Summary
When the imperious, embittered Mrs. Bramson learns that