Endless Night (I) (1972) User Reviews

Most Odd

[chuffnobbler · 6/10 · 28 May 2007]

British Lion made some great films: Don't Look Now and The Wicker Man leap to mind immediately. Great cult films that pack a real punch, dealing with weird subject matter and huge twisting plots.

Endless Night was made by British Lion at around the same time as these better-known films; accordingly, it's the least Agatha Christie-ish Agatha Christie you'll ever see.

A definite tinge of Hitchcock in some sequences, and Bernard Hermann's weird, eerie music helps. There are some nice, eerie, disjointed flashbacks and some strange and sinister dreamy sequences.

Hayley Mills gives life to a bland character, lumbered with an iffy accent and someone else's singing voice. Britt Ekland is luminous and lusty as ever. Hywel Bennett is really rather suave, in his own way. The house, Gypsy's Acre, is a real Bond Villain's Lair: a monstrosity of hidden swimming pools and groovy furniture. The foul creation of a seedy Swedish architect. Despite this, Hywel and Hayley seem happy ... until Britt moves in with them.

The storytelling gets a bit unclear at the end, where it is clearly stated that one character did not exist and is merely specifically employed to scare and unsettle people. Poison is the cause of death of a character, but not mentioned by the coroner. As a result of this, I found the last ten minutes of the film rather baffling. It seemed that the film's desperation to be strange and creepy led it to contradict itself. Or maybe I missed the point?

Guaranteed 100% Miss Marple Free, there's glamour and sinister overtones, taking the film into totally new territory for Agatha Christie.

My Old Flame

[ferbs54 · 7/10 · 25 December 2007]

Around 45 years ago, when I was just a young lad, Hayley Mills was my favorite actress, and her 1962 film "In Search of the Castaways" was my favorite film, but between this and that, I don't think I've seen Hayley in anything since 1965's "That Darn Cat." How nice, then, to see her, the other night, at age 26 in the 1972 British film "Endless Night," and to realize what a nubile nymph my old flame had turned into later in life! In this adaptation of a 1967 Agatha Christie novel, Hayley plays Ellie Thomsen, the 6th richest girl in the world, who, after one date with pretty-boy chauffeur Michael (excellently portrayed by Welsh actor Hywel Bennett), elopes with him and builds his dream house in the Herts countryside. It is hard to figure out what words best describe "Endless Night." It is not really a horror movie, or a love story, or a thriller, but certainly does have elements of all these types. The picture IS remarkably atmospheric, in no small measure due to yet another wonderfully evocative score by the great Bernard Herrmann, and should manage to baffle most viewers who are trying to figure out just where the story line is going. Besides the fine work by its two leads, veterans George Sanders (here in one of his last roles, and playing what his character self-describes as a "desiccated old poop") and Lois Maxwell add sterling support, and even Britt Ekland turns in a convincing performance as Ellie's tutor/companion. Throw in some gorgeous scenery in the Herts and Positano countrysides, a surprise final quarter hour that manages to subvert everything we thought we knew, and two or three mild scares and you've got yourself one very interesting entertainment. Kudos, indeed, to writer/director Sidney Gilliat! I just hope that I'm not foolish enough to wait another 40 years before watching Hayley Mills in another picture. Perhaps it's time for me to finally check out Hayley and Hywel in 1968's "Twisted Nerve"...IF it ever gets released on DVD!

Very much worth seeking out

[39-0-13 · 7/10 · 9 October 2014]

I just watched Julia McKenzie in the recent adaptation of the Christie novel, inserting Miss Marple where she was originally absent. I clicked on the IMDb and Amazon to learn more about the production and found that there had been a 1971 movie which hewed more closely to the original. A purchase of a used DVD gave me pleasure for my money. It's interesting to see how different script writers turned and twisted the basic story lines and how the movies surprised and shocked the viewer. I won't repeat the comments that have already been said on this forum about this '71 film, but I will emphasize the value of seeing the opening minutes again to pick up fat clues that might be missed on first viewing -- the footsteps heard in the Van Gogh museum and the statement of the mother later that her son had experienced something significant. The movie just seems to sail along making one wonder what the mystery is, what the crime was, until the revelations that suddenly come toward the end. Talk about the technique of the unreliable narrator in mystery stories! By the way, Jon Tuska in his great critical work THE DETECTIVE IN Hollywood casually dismisses this movie as not very good. He's wrong.

Too slow to really be a thriller, but oddly interesting with terrific twist

[DrLenera · 28 July 2004]

Endless Night is one of those movies that is hugely flawed, and yet it sticks in the mind unlike many more polished movies. Extremely slow paced for much of it's length and with several sequences that feel almost unnecessary, and even a few which just seem wierd, the film than delivers a true knock out of a twist which makes one realise how well the story has been constructed. For this reason, in some respect it's more satisfying to watch the second time even if one is no longer surprised, because one can notice all the little clues that have been put in ,and many of the previously mentioned unnecessary or wierd bits seem more essential. There is, though, one huge red herring that seems rather pointless.

This was the last of the Hywell Bennett/Hayley Mills collaborations for the Boulting Brothers and it is possibly their most interesting. Cast are all excellent ,including George Sanders in one of his final roles, and this is just as well since the film is indeed extremely talky. The alternately eerie and romantic Bernard Herrmann score is very memorable, although they could have made sure Mills' singing voice [obviously dubbed] sounded like her normal voice.

Many will be unsatisfied with this film ,but try it if you fancy a somewhat different kind of thriller, even it's only really a thriller in the final half hour!

