton / Robert Hamer / Basil Dearden
- UK Rating PG
- Discs: 1
- Released By Studiocanal
- Blu-ray Released: 24 February 2014
Plot
The film is broken down into a framing sequence followed by five stories.
The Hearse Driver
Following an accident a racing driver is plagued by the sight of a hearse driver.
The Christmas Party
A young woman playing a game of hide and seek discovers a strange young boy who fears for his own safety.
The Haunted Mirror
A woman buys her soon to be husband an old mirror. However he soon begins to see a different room in the reflection.
The Golfer’s Story
Two golfers fall for the same woman who in turn cannot choose which one she prefers. The two men decide to play a round of golf to decide who should marry her.
The Ventriloquist’s Dummy
A ventriloquist struggles to control his dummy.
Style / Direction
The film is a horror anthology directed by several different directors. It all fits together nicely making this a worthy watch.
Music / Audio Effects
The music is provided by Georges Auric.
Acting / Characters
Good acting all-round makes this supernatural tale a compelling watch. Mervyn Johns is excellent as a man plagued by a reoccurring dream that turns into a nightmare. The other standout performance is that of Michael Redgrave as Maxwell Frere a ventriloquist that appears to be on the verge of madness.
Cast
- Mervyn Johns as Walter Craig
- Anthony Baird as Hugh Grainger
- Roland Culver as Eliot Foley
- Renée Gadd as Mrs. Craig
- Sally Ann Howes as Sally O’Hara
- Barbara Leake as Mrs O’Hara
- Mary Merrall as Mrs Foley
- Frederick Valk as Dr. van Straaten
- Googie Withers as Joan Cortland
- Peggy Bryan as Mary Lee
- Basil Radford as George Parratt
- Michael Redgrave as Maxwell Frere
- Allan Jeayes as Maurice Olcott
Conclusion: Dead of Night (1945) Film Review
Dead of Night is a highly entertaining British horror anthology that delivers a chilling end. If you loved The Halfway House then I’m pretty confident you are going to love this too.
If you enjoyed my Dead of Night blu-ray review so far you may want to check out the following films:
Conclusion: Dead of Night Blu-ray Review
The film has undergone a restoration and for the most part looks excellent. There are a couple of lines that couldn’t be removed but nothing that lasts for more than second of two. Overall the black and white picture quality is very good and I have no problems recommending purchasing it.
Furthermore the 76 minute documentary is filled with interesting information and opinions from various horror enthusiasts. I found it to be well worth a look and rather informative.
Extras
- Remembering Dead of Night Featurette (76 mins)
- Restoration Comparison
- Stills Gallery
Popcorn Cinema Rating: Dead of Night (1945)
MOVIE RATING: VERY GOOD
BLU-RAY RATING: VERY GOOD
POPCORN CINEMA: RECOMMENDED
Purchase Dead of Night (1945) On Blu-ray
Dead of Night (1945) blu-ray is out now, I’ve added a link to it below.

The Amazon links on this page are affiliate / associate links. By buying through the links we may receive a commission for the sale. This has no effect on the price you pay.
Dead of Night (1945) Film Trailer
For those of you yet to see the film I’ll leave you with a little taster…
Clip may not be representative of the blu-ray version
That concludes my Dead of Night blu-ray review, I’m aiming to review more horror movies soon. What’s next? Check back soon…
Summary: Dead of Night (1945) Blu-ray Review
Movie title: Dead of Night (1945)
Movie description: British horror anthology film from Ealing Studios
Duration: 104 mins
Director(s): Alberto Cavalcanti, Charles Crichton, Robert Hamer, Basil Dearden
Actor(s): Mervyn Johns, Anthony Baird, Roland Culver, Frederick Valk, Sally Ann Howes, Googie Withers, Michael Redgrave, ,
Genre: Horror
- Movie Rating
- Blu-ray Picture Rating
- Extras
Summary
A highly enjoyable British horror anthology