''Things Happen at Night'' is a 1947 British supernatural ghost

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by Francis Searle and starring

Gordon Harker William Gordon Harker (7 August 1885 – 2 March 1967) was an English stage and film actor. Harker was one of the sons of Sarah Elizabeth Harker, née Hall, (1856–1927), and Joseph Harker (1855–1927), a much admired set painter for the ...

Alfred Drayton Alfred Drayton (1 November 1881 – 26 April 1949) was a British stage and film actor. Drayton worked in a brewery when he was 18 but having a good deal of amateur dramatics experience decided to go on stage. His first appearance on stage was ''T ...

Robertson Hare John Robertson Hare, OBE (17 December 1891 – 25 January 1979) was an English actor, who came to fame in the Aldwych farces. He is remembered by more recent audiences for his performances as the Archdeacon in the popular BBC sitcom, ''All Ga ...

and

Garry Marsh Garry Marsh (21 June 1902 – 6 March 1981) was an English stage and film actor. Born Leslie Marsh Gerahty in St Margarets, Surrey, his parents were George and Laura. His elder brothers were the author Digby George Gerahty and the journalist ...

. The film is based upon a stage play, ''The Poltergeist'', by Frank Harvey. It was shot at

Twickenham Studios Twickenham Studios (formerly known as Twickenham Film Studios) is a film studio in St Margarets, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, that is used by various motion picture and television companies. It was established in 1913 by Ralph ...

. Despite the film's comparatively large budget it ended up being released as a

second feature A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double featur ...

.Chibnall & McFarlane p.39

Plot summary

An English country house is plagued by a poltergeist who destroys things in the home, rearranges pictures on the wall, and possesses the daughter of the owner causing her to be expelled from school. A psychic ghost breaker and an insurance agent help the homeowners battle and expel the spirit.

Cast

as Joe Harris *

as Wilfred Prescott *

as Vincent Ebury *Gwynneth Vaughan as Audrey Prescott *

Olga Lindo Olga Lindo (13 July 1899 – 7 May 1968) was an English actress. She was the daughter of Frank Lindo, a well-known actor, manager and author. She made her stage debut at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on 26 December 1913. She later joined her ...

as Hilda Prescott *

as Spenser *

Wylie Watson Wylie Watson (6 February 1889 – 3 May 1966) (born John Wylie Robertson) was a British actor. Among his best-known roles were those of "Mr Memory", an amazing man who commits "50 new facts to his memory every day" in Alfred Hitchcock's film '' ...

as Watson, the butler *Joan Young as Mrs. Venning, the cook * Beatrice Campbell as Joyce Prescott *Grace Denbigh Russell as Miss Hancock *Judith Warden as Mrs. Fortescue *June Elvin as Mabel Minter *Knox Crichton as Nobby Ebury *Eric Micklewood as Robert Ebury *Charles Doe as Bill *Michael Callin as Mac *George Bryden as Freddie Simpson *Marilyn Williams as Singer * Peter Reynolds *

Patricia Owens Patricia Molly Owens (January 17, 1925 – August 31, 2000) was a Canadian-born American actress, working in Hollywood. She appeared in about 40 films and 10 television episodes in a career lasting from 1943 to 1968. Early work Owens moved ...

References

Bibliography

* Chibnall, Steve & McFarlane, Brian. ''The British 'B' Film''. Palgrave MacMillan, 2009.

External links

* 1947 films 1940s comedy horror films British comedy horror films British black-and-white films British films based on plays Films shot at Southall Studios Films shot at Twickenham Film Studios 1940s ghost films 1947 horror films 1947 comedy films Films directed by Francis Searle 1940s English-language films 1940s British films {{comedy-horror-film-stub