Christie psychothriller punctuated by memorable performances and eerie images

[drownsoda90 · 7/10 · 9 May 2015]

"Endless Night" follows working-class freewheeling chauffeur Michael (Hywel Bennett) who falls in love with a billionaire heiress Ellie (Hayley Mills). The two marry, and build a large estate on property in the English countryside known as Gypsy's Acre, which is purported by locals to be cursed land. After Ellie's relative Greta (Britt Ekland) arrives to stay, a series of bizarre events unfold, including ominous encounters with an elderly gypsy woman who roams the property.

Based on the Agatha Christie novel, director Sidney Gilliat takes the meat of Christie's novel and puts unique twinges on it that are reminiscent of Hitchcock (Bernard Herrmann's spooky score understates this). The film is admittedly slow, especially in exposition, and there are few quote-unquote thrills to be had, but I found this film strangely compelling in spite of its odd pacing.

There is a consistent sense of unease that permeates nearly every scene, although it's difficult to put your finger on what is exactly the cause. The photography in the film is fantastic, capturing the rolling landscapes and the cloudy skies surrounding the manor; this is punctuated by subtle scares that come in the form of various figures lurking below on the hillsides or in the woods, almost like indistinct figures in a painting. The film is at times reminiscent of English Gothic in its aesthetics, even though the house itself is very much "retro '70s" in both style and furnishings.

Solid performances from Hywel Bennett and Hayley Mills really shine here, with Mills being especially memorable as a good natured girl who happens to be a billionaire ("world's sixth richest!"). Britt Ekland is also great as the stalwart and fawning relative— her performance really comes full circle in the finale, which provides her the bulk of the role's dynamics, and she handles it fabulously. The conclusion to the film is fairly routine by contemporary standards, although I can honestly say that I didn't see the plot twists coming, so props to Christie and the filmmakers' handling of the material— I was definitely had by the film.

Overall, "Endless Night" is an enjoyable and well-acted picture that seems to have been forgotten in time. It is too slow to qualify as a full-blooded thriller, but there are tinges of a British psychothriller here with some genuinely bizarre and eerie moments that stand out among effective cinematography and a disquieting score. In spite of the film's lackluster pacing, it is unexpectedly transfixing, and manages to hold one's attention until the head twisting finale. 7/10.

Wonderful

[Gunnar_Runar_Ingibjargarson · 6/10 · 20 June 2008]

True-blue Agatha Christie fans know better than anyone that the creator of Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot did not always write crime-solving procedural. Endless Night, published in 1968, is a perfect example of the moody, psychological thriller Christie sometimes explored, particularly in the late years of her career. This 1972 adaptation, scripted and directed by seasoned British filmmaker Sidney Gilliat, is indeed a strange duck: a compelling tale of small, unsettling phenomena and events, but with no defining mystery, no apparent crime to pull the details together--not until quite late in the story, that is. Hayley Mills and Hywel Bennett, partnered together in several films (The Family Way, Twisted Nerve) during the 1960s and '70s, play an American heiress and an underemployed London chauffeur who marry and move into a dream house designed for them by a world-class architect (Per Oscarsson). In short order, things begin to get mighty weird. A crazy old woman stomps around the couple's property, whispering ambiguous warnings. The bride's nuisance of a sister (Britt Ekland) moves in, and a handful of disapproving relatives keep popping up to belittle the hero. Where this is all leading is entirely unexpected--Christie and Gilliat really have us falling without a parachute for a while--yet it's exciting and tragic all at once. Nice performances all around, with special admiration for Oscarsson's role as the dying architect.

Anomalous dark Christie romance/mystery

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 3 October 2005]

How old was Agatha Christie when she wrote this? Pushing 70? She was pretty old, about my age, and that might account for the tragic emotional tonus of this story.

You wouldn't know this was a Christie story if it weren't so advertised. True, there are some of the usual themes -- British class distinctions, extreme wealth, jealousy, poison -- but they are submerged by a love story that seems at first to be going nowhere fast. The story lacks any of the novelist's usual subtle wit.

No point in spelling out the plot in any detail. A poor chauffeur-for-hire meets a blond sylph and they fall for each other. He discovers that she is the sixth richest girl in the world, her coming-of-age party having been covered in the newspapers, and he rejects her because, as he says, "I have my pride." (The audience may be forgiven for a few muffled chuckles at this point.) She dies under mysterious circumstances while riding. In these circles, "riding" is taken to mean horseback riding. He inherits the money. And things thereafter go a little berserk without there being a hell of a lot in the way of motivation.

The film is narrated by the young man, Michael (Bennett). At first his story seems perfectly reasonable and he is presented as a fellow of principle if not money. Hayley Mills is introduced in a filmy white dress, her long blonde hair wafted by the breeze as she capers alone in a meadow, slender limbs, radiantly healthy, and -- well, you know the type. Eminently edible. But Michael's story, though it begins normally enough, describing the approach-avoidance conflict from which he suffers, being in love with Mills and yet resenting her wealth, gradually changes.

He becomes less and less reasonable, and less nice. He's impolite to Greta (Eklund), Mills' tutor and possessive friend. Greta is often described as "bossy" but frankly her supposed obsession with power isn't well shown. There is just one argument -- a slightly bitchy one -- between Greta and Michael over the placement of a more than usually ugly statue of a cat. What evidence we see of her bossiness is rather weak tea. If they're going to have a domineering German nurse, couldn't the nurse and Hayley Mills have had a little consensual flagellation or something? The climax seems to come out of thin air. A sudden unmotivated reversal of the character of Michael.

