Last week, I touched upon a film that is not only a classic but was a classic film watch for my mom and me. And not just as a traditional watch during the Halloween season but all year round when the mood struck. NIGHT MUST FALL (1937).
Go ahead and get your coffee brewing while we discuss. I'll wait ...
Go ahead and get your coffee brewing while we discuss. I'll wait ...
... Great! Now, while you let the percolating begin, let's sit at the CINEMA COFFEE bar and chat a bit about Robert Montgomery, Rosalind Russell, and Dame May Whitty as Ros and Bob make their third of five film appearances together: FORSAKING ALL OTHERS (1934), TROUBLE FOR TWO (1936), NIGHT MUST FALL (1937), LIVE, LOVE AND LEARN (1937), and FAST AND LOOSE (1939).
In the five films they appeared in together, there is really a bundled assortment in their set. An "in passing" scene in FORSAKING ALL OTHERS. A mystery in TROUBLE FOR TWO. A drama/romance in LIVE, LOVE AND LEARN. And a bit 'o' fun sleuth/comedy in FAST AND LOOSE, which was to be a "Nick and Nora Charles" THE THIN MAN-esque series that fell short as it couldn't seem to get the right take off with not only Ros and Bob as the "Mr. and Mrs. Joel and Garda Sloane" husband-and-wife detective team, but also when the character couple was first filmed with Melvyn Douglas and Florence Rice as "Mr. and Mrs. Joel and Garda Sloane" in 1938, and lastly with Franchot Tone and Ann Sothern as the same husband and wife team in 1939. |
NIGHT MUST FALL being the most horrifying of the five films Ros and Bob filmed with one another, the two still make quite a pair.
As mentioned last week and several times previously, this was a film I introduced my mom to that became an instant classic film watch for us. Initially, a play written by the Welsh writer, dramatist, and actor Emlyn Williams (THE CORN IS GREEN, THE LIGHT OF HEART), first performed in 1935, the story was later adapted for television in 1954 with another on-screen adaptation in 1964 with Albert Finney. Yet, for me, this 1937 adaptation seen here with the cast of Robert Montgomery, Rosalind Russell, (Dame) May Whitty, Alan Marshall, Merle Tottenham, and Kathleen Harrison, is incomparable.
Now, I admit, the first watch-through on my NIGHT MUST FALL did not hold my attention--I know, I know. I was vastly sleepin' on the job—At the time, I was relatively new to Robert Montgomery, as he was the Star of The Month on TCM, and there was something about the innocence in his looks and sincerity showcased on-screen in those early films TCM aired that did catch my attention. Leading me to set my recorder that first night of Montgomery's month to capture every film scheduled during his Star of The Month spotlight as I quickly realized he was an actor I needed to see more of on-screen and widen my filmography to every film I could of his work. I have been grateful to have these recordings in my DVD library ever since. SINS OF THE CHILDREN, THE BIG HOUSE, HERE COMES MR. JORDAN (that's a whole other blog post of its own)—I'm lookin' at you.
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Amongst those recordings was the gem I almost did not see. If it were not for house cleaning with my recorder playing in the background, I'd have missed what caught my attention:
"Danny! Danny!" ... *laughs hysterically* ...
Everything stopped. Before I knew it, I was sitting on the edge of the bed in awe. In shock. What could have Dame May Whitty screaming like this? Once the scene played out, I immediately tried to rewind enough to see what brought her to such a point. What did she do? I found out straight away, that it would take more than just going back a few chapters to get a grip as to what "Danny" (Robert Montgomery) was up to. You had to start from the beginning. Involved I became in the storyline. Involved. I did not skip a beat watching it this time around. In the back of my mind, I was wondering, why didn't I catch the excitement in this the first time I ever watched it? Why did it not capture my attention during the first watch-through? I have no words, no reason or explanation as to why. I can only say I'm thankful for the pure bravado performance of Dame May Whitty that snapped my seat to attention to sit down and watch NIGHT MUST FALL from beginning to end.
