
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:
- The Halfway House (1944)
- Mystery Junction (1951)
- Footsteps in the Fog (1955)
- Asylum (1972)
- Don’t Open till Christmas (1984)
- Borley Rectory (2017)
- Ghost Stories (2017)
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
On to my movie rating for Dead of Night (1945)

- Movie Rating: VERY GOOD
- Blu-ray Picture: VERY GOOD
- Extras: VERY GOOD
Amazon UK Links
Dead of Night (1945) is available out now on blu-ray.


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…
Note: 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.
Summary: Dead of Night (1945) Blu-ray Review
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