Night Must Fall (1937 film)
| Night Must Fall | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Richard Thorpe |
| Produced by | Hunt Stromberg |
| Written by |
Emlyn Williams (play) John Van Druten |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Edward Ward |
| Cinematography | Ray June |
| Edited by | Robert Kern |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
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Release date
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Running time
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116 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $589,000 (est.) |
| Box office | $1,015,000 (worldwide est.) |
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. Whitty reprised her role in the stage drama in London and New York City. A critical success, Night Must Fall was named the best film of the year by the National Board of Review.
A 1964 remake stars Albert Finney.
Mrs. Bramson (Dame May Whitty) is an irascible elderly woman who holds court in a small English village. She pretends to need a wheelchair, and impulsively threatens to fire her maid, Dora (Merle Tottenham), for allegedly stealing and breaking china. Meanwhile, the household learns that the police have searched a nearby river looking for the missing villager, Mrs. Shellbrook. Dora then introduces her Irish boyfriend, Danny (Robert Montgomery), who works for Mrs. Shellbrook. Perceiving that Mrs. Bramson is a hypochondriac who only affects her need for a wheelchair, Danny is charming toward her and says that she reminds him of his mother. He tells Mrs. Bramson that he loves Dora and would marry her if he had a better job. Mrs. Bramson obliges and he becomes her servant.
Mrs. Bramson's niece and companion, Olivia Grayne (Rosalind Russell), is suspicious of Danny, but Mrs. Bramson dismisses her concerns. When Mrs. Bramson's attorney, Justin Laurie (Alan Marshal), arrives to give his client money, he warns her not to keep so much cash in her possession; but she dismisses his concerns, as well. Meanwhile, Justin, who is in love with Olivia, asks her to marry him, but she refuses because their relationship lacks any true romance. Justin leaves feeling dejected, and Danny sees Mrs. Bramson putting the cash into her safe. Olivia's concerns are heightened when she catches Danny lying to Mrs. Bramson about a shawl that allegedly belonged to his mother, noticing that the price tag is still on the shawl. Still, Olivia cannot help being attracted to Danny.
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