It is easy to assume that serial killers as a subject for crime movies is a relatively recent phenomenon, particularly those that delve into the unique psychology of the killer. After all, the term serial killer does not pop up in common usage until after Ted Bundy was incarcerated in prison, though it was coined earlier. Credit for the term is often given to FBI Agent Robert Ressler, who adopted “serial killer” and “serial homicide” in the 1970s. However, the phrase “serial murderer” goes as far back as the 1930s when director of police Ernst Gennat used it to describe Peter Kurten. I once read a passage by author James Ellroy in which he lauded Thomas Harris and his 1981 novel The Red Dragon as a watershed moment in crime fiction because of Harris’s detailed understanding of the psychology of the serial killer.
So, I am always surprised when I come across early pop culture depictions of serial killers that seem to accurately capture the demons that drive them. This Friday, February 7, at 6:30am, TCM will air Night Must Fall, a 1937 drama starring Robert Montgomery as a likable killer named Danny. The film is based on the 1935 play penned by Emlyn Williams, who originally starred as Danny on stage. A working class Irish lad, Danny charms his way into the good graces of wealthy, cantankerous Mrs. Bramson, who exploits her age and presumed ill health to dominate the people in her household. The conniving killer discovers Mrs. Bramsom’s weakness for attention and quickly becomes the old lady’s primary caretaker. Mrs. Bramson’s niece, Olivia, is immediately suspicious of Danny. However, Olivia and her aunt are on such poor terms that Mrs. Bramson refuses to listen to her about anything. The killer’s identity is obvious from the beginning, which might frustrate those viewers who prefer a plot-twisting whodunit. Night Must Fall is not that kind of crime story. The tension derives from the interplay of the characters. It is disturbing to watch Danny worm his way into Mrs. Bramson’s heart, while the cat-and-mouse game between Danny and Olivia hints at her dark thoughts and desires. I chose Night Must Fall as a forgotten film to be remembered for two reasons—the performance by Robert Montgomery as Danny and the insight into the sociopathic character by writer Emlyn Williams.
MONTGOMERY AND DAME MAY WHITTY WERE BOTH NOMINATED FOR OSCARS FOR THEIR PERFORMANCES.
In the late 1930s, Montgomery grew weary of the light-hearted romantic comedies that MGM continually assigned to him. He feared that his breezy star image as the amusing, urbane playboy would trap him if he did attempt other roles. After he caught Williams’s play in New York, he wanted to star in the film adaptation. Louis B. Mayer eventually granted Montgomery’s request, though it was against his better judgment. To convince Mayer of his eagerness for the role, the actor agreed to subsidize part of the cost of the film. Mayer and his producers must have been nervous about the material, because they made sure that viewers knew it was a prominent play. In the opening credits, above the title, it reads, “Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer presents Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell in the Astonishing London and New York Stage Success Night Must Fall.”
In the original play, Danny spoke with a Welsh accent, but Montgomery found the inflection too difficult to master, so he opted for a slight Irish lilt. The sing-song accent made the character even more amiable, especially when he pours it on for Mrs. Bramson, played by Dame May Whitty in her first role in a talking film. I was impressed with Montgomery’s ability to project menace while appearing to be sweet, charming, and even a little wistful, such as when he remarks about his tough, working-class life. At one point, Danny catches Olivia and two maids going through his possessions. With a soft smile on his face, he calmly strolls into the room, noting, “If there is anything I hate it’s a spy.” The comment is threatening, yet he remains polite, civil, even gracious.
ROSALIND RUSSELL WAS AN INTERESTING CHOICE FOR AN UNUSUAL ROLE.
A young Rosalind Russell costars as Olivia, a strange character who borders on spinsterhood yet longs for romantic adventure. She not only believes that Danny is the killer that the police are searching for, but she also catches him lying to her aunt. Despite her hostility toward him, she keeps quiet about the lie, perhaps believing that she has the upper hand. When an inspector asks to search the mysterious hat box that Danny keeps in his room, she lies for him, claiming that the hat box is her own. Reviewers have explained away Olivia’s actions as evidence of her romantic attraction to Danny, but that isn’t quite right. She is more attracted to the excitement and danger that Danny represents than to the young man himself. Under her aunt’s thumb for most of her life, and angry at her powerlessness in the old woman’s home, Olivia is so eager to defy her repressed existence that she lies to the police to keep Danny close by. Later, alone in the kitchen with Olivia, Danny recognizes her dark desires and reveals them to her: She seeks excitement, he croons to her in his lilting Irish brogue, and it is right here in the room with him. Now, Danny has the upper hand.
OLIVIA TO DANNY: “WHAT ARE YOU LIKE WHEN YOU ARE NOT ACTING?”
Such insight into the psychology of complex human characters is one of the strengths of the film—and the original play. In addition to painting Olivia in many shades of gray, Emlyn Williams’s depiction of the inner psyche of a serial killer seemed ahead of its time. Some serial killers were abused as children, and they learn how to create a new reality to which they can escape abuse or other uncomfortable feelings. Williams offers a similar idea about Danny through the character of Olivia, when she accuses him of having no feelings and of living in a world of his imagination as the only way to bear the awful things he does. It is said that serial killers who are sociopaths learn to act like ordinary people, though they themselves do not have the capacity to experience feelings in the same way. In one scene, Danny stands at the fireplace whittling as Olivia accuses him, “You are acting all the time, aren’t you. What are you like when you don’t act?” During this scene, the news that the body of a missing woman has been found without her head is revealed—as Danny fiddles with his sharp knife while whittling away.
THE DIRECTOR PANS TO THIS WINDOW TO REVEAL THE REAL DANNY BEHIND THE FACADE.
I had not heard of Emlyn Williams prior to watching this film. Apparently, the play Night Must Fall gave Williams his first great success and made him a well-known figure on the London stage. After Night Must Fall, his next greatest success was The Corn Is Green, a play completely different in topic and mood. In addition to writing plays, he also penned screenplays, including Jamaica Inn and The Man Who Knew Too Much for Hitchcock, who was adept at suspenseful, double-edged dialogue and also knew his way around the mind of a serial killer. I can’t help but wonder if the Master of Suspense was influenced by Emlyn Williams.