Night Must Fall
Cast Against Type: Heroes as Villains
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1h 56m
Directed by Richard Thorpe • 1937 • United States
Starring Robert Montgomery, Rosalind Russell, Dame May Whitty
The original screen version of playwright Emelyn Williams’s oft-adapted stage mystery gave Robert Montgomery—tired of his casting as rich playboys in light comedies—a chance to prove his mettle in a darker, edgier role than audiences had ever seen him in. He was rewarded with an Academy Award nomination for his performance as Danny, a wickedly charming Irish bellhop who wins the confidence of a wealthy, elderly invalid (Dame May Whitty). The old woman’s suspicious niece (Rosalind Russell) is not so easily swayed by Danny, but she finds him strangely attractive—especially when he exhibits a streak of viciousness.
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