If you have not seen this film, I will do NO spoiling for you. You have to see this one for yourself. It is gripping. From the first whistling tune of "Mighty Like a Rose" ("... indeed, never heard so much rubbish in all'm'life."), hidden in the mist of fog during the opening scene on through that "... long walk. All by'm'self," at the end. You are right there in that small English Cottage witnessing the comings and goings as if you live in that town yourself.
Last week in my CINEMA COFFEE blog post, "The Smell of Mimosa" where I highlighted THE UNINVITED, I also gave a shout-out to Old Time Radio lovers, with a link to the radio adaptation of NIGHT MUST FALL, under production and hosted by Robert Montgomery. This broadcast also brought along Dame May Whitty, as both Montgomery and Whitty reprised their on-screen roles with Heather Angel in the Rosalind Russell role in the 1948 OTR adaptation for SUSPENSE: NIGHT MUST FALL Starring Robert Montgomery and Dame May Whitty.
Along with an adaptation with James Cagney in the role of Danny in 1944 for THE SCREEN GUILD THEATER: NIGHT MUST FALL Starring James Cagney and Dame May Whitty.
As I mentioned earlier, NIGHT MUST FALL was written for the stage by Emlyn Williams (who also acted in films such as THE SCARF (1951) and THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT (1938)) and was performed on stage in 1935 at London's Duchess Theatre, where May Whitty originated the role of "Mrs. Bramson," recreating the role in its New York premiere in September of 1936, where her reprising would continue for the 1937 M-G-M film opposite a convincingly played "Danny," acted by Robert Montgomery.
I can tell you firsthand, without giving anything away, when Robert Montgomery arrives as Danny, somehow, you know you are in for a gripping tale of a ride. His accent as the Irish "Page Boy" doesn't offset anything in his performance, it only enhances it (imo). As his character says in the film, "... they'll get their money's worth ..." Indeed, we do. Not only in performance but also—in the long run—knowing what range Robert Montgomery would have in his career as a whole as an actor, never mind that he would go on to direct and produce.
And for those, who may have been like me, who knew Rosalind Russell solely during their youth as AUNTIE MAME or seen her only as Mrs. Prowler—I mean, "Fowler," in THE WOMEN (1939), it is like entering a whole new world of cinema to discover her career was quite—if not all—dramatic up to the point of her landing the role of Sylvia Fowler in THE WOMEN. Just as it broadened what Joan Crawford was "known for" up to that point as "Crystal Allen" in THE WOMEN—she was not just a "shopgirl" in distress anymore—so did the same for Rosalind Russell. Enter comedies, romances--Don Ameche—and becoming a girl with a-day-right-outta-the-week opposite Cary Grant:
And for those, who may have been like me, who knew Rosalind Russell solely during their youth as AUNTIE MAME or seen her only as Mrs. Prowler—I mean, "Fowler," in THE WOMEN (1939), it is like entering a whole new world of cinema to discover her career was quite—if not all—dramatic up to the point of her landing the role of Sylvia Fowler in THE WOMEN. Just as it broadened what Joan Crawford was "known for" up to that point as "Crystal Allen" in THE WOMEN—she was not just a "shopgirl" in distress anymore—so did the same for Rosalind Russell. Enter comedies, romances--Don Ameche—and becoming a girl with a-day-right-outta-the-week opposite Cary Grant:
If you're going to do #FashionFriday ... Be Fashion Friday.
— Dominique Revue (@DominiqueRevue) November 4, 2022
... by way of Hildy Johnson.
Rosalind Russell in director Howard Hawks' HIS GIRL FRIDAY (1940). Designs by Robert Kalloch. pic.twitter.com/TsRwypPbdZ
Oh my, we must make that a CINEMA COFFEE discussion soon, and how. My coffee chat on that topic has no end! (UPDATE: Read my CINEMA COFFEE blog post "Positively the same dame")
I could also tell you that you will never look at a hat box the same ever again ... But I will end here on this Hallow's Eve-end as Halloween will be upon us shortly after this weekend passes, hopefully with NIGHT MUST FALL there at the end of our day as a newfound spooky season traditional watch for you, just as it was for myself and ... #ForMyMom.