It's not a bad movie though. Romance, yes, but a romance filled somehow with uneasiness and a gradually growing sense of dread. And when I first watched this and heard the first few notes of the score, I thought, "OMG, the composer is ripping off Bernard Hermann note for note." It turned out to BE Hermann, and a very effective Hermann at that, full of an eerie melancholy.

Maybe the reason it leaves a viewer feeling sad is that Christie seems to be stretching her talent so much trying to achieve "significance." And for the first time I'm aware of, we actually care about the character who dies, whereas in previous stories the victim was nothing more than a stereotype who, once gone, was forgotten. The death was only a pivot on which the remainder of the story could turn. Here, it's really too bad.

Would-be Hitchcock

[heedarmy · 6/10 · 28 June 2006]

The last film made by the illustrious Launder & Gilliat team is a psycho-thriller that desperately wants to be praised as "Hitchcockian" and even recruits Bernard Herrmann, Hitch's favourite composer, to write the score. Perhaps the Hitchcock film it most resembles, however, is "Frenzy" – both seem to be the work of ageing filmmakers trying to get "with it".

"Endless Night" is extremely faithful to Agatha Christie's source novel (it may be the closest-ever filming of one of her novels) but neither of the two protagonists seem to come across with the same conviction that they do in the book. Hayley Mills struggles with a difficult part (Ellie is a fairly insipid character) while Hywel Bennett somehow never convinces as the enigmatic Michael.

There's lots of fun spotting familiar faces in the supporting cast, including an uncredited Nicholas Courtney (the Brigadier from "Doctor Who") as the auctioneer. Per Oscarsson is good as the insightful architect Santonix, who guesses something of what is going on, although our admiration for him is lessened by the hideously vulgar house he builds (which all the characters acclaim as a masterpiece!) I can't help wondering what Dame Agatha's loyal fans made of this film; the setting in an idyllic corner of rural England is traditional enough but the atmosphere is a great deal darker than usual. The novel, written in 1967, represented quite a bold departure for the writer (and a successful one) but the film at times descends into banality. Having said that, the twee nature of Ellie and Michael's romance gives the conclusion much more impact and the final images are startling.

A bizarre screen adaptation of an Agatha Christie novel

[AlsExGal · 3/10 · 23 December 2022]

Hayley Mills gets top billing, although Hywel Bennett gets the most screen time, as he 'tells' the story of how he met Mills. Bennett was a sort of ne'er do well chauffeur who considered himself quite the authority on art, meets really rich girl Mills,and to make a long disjointed story short,they marry.

There are a horde of relatives and neighbors who you think might have something to do with something, but they just wander in and out. Mills, who has a difficult time with her 'Anmerican' accent, only trusts one person--Britt Ekland (she was hired as a German tudor, but stayed on as 'companion') The only 'relative' who gets any scenes at all is George Sanders, an advisor she calls 'uncle'.

Usually so paced and cool, you get the uncomfortable feeling Sanders is in an uncharacteristic hurry to get his lines out. Anyway,there's an overly emotional architect (Per Oscarsson) who designs a modern house for them, and a strange old lady who just hovers around after warning them not to move there. The house has lots of interesting features (like a swimming pool under the living room floor) controlled by a giant clicker, and the furnishings are an odd combo of old-world art and wrought iron next to track lighting and chrome.

Three of the characters end up dead, and despite watching the death bed scene of Oscarsson twice, I still don't get why he's dying. Mills, despite the dialect problems, is the only one that turned in much of a performance here,Bennett is just okay, and Ekland, a really beautiful woman, is pretty bad (she does have one screaming scene that's believable). Frequent flashes of images don't add a thing and the whole production just feels jerky. Despite the label 'drama/mystery/horror', don't expect much of any. The only horror is the presence of what are referred to as 'wasps' at a party, but close-ups show they are just honeybees--even the bugs were badly miscast. I can't recommend this one, even to die-hard Christie fan.

Surprising twists & turns!

[midge56 · 7/10 · 13 March 2010]

SPOILERS!!!

I recommend watching this movie BEFORE reading spoilers or the book, due to unexpected twists & surprise events.

The story and plot were quite exceptional which caught me completely by surprise, twice. There is a haunting quality to this story. An unusual role for Hayley Mills which draws you in, despite the negatives.

The Director did not do justice to this story. Hayley Mills, playing the role of a young, wealthy "American" girl in Britain (with her British accent) was absurd. A simple change of lines in the script would have fixed the problem by altering nationality and her point of origin without negatively impacting the film.

I adore Hayley Mills so it was quite an unexpected shock when she suddenly met with her demise in the film. Hayley was indeed anorexic but this was the "Twiggy" era where "thin was in." However, wardrobe shouldn't have selected open-chest dresses where her ribs were so prominent.

The "Dream house" was oddly inappropriate for the setting and the feel of the film. It was like one of those "ultra modern" Frank Lloyd Wright designs. This big, white, modern art house was a blotch against the backdrop of the quaint, beautiful English country setting. Even with the fun and exorbitant features of automated walls, floors, hidden pools… the house (for this setting) was gaudy and tastelessly offensive to most of the viewers.

The continuity was hard to follow. It jumps around between flashback narration, different time-lines, visual hallucinations, audio hallucinations, dream states, things that made no sense and various events and scenes where you have trouble following which part goes with what scenario. The ending of the movie seemed to be cut off in mid sentence and left unfinished. You definitely have to watch it more than once to track the nuances of this storyline.

