Night Must Fall - A Story
Night Must Fall
by Emlyn Williams
On Thursday the 11th April we added to RUSC a Molle Mystery Theater presentation of Emlyn Williams's Night Must Fall. Purely by chance I also picked out the hour-long Suspense version to add to RUSC on the 12th April. What a treat! Joy and I thoroughly enjoyed the 30-minute Molle version but the Suspense episode starring Robert Montgomery and Dame Mae Witty in their original 1937 screen roles is truly outstanding.
Emlyn Williams (1905 - 1987) was a Welsh dramatist and actor and Night Must Fall was his first major thriller written in 1935. It was first performed as a stage production in London at the Duchess Theater on 31 May 1935, and featured Emlyn Williams himself as Danny, Dame Mae Witty as Mrs. Bramson, Angela Baddeley as Olivia Grayne and Mathew Boulton as Inspector Belsize all of who later repeated the roles on Broadway in 1936.
Following the 1937 film in 1938 Robert Montgomery was nominated for an Oscar for best actor in a leading role and Dame Mae Witty was nominated for best actress in a supporting role.
The Suspense version came ten years later in 1948 and three of the original great stars reprised their roles with Robert Montgomery not only starring but also producing this compelling episode. Montgomery is the charming young Irish man Danny whom the rich invalided old Mrs Bramson, played again by Dame Mae Witty, employs and is charmed by. Mathew Boulton again plays the part of Inspector Belsize. Heather Angel takes the role of Olivia Grayne, Mrs Bramson's niece who is less charmed by Danny and believes he is the murderer. However, this does not stop her from becoming fascinated by him and strangely attracted towards his dangerous personality.
The sound quality of this show is excellent, the acting performances superb and the suspense, well, suspenseful particularly near the end when Mrs Bramson fears she is going to be murdered.
This show would certainly win my nomination for an Oscar - on all accounts!
Happy listening my friends,
