"Night Must Fall" is a 1937 film adaptation of the play by Emlyn Williams, adapted by John Van Druten and directed by Richard Thorpe. It stars Robert Montgomery, Rosalind Russell and Dame May Whitty. A critical success, "Night Must Fall" was named best film of 1937 by the National Board of Review.
The story revolves around the disappearance of a woman from the local hotel. It takes place at Rose Briars, the English country home of Mrs. Bransom, an elderly invalid, her niece Olivia, and their two servants, Dora her maid and Mrs. Terrance, the cook. The appearance of Danny, the boyfriend of Dora, who happens to work at the hotel, starts the thriller in motion.
Danny is a charming liar who immediately makes Olivia uneasy, but makes a point of charming Mrs. Bramson into hiring him. Then they find out that the missing woman has been murdered but her head is missing. The fact that Danny has in his possession a hatbox adds to the suspense.
If you haven't seen this film you must. It is one of Robert Montgomery's finest performances and one of the few he was proud of. He actually had to fight MGM to get the role as he had been pigeonholed by the studio as a light romantic lead.
My next three posts will discuss the wonderful cast of this film.
Do yourself a favor and watch this film. Maybe for Halloween????????
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