Hywell (Michael) was quite complex in this role. The behavior of his character seemed to run hot and cold for no apparent reason. Thus, his character was quite puzzling until the very end of the movie when the sinister secrets of his past deeds were revealed. It was certainly a shock to learn what his character had done to his new wife and his dark affiliation with their houseguest.

The nude scenes with Ekland were completely unnecessary. They cheapened an otherwise classy suspense story. It seemed rude and disrespectful in a Hayley Mills movie. I don't blame Agatha for her reaction. It was a trashy thing for the director to do and didn't fit with the film any more than the gaudy house. Agatha should have retained more control over the movie adaptation.

The film editor did a terrible cutting job as the scenes jumped suddenly from one event to the other without transition. The worst case was when the glass door was shattered and the scene instantly cut from the shattering glass to a neighbor on the edge of the porch attacking the new owner. As it was cut, the neighbor was directly outside when the glass was shattered so he would have seen or heard what smashed the glass. His reactions made no sense. There needed to be some kind of transition of time, events and occurrence to separate the flow of the scenes.

Santonix, the dying architect character had terrible dialogue written for his lines, which were confusing to say the least. Most of his lines made no sense, even after watching the film more than once. Lines such as: "You should have gone the other way" "You let her take possession" "Have you any idea where you are going" and "I can't reach you" were in drastic need of improvement. They didn't make sense and were crammed together without context or flow. It also implies his character knew about the fiendish murder plot and did nothing to stop it... other than his few odd lines of dialogue. The actor genuinely appeared sickly in real life. I was surprised to find he is 83 years old.

Dubbing the singing voice for Hayley was a terrible choice. The singers voice was too mature for the very young Hayley and did not come close to matching her distinctive voice. They could have had the singing in the background of the film without depicting Hayley as the singer. It is very disturbing hearing this heavy voice coming out of Hayley.

It was sad to learn George Sanders killed himself 5 months before this movie was released. He was quite excellent in his role, as usual. It is a shame he didn't appreciate the talent and popularity he had. It was reported that the costly effects of a minor stroke had affected his speech, stamina and certain abilities like playing the piano. Some of the effects were said to have been noticeable in his final film, Psychomania. The stroke effects, depression, drinking and loss of properties were mentioned as reasons for his final decision.

I was also surprised to learn this movie had not been released in the US. It explains why I had never heard about this Hayley Mills movie. Apparently, it received a poor response in the UK. I'm not surprised. Hayley was a Disney star and a household name. I doubt the audience was ready to see her character murdered in a dark role like this and likely would not have been received well. Most problems were due to the director, dialogue and editing... Certainly no fault of the actors or Agatha's story which were all excellent.

It is still a great story with a marvelous cast and well worth watching... more than once. It is a surprising storyline with unexpected twists and turns.

And I Thought "Twisted Nerve" Was Bad!

[ags123 · 2/10 · 17 May 2018]

This is worse, if that's possible. Even the Bernard Herrmann score can't redeem this one. Hayley Mills and Hywel Bennett have to be among the least charismatic movie couples. Hayley should have taken the part of Lolita when Kubrick offered it to her; maybe her career would have turned in the right direction. And speaking of direction, Sidney Gilliat shows no affinity for it here; the scenes are sloppy, disjointed and, worst of all, boring. The supposed supernatural elements of the story went right over my head, as did much of the plot (maybe I was asleep). I'm giving the film two stars for that "modern" house! Despite being a total cheesefest, it's the most fascinating thing in the whole movie.

Very entertaining

[halfcolombian · 9/10 · 5 August 2002]

I don't agree at all with the poor reviews of this movie. I first saw this movie years ago and it stayed in my mind and finally I had the pleasure of finding it on dvd so I ordered it. It's probably my favourite dvd I have so far. It's a low-budget movie but yet it's a movie with a lot of class. The actors give great performances, above all Hayley Mills, and Bernard Herrmans score is sensational. It's a beautiful production and at times it made me think of "vertigo", and not only because herrman wrote the theme to that movie too. I love this movie! Sure they could make a billion dollar remake of it with a lot of stars but it still wouldn't beat this. It's a piece of art.

Very good - even better on the second viewing

[gridoon2024 · 7/10 · 1 August 2009]

"Endless Night" may not as fun and exciting as other films based on Agatha Christie books, but it is more psychologically complex and artistically inventive than many of them. The emphasis here is not on the twists and the red herrings (although there are certainly enough of them), but on the characters and their relationships. The movie plays out like a novel, taking its time in telling the story, and thanks to fine performances by the cast, especially the two leads, Hywel Bennett and Hayley Mills (who is lovely and charming), the characters feel like real people. Writer-director Sidney Gilliat (who had worked with Alfred Hitchcock earlier in his career, as had of course composer Bernard Herrmann and actor George Sanders) carefully sets up a creepy mood, and gives us some striking shots (especially the "painting coming to life"). Some details near the end get a little muddled (who and why took that photograph, when did the police come into the house, etc.), but the movie works above all as a psychological study of a split personality. *** out of 4.

Should be named Endless Movie

[tomhunter8 · 1/10 · 31 May 2007]

My wife and I both love movies from the 70's, British films, Agatha Christie and are always more than willing to appreciate camp. However, this film was terrible. It reminded me of a movie length Night Gallery episode and I don't mean one of the better ones.

