The Night Has Eyes, Leslie Arliss, 1942
I saw this a few weeks ago but have been struggling to write anything about it for some reason.
Its a wonderful little British b&w thriller from the 40's that for me is easily as good as anything Universal or Val Lewton was putting out at the time.
Two school teachers Doris and Marion visit the Yorkshire Moors on a hiking trip a year after their friend Evelyn disappeared in the area. Caught in a terrific storm the pair are relived to stumble upon a house, even if there is a somewhat unnerving figure watching them from the doorway.
The resident of this particular old dark house turns out to be a reclusive pianist Stephen Deremid played by a superb James Mason. After reluctantly giving the pair a room for the night he warns them to keep the door locked at all cost.
Next morning the house keepers arrive and the girls discover that Stephen was a veteran of the Spanish civil war and still suffers after some of the horrors he faced.
From here i will say no more suffice to say if you like old b&w films, or old dark house thrillers or in fact movies in general then you should definitely seek this out.
James Mason an actor i have to confess I've not actually much off is simply excellent as haunted recluse Stephen, don't know why but he reminded me of an on form Johnny Depp. Backward i know given its normally modern actors we suggest remind us of a young so-and-so.
The girls are also both interesting characters, well developed with contrasting characters but portraying a realistic friendship. And the setting while nothing new even for the era is again excellent, a spooky old house full of character, helped tremendously by cracking camera work. Networks dvd is brilliant quality particularly in comparison to dodgy fuzzy old prints floating around YouTube. Highly recommended.
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