Night Must Fall

Released Apr 30, 1937

1h 57m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

4 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

Wealthy widow Mrs. Bramson (Dame May Whitty) notices that her maid (Merle Tottenham) is distracted, and when she learns the girl's fiancé is the reason, summons him in. When Danny (Robert Montgomery) arrives, he ingratiates himself with Mrs. Bramson, playing on her sympathies to earn himself a job as her assistant. Mrs. Bramson's niece Olivia (Rosalind Russell) takes a liking to Danny, however comes to believe that he may have been involved in the disappearance of a local woman.

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Meyer Levin (Patterson Murphy)

Esquire Magazine

Surprise masterpiece performance by Robert Montgomery in a psychological chiller. Rosalind Russell also strong. Film similar but in every way superior to Love From A Stranger.

May 5, 2020

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Ann Ross

Maclean's Magazine

It isn't exactly a pleasant study, but it's extraordinarily well done, with moments so tense that you can almost hear your neighbor's scalp creep.

Oct 3, 2019

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: B-

Jan 10, 2013

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Stagebound, unconvincing and tedious.

Rated: C

Jul 23, 2008

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Audience Member

One of my favorites!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

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Audience Member

Other commentators have complained about the "talkiness" of this thriller, and it can't be denied that much of the movie's almost-two-hour running time is squandered in the Welsh equivalent of blarney. (Thank original author Emlyn Williams, and remember this was originally a stage play -- in fact, I've seen it on stage, where it may work even better, with its more obvious and mannered mechanisms). You won't find a cast this good at a Wednesday matinee, however. Roz Russell, in plain-Jane getups, plays a definite third wheel to Robert Montgomery's charming psycho and Dame May Whitty's steely but dependent old battleaxe. Whitty walks away with the movie even though wheelchair-bound; she's amusingly annoying and in almost every scene, but at the end, when panic strikes her and she skitters off into hysteria, she shows what a great old trouper she was -- almost the British version of Marie Dressler. If you aren't totally spoiled by the whiplash pacing of today's movies, Night Must Fall still packs a special thrill for lovers of literate, well-acted melodrama. Just be a wee bit patient.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/08/23

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steve d

it was hard to root for anyone but the acting was great.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Audience Member

Implausible script in todays world. Unexplainable actions by the heroine, etc

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

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Audience Member

Great movie. Dame May Witty and Robert Montgomery give great performances.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

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Audience Member

Quite well crafted and interesting to watch. Robert Montgomery is fantastic in this role of a sociopathic yet charming killer. Rosalind Russell is no slouch either. Fun to watch and well made.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

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Richard Thorpe

Director

Robert Montgomery

Danny

Rosalind Russell

Olivia

Dame May Whitty

Mrs. Bramson

Alan Marshall

Justin

Merle Tottenham

Dora

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Synopsis

Wealthy widow Mrs. Bramson (Dame May Whitty) notices that her maid (Merle Tottenham) is distracted, and when she learns the girl's fiancé is the reason, summons him in. When Danny (Robert Montgomery) arrives, he ingratiates himself with Mrs. Bramson, playing on her sympathies to earn himself a job as her assistant. Mrs. Bramson's niece Olivia (Rosalind Russell) takes a liking to Danny, however comes to believe that he may have been involved in the disappearance of a local woman.

Director: Richard Thorpe
Producer: Hunt Stromberg
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 30, 1937, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 1, 2009
Runtime: 1h 57m

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