I knew we were in trouble when they set the tone by simply showing the ocean breaking on the rocky shoreline for the entire opening credits. It was very slow and never drew me into the characters. Multiple times my wife said, "This does not seem like a Christie film." By the time the "twist" finally arrived, I was much more interested in being done with the film than I was who committed the murder and how.

I read where some tried to compare this film with Hitchcock, but this film wouldn't even match up to Hammer.

The real murder was the killing of almost two hours of my time.

Not so great if you're an Agatha Christie fan

[Beady-El · 2 January 2003]

I won't say it's a bad film, but I have to believe the liberties taken with the adaptation of the story go well beyond the nudity and modern setting. (I will say that the house with the remote-controlled indoor swimming pool in the living room was a bit over the top.)

I will confess that I did not guess the direction the plot would take, but what was so disappointing was the profusion of loose ends and entirely pointless characters. Agatha didn't usually write them that way - everyone ended up with a role in the outcome of the story. Here we are presented with in-laws, neighbors, family friends, and a mysterious old woman --- all of whom have nothing at all to do with the resolution of the story. Most of them could have been omitted entirely and the story would have been essentially unchanged.

My DVD even featured an editing error: about 10 seconds of the film repeat precisely (when the girl's parents are observed getting back into their car to leave.)

There is also a broken window that is never explained, a ghostly appearance that is never accounted for or revisited, a car is observed to take an unusually long to get somewhere - but we are never given the significance. An architect seems to know things the audience does not -- yet no explanation is offered of how he knows them.

Like Agatha's best writing, characters and clues and complications pile up... but then they are inexplicably thrown away in favor of an unexpected, yet rather anticlimactic resolution.

Curious but worth a look

[Iain-215 · 7/10 · 7 July 2008]

One tends to think of the works of Agatha Christie as being 'period' and therefore expect film adaptations of them to be correspondingly elegant and Art Deco (Poirot) or cosy post war village (Miss Marple). Christie however wrote well into the early seventies pulling even Poirot and (to a lesser extent) Miss Marple with her and infusing these later works with the flavours and changes of the times. The Poirot novels 'Third Girl' and 'Hallowe'en Party' have some particularly relevant comments to make, the stand alone novel 'Endless Night' even more so. It's a very unusual work, almost one of her 'romantic' Westmacott novels with some quite startling character portraits, particularly that of the narrator Michael Rogers. Indeed, I have always felt that it has a very modern feel to it - almost like one of Ruth Rendell's psychological thrillers.

As other reviewers have pointed out, it is very difficult to review both book and film fully without revealing a lot about the denouement but suffice to say most viewers should find the last fifteen minutes or so very surprising indeed. Given that the book was written in 1968, this 1972 film version is actually quite in 'period' and makes a pretty good job of it. It sticks quite faithfully to the book, remarkably so in fact following the narrative very closely with the result that there is little 'action' during the first hour or so. Such changes as there are are quite minor. At the time of its release, a great deal was made of the 'sex scene' inserted towards the end but by today's standards it is pretty tame and makes sense taken in context. A concerted effort has been made in the way it has been shot to turn it into one of those weird thrillers so beloved of British cinema and television at the time and the score adds to this. On the whole though it works very well.

As to the cast, Hayley Mills captures Ellie's strange mix of naivety and strength very well I think (but her American accent is terrible). George Sanders oozes class as Andrew Lippincott and Britt Ekland is not too bad as Greta but this is an important character and Ekland does not make her important enough. The lead role of Michael is very complex and Hywel Bennet makes a fair stab at it without really nailing it. The film is a bit of an oddity but works on the whole and is definitely worth a watch.

Enjoyable, Intriguing, and Disjointed

[BaronBl00d · 6/10 · 3 June 2012]

I had heard of this film but had not taken the time to watch it for many years. After all it does have one of the great George Sander's final performances(albeit brief and rather tame)to recommend it. I finally sat down and was actually pleasantly surprised and not surprised it is not better known too. A newly married couple move into their newly constructed home called Gypsy something built by a great Greek architect who is dying(unconvincingly played by a Swede I might add). The young man, played rather nicely by young(then) Brit Hywel Bennett, is a poor, job to job fellow who enjoys beautiful things. He meets a young, attractive American, also played nicely by Haley Mills, who turns out to be one of the richest women in the world. The two meet, fall in love, move in to their dream house, and then the girl dies. Why? What happens to her? Is it her family that is concerned of their inheritance? Is it the young man? It is the strange family friend - played with her usual aplomb and sexiness by Britt Ekland? Only sitting through the movie will make me divulge(not really even that I suppose). Endless Night is a bit plodding at times. But - it is strangely watchable even though so little happens AND the ending - for me - could be seen a mile away. There is Bernard Herrmann's haunting score. There is Sidney Gilliat's workmanlike though not astonishing direction. But the acting by a cast of British stalwarts helped me stay focused despite the somewhat muddled script, the unlikely transitions, and the plot holes. The leads are all pretty good, but then you get folks like Madge Ryan(Who's Killing the Great Chefs of Europe), Lois Maxwell - very good here(James Bond's Moneypenny), Peter Bowles(To the Manor Born), and people like Ann Way and Patience Collier who you know you know but don't know what they were in at the moment. Then there is Mr. Sanders. This is generally seen as his second to last film(his last being the bizarre horror film about a frog demon and death-wielding motorcyclists)before killing himself from what he referred to as "boredom." He still looks suave and sounds great despite looking pretty old here. He has really two good scenes and makes the most of what he is given to do. Endless Night is an entertaining little thriller with some selling points despite some obvious weaknesses.