For my other CINEMA COFFEE blog pieces:
#ForMyMom Cinema Coffee ... | COFFEE CINEMA: Talking Streetcar | CINEMA COFFEE: "Et tu, Brute?" | CINEMA COFFEE: "La Chocolaterie" | CINEMA COFFEE: "Milk? I loathe milk!" | CINEMA COFFEE: "Elderberry Wine ..." | CINEMA COFFEE: "The choice I never had ..." | CINEMA COFFEE: "The smell of Mimosa" | CINEMA COFFEE: "Mighty like a Rose" | CINEMA COFFEE: "Don't cry on the rolls" | CINEMA COFFEE: "You're the first Kansas I ever met" | CINEMA COFFEE: "Everybody calls me Gracie" | CINEMA COFFEE: "What the devil are Belinskis?!" | CINEMA COFFEE: "Hello friends and enemies." | CINEMA COFFEE: "Stop remindin' me of heaven." | CINEMA COFFEE: "Even Gatsby could happen" | CINEMA COFFEE: "I made a wish" | CINEMA COFFEE: Audie Murphy | CINEMA COFFEE: Put The Blame on Mame | CINEMA COFFEE: "Just Singleton." | CINEMA COFFEE: "Where I Come From, Nobody Knows" | Film Therapy: Coping through Cinema | CINEMA COFFEE: Socks fall down | CINEMA COFFEE: "The moon's reaching for me" | CINEMA COFFEE: The Horne: Luso World Cinema Blogathon | CINEMA COFFEE: Aunt Bettye Lightsy | CINEMA COFFEE: I never lose | CINEMA COFFEE: "I have a mother!" | CINEMA COFFEE: THE SIGN OF GEMINI | CINEMA COFFEE: Venus Rising | CINEMA COFFEE: Stan vs Geek | CINEMA COFFEE: "Positively the same dame" | CINEMA COFFEE: I would rather lose ma whip than lose ma Daisy! | CINEMA COFFEE: "D'ENTRE LES MORTS goes VERTIGO"
#ForMyMom Cinema Coffee ... | COFFEE CINEMA: Talking Streetcar | CINEMA COFFEE: "Et tu, Brute?" | CINEMA COFFEE: "La Chocolaterie" | CINEMA COFFEE: "Milk? I loathe milk!" | CINEMA COFFEE: "Elderberry Wine ..." | CINEMA COFFEE: "The choice I never had ..." | CINEMA COFFEE: "The smell of Mimosa" | CINEMA COFFEE: "Mighty like a Rose" | CINEMA COFFEE: "Don't cry on the rolls" | CINEMA COFFEE: "You're the first Kansas I ever met" | CINEMA COFFEE: "Everybody calls me Gracie" | CINEMA COFFEE: "What the devil are Belinskis?!" | CINEMA COFFEE: "Hello friends and enemies." | CINEMA COFFEE: "Stop remindin' me of heaven." | CINEMA COFFEE: "Even Gatsby could happen" | CINEMA COFFEE: "I made a wish" | CINEMA COFFEE: Audie Murphy | CINEMA COFFEE: Put The Blame on Mame | CINEMA COFFEE: "Just Singleton." | CINEMA COFFEE: "Where I Come From, Nobody Knows" | Film Therapy: Coping through Cinema | CINEMA COFFEE: Socks fall down | CINEMA COFFEE: "The moon's reaching for me" | CINEMA COFFEE: The Horne: Luso World Cinema Blogathon | CINEMA COFFEE: Aunt Bettye Lightsy | CINEMA COFFEE: I never lose | CINEMA COFFEE: "I have a mother!" | CINEMA COFFEE: THE SIGN OF GEMINI | CINEMA COFFEE: Venus Rising | CINEMA COFFEE: Stan vs Geek | CINEMA COFFEE: "Positively the same dame" | CINEMA COFFEE: I would rather lose ma whip than lose ma Daisy! | CINEMA COFFEE: "D'ENTRE LES MORTS goes VERTIGO"