Monday, 20 January 2020

On the Night Of the Fire (1939 Brian Desmond Hurst)

Unsatisfactory and irritating drama. Ralph Richardson steals £100, then kills a tailor (Henry Oscar) who's blackmailing him. His wife Diana Wynyard leaves him (she's too tall anyway) and 'Jimsey' Rodney Brent tries to help, for no good reason. Sara Allgood, Glynis Johns and Irene Handl all appear to one extent or another.

It was written by Hurst, Patrick Kirwan and Terence Young, from F.L. Green novel; Young also edited. Miklos Rozsa wrote the score, Gunther Krampf (The Hands of Orlac, Rome Express, Death at Broadcasting House) shot it and Erwin Hillier was the operator, so not uninteresting credentials.

Someone in the Radio Times film editorial department would have us believe this is a 'British film noir'. I would argue that there's no such thing, and even if there were, this isn't.

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