Unusual Agatha Christie fare, not for all tastes

[kevinolzak · 6/10 · 16 December 2022]

1972's "Endless Night" was the final chapter in the career of screenwriter Sidney Gilliat, a Hitchcock collaborator on "The Lady Vanishes" and "Jamaica Inn," and the last of 14 projects that he actually directed. Teamed for a third time are former Disney starlet Hayley Mills and Hywel Bennett, coming off his bawdy hit "Percy," cast as they were in "The Family Way," a newlywed couple just beginning their lives together. This being an adaptation of one of Agatha Christie's last novels (issued in 1967), things kick off with Bennett's Michael Rogers narrating his dramatic story from the confines of an institution, a doctor eager to get to the bottom of a mystery that proves to be confounding to the viewer long after the picture ends. A small time drifter with grandiose dreams of one day living at his favorite location on the Welsh coast, a magnificent hillside overlooking the sea called 'Gipsy's Acre,' where Michael first encounters Hayley Mills as American Fenella Thomsen joyously dancing in front of his admiring camera; they hit it off quickly then meet again in a few weeks, by which time he learns that this beautiful, orphaned girl is the '6th wealthiest person in the world,' with a grasping family of busybodies eager to buy him off once the two elope to be wed. Despite the cryptic warnings of a dour old woman, Michael's lavish dream house is built at 'Gipsy's Acre' by his friend, renowned architect Rudolf Santonix (Per Oscarsson), who himself is clearly infatuated with the bride, known as 'Ellie' to her friends. George Sanders makes a welcome appearance as family solicitor Andrew Lippincott, a more humorous buttress for the groom than her immediate family, a disapproving stepmother (Lois Maxwell), flippant stepfather (Peter Bowles), and German tutor Greta (Britt Ekland), whom Ellie adores yet everyone else shuns due to her overbearing nature. Childhood flashbacks reveal our narrator as a wannabe actor with daddy issues, whose own mother doesn't trust him; Michael seemingly has everything a man could want plus a loving wife as well, but when 'some are born to endless night,' darkness is predestined to reign over this sunny landscape (Hayley Mills is so captivating that we do fear for her safety). The hillside location was actually the Isle of Wight, all house interiors an indoor set, shooting in June and July 1971 but not released for over a year, after the suicide of an ailing George Sanders. His role is unfortunately brief, followed by two more in Peter Sasdy's "Doomwatch" and Don Sharp's "Psychomania," fearing hints of dementia in his old age and signing off in fitting fashion with a suicide note proclaiming, "I am leaving because I am bored."

Patience and long attention spans required!

[Coventry · 6/10 · 24 December 2008]

Well, this definitely wasn't what I initially expected, but nonetheless "Endless Night" is a respectable and slow-brooding mystery thriller from the pen of the legendary Agatha Christie. This is actually one of those films of which the impact mainly comes afterwards, when the subject matter had its time to sink in. It probably won't ever become one of my personal favorite thrillers because the pacing is too slow, the screenplay is overly talkative and there aren't any memorable shock sequences, but you have got to admire director Sidney Gilliat's skills of suspense-building and generating an ominous atmosphere. I primarily wanted to watch "Endless Night" because it reunites the two lead players of the marvelous British shock-picture "Twisted Nerve" (Hywel Bennett and the indescribably ravishing Hayley Mills) and then additionally features no less than Britt Ekland ("The Wicker Man") and George Sanders ("Village of the Damned"). Great British cast, to say the least.

Michael Rogers is a poor chauffeur with great ambitions and nearly unrealizable dreams. The building of his dream house on a fantastic piece of landscape suddenly becomes possible when he starts dating the sixth richest girl in the world … without even being aware of it! Obviously Ellie's family and financial counselors heavily protest against her relationship with the undoubtedly greedy young lad, but the couple conquers all relationship tests and stick together. Still, once they are settled on their dreamy hillside, mysterious events begin to occur. Ellie receives visits from an uncanny and crazy cat-lady (who very well may have been the inspiration for the character in "The Simpsons" with the same name) and offers shelter to her childhood nanny Greta even though she clearly doesn't get along with Michael. For a very long time – approximately two thirds of the whole film – you will wonder where Agatha Christie is going with the plot. "Endless Night" only turns into a mystery thriller during the last fifteen minutes. All the foregoing is actually just relationship drama and moody psychological studies. The remotely infamous twist near the end is indeed quasi unpredictable, but also highly implausible in my humble opinion. Obviously I can't write too much without revealing essential key information, but if a man is put to the choice between a beautiful rich girl and a beautiful poor girl … it isn't such a tough decision.

A hard nut to crack

[keith-moyes-656-481491 · 2/10 · 24 August 2012]

Some time in the mid-Seventies (pick your own date) the British film industry quietly died. Hammer was the last company to carry the flag, but effectively withdrew from production after 1973.

Of course, British movies continued to be made. There were films with British subjects, British directors, British writers, British casts and crew and even British finance, but they were all one-offs. They did not constitute an industry. However, some of these films were very good, some were very successful and some were both.

Then again, some were like Endless Night: so desperately bad, so ill-conceived, so wretchedly executed, that the death of the British film industry seemed less of a tragedy than a merciful release.

Where do I start? The cast is hopeless. Hywel Bennett was a good enough actor, who later showed a real flair for comedy in Shelley, but in 1971 he just didn't have the charisma, the looks or the technique to carry a feature film. I suspect the producer just wanted to cash in on his success as the baby-faced nutter in Twisted Nerve.

Hayley Mills was probably cast to complete the set. Her character is supposed to be an American, but she makes only the most perfunctory attempt at an accent and quickly abandons even that. I know she has her supporters, but in this movie I cannot see anything beyond a basic professionalism: she could hit her marks and say her lines without fuss or endless retakes, but that was about it.

As a pair of romantic leads, Hywel Bennett and Hayley Mills are non-runners.

The rest of the cast fare no better. George Sanders just walks through his under-written role, while Britt Ekland, Peter Bowles, Lois Maxwell, Windsor Davis and Patience Collier were just 'names' looking for a part to play.

However, the real problem is the material. The story is too diffuse and rambling. Characters are introduced and things happen with no real sense of what kind of movie it is meant to be, or what it wants to achieve. It takes forever to get started.

We see scenes of Mike's background and aimless life, but without really getting to know his character and without building up any empathy with him. Then he meets poor little rich girl Ellie, they fall in love and marry against the wishes of her relatives. Together, the couple commission and take possession of their dream house (a vulgar atrocity).

As the movie drifted listlessly from one flat, style-less, uninvolving scene to the next, I found myself thinking: "So what? Why are we being asked to care about this bland couple overcoming minor obstacles to consummate their tepid love affair? Where does this picture think it is going?"

Then the arrival of Greta threatens the couple's apparently idyllic relationship and some vaguely ominous things start to happen. Half way through the picture it finally became clear that it was intended to be a thriller. However, with so little to occupy my attention, I started to ask why anyone would trouble with this mundane story and so I quickly spotted the probable plot twist that might justify it. I was right.

Ellie dies and Mike is distraught. Ho hum. There is then some obvious misdirection, with a montage which seems to imply that Mike is being swindled out of his inheritance. Of course, nothing comes of this. Eventually, Mike returns home for the big surprise ending. Mike and Greta are lovers and have conspired to kill Ellie.

Who could possibly have seen that one coming? About two thirds of the audience, at a conservative guess.

It is less easy to spot that Mike is supposed to be going mad. The first real indication is his spooky vision of Ellie in the garden. He ignores this, enters the house and makes love to Greta. In the morning he is filled with remorse, goes mad and kills her. The movie then gets bogged down in a whole succession of 'wrap up' scenes that are especially clunky but are needed to tie up all the loose ends in this strained and confused scenario.

For all Sidney Gilliat's experience as a screenwriter he cannot find a way to crack the problems of this Agatha Christie novel.

The book is apparently a clever literary trick. It is the first person narration of a psychopathic killer who is trying to hide his real nature and intentions from the reader, while actually dropping a series of clues that things are not quite what they seem. It is this trick, rather the banal situation, which is the real reason for reading the book and it is obviously this trick that made Gilliat want to film it. The problem is that he could not find a way to replicate it on screen, because cinema only really works in the third person and people are generally uncomfortable with movies that tell lies. Occasionally giving Mike a few words of voice-over doesn't begin to do the job.

But without the psychopathic narrator and his deceptions at the heart of the story, the big surprise twist at the end just seems a cheap and pointless artifice and Mike's mental breakdown comes across as arbitrary and unmotivated. It may be there are clues to his mental instability, but they are so subtle as to be nearly invisible on first viewing and, to be honest, why would I ever want to see this movie a second time?

Agatha Christie apparently thought Endless Night was one of her best books and she might well be right. If she is, then this movie is a classic illustration of an old maxim: "what works on the page doesn't necessarily work on the screen."

I wonder at what point this started to become obvious to Gilliat.

Extremely Flawed...BY THE LEADS

[redram91 · 6/10 · 28 June 2008]

The 6/10 is given only to the wonderful music of Bernard Hermann and to the decent cinematography and direction. Sidney Gilliat wrote many of the Hitchcocks and part of my problem lies in the fact that this is a Hitchock wannabe, as many of the previous posters have mentioned.

However what many have not mentioned is the horrendous choice of leads: Hywel Bennett is dreadful! He might be sexy to the girls, but he is a horrible actor. Check out the scene at the end where he cries. It's done horribly. His lines are said with little depth. The same is said for Ms. Mills. Granted the two roles are vary hard to perform, Bennett and Mills were the wrong choices. I have a feeling Gilliat wanted to cash in on their commercial success.

Lois Maxwell, Peter Bowles, and George Sanders (one of his last roles before he committed suicide) are amazing, far better than the two leads. Britt Ekland is...Britt Ekland. The script is alright, although it's just so overdone with the Hitchcock.

This movie is flawed. If two different leads had been chosen and perhaps a more haunting ending had been installed, this movie could have been very good. As it is, it's not bad, it's just not that good.

Absoltely horrible

[webcrap-641-167483 · 1/10 · 23 March 2013]

There are not enough bad adjectives to describe how horrible this film is. Regardless of how faithful it is to Ms. Christie's book, the film is terrible. The acting stinks. The scenery is so fake in many scenes that the only enjoyable part of the movie is laughing at how bad the backgrounds are. There is no emotional bond developed to any of the characters. Except for basic instincts of humanity, I couldn't have cared less if all of the characters died. Finally, there is no twist at the end as other reviewers have indicted that there is. If anyone did not see the ending coming, they were too distressed by the horrible acting to pay attention to the story.

There is a reason the movie was not released in America - it's abysmal! I wish that I could charge the producers for the lost hour and one-half of my life. I would rate it as a negative infinity if I could.

Gripping, unusual Agatha Christie mystery. Splendid on all counts.

[sdiner82 · 9/10 · 8 August 2003]

One of the rare, gratifying occasions when a mediocre book is transformed by experts into a first-rate, memorable movie. "Endless Night" was one of Agatha Christie's last novels--also one of her least satisfying. A macabre romance about a wealthy young American heiress (the glorious Hayley Mills in a mesmerizing, haunting performance) who falls in love with and impulsively marries her sexy albeit mysterious chauffeur (the wonderfully versatile Hywell Bennett who teamed with Ms. Mills in two previous films, the tender comedic drama "The Family Way" and the still-shocking psychosexual thriller "The Twisted Nerve").

The happy lovebirds build their dreamhouse (still an architectural wonder) in England's remote Lake District (lusciously photographed in stunning Technicolor), away from the prying eyes of her avaricious relatives, and their tenderly rendered love story seems headed for a deserved happy ending--until the final reel suddenly reveals a totally unexpected twist that I guarantee will astound even the most astute mystery buff, and leave the hapless viewer in a state of shaken anxiety and sadness. Such an unusual denoument didn't work on the printed page; on film it's a bona fide shocker, thanks to the mastery of its two leads, a knockout turn by the stunning Britt Ekland (as one of Ms. Mills' parasitic relatives), the expert direction by Sidney Gilliatt, and the magificently eerie soundtrack by Bernard Herrmann, no less. "Endless Night" was never released theatrically in the U.S. Properly promoted, it would have made a boxoffice killing. I caught its American premiere on a pay-cable station, expecting nothing (the book was hopeless) and, much to my amazement, finding myself enthralled by this classy artistic treat. Psychological thrillers don't come any better than "Endless Night," which lulls the viewer into a state of bliss not unlike its romantic leads--until the startlingly savage twist ends the film with a disturbing (and heartbreaking) resonance. Hywell Bennett and the grown-up Hayley Mills were two of the finest (not to mention comeliest) young British actors of the late '60s and early '70s, and "Endless Night" might well be their most memorable hour-and-a-half. A must-see for mystery buffs; highly recommended for everyone else.

Night without Miss Marple

[tomsview · 6/10 · 17 December 2016]

I wanted to see this movie after seeing "Agatha Christie's Marple: Endless Night", which I thought was one of the better Miss Marple movies although the original novel wasn't a Miss Marple story.

The story of Michael Rogers, a scheming chauffeur, who dreams of building a spectacular house along the Devon coast, and the people he ensnares to achieve his ends including marrying a beautiful heiress, Ellie Thomsen, has darker psychological overtones than many of Agatha Christie's works. However it needed the right touch to translate it to the screen.

In the Miss Marple version the tone is right and although Miss Marple is grafted onto proceedings, it all comes together. "Endless Night" is more shrill, and the treatment makes it feel a little old fashioned - except for Britt Ekland's flash of flesh towards the end.

But this film does have stars I like. Anyone who grew up with the Disney movies of the 50's and 60s would have to have a soft spot for Hayley Mills. As Ellie Thomsen in "Endless Night" she is grown up, but looks about 10 years younger. Hayley Mills has always looked much younger than her years. I was surprised to read once that she regretted not accepting the role of Lolita in Kubrick's film. Now that may well have eclipsed memories of "Pollyanna" if it had ever taken place.

George Sanders plays lawyer, Andrew Lippincott. It's not a big role and it was about his last film. He hardly shifted gears throughout his career but he didn't need to; he lifted every film he was in. His sang-froid contrasts with Hywel Bennett's somewhat hyper performance as Michael Rogers. Britt Ekland is in it too, sexy as Ellie's friend Greta.

Letting the film down are some self-conscious photographic effects and a strangely schizophrenic score. The usually brilliant composer, Bernard Hermann, decided to overlay his orchestral score with a Moog Synthesiser. It was all the rage at the time, but nothing dates a movie like the Moog. He wasn't happy with the result and it's easy to hear why.

The Miss Marple version is a much slicker production and shows how the story could be nuanced. Over 40 years later, "Endless Night" is a little too manic, but has some intriguing stars that still command attention.

Certainly wanted it to end

[Prismark10 · 2/10 · 19 April 2017]

This was the last film directed by Sidney Gilliat. It is a shame it was such a misfire. The film is an adaptation of an Agatha Christie novel. This is important, because as I watched this I kept on thinking when would the mystery start?

Michael Rogers (Hywel Bennett) is a working class chauffeur who ends up falling for a rich American girl, Ellie Thomsen (Hayley Mills) dubbed the sixth richest woman in the world. Micheal always had an eye for a mansion in the countryside, his dream comes true once he marries Ellie, She funds the building of the mansion from a Swedish architect. However the land is supposedly cursed by the gypsies and their are strange visitations.

Life should be blissful for Michael, but Ellie's family disapprove of the marriage. They think Michael is a social climber who only married Ellie for her money. The family's charming lawyer 'Uncle Andrew' (George Sanders) offers to buy off Michael. When Ellie's friend Greta (Britt Ekland) arrives to stay, it causes friction as Greta and Michael dislike each other.

Wedded bliss does not last long for Michael as someone dies but even then there is no mystery because it is just a tragic incident.

The film is dreadful. It goes on at a leisurely pace with endless scenes of the countryside. The acting is flat even from Bennett. Only Sanders shows some spirit in what was one of his final roles.

The biggest problem is whether the film is supposed to be a murder mystery or a supernatural mystery? The reveal only comes in the last 15 minutes. The casting of Britt Ekland who was a sex symbol in the 1970s might give the viewer of clue as to where the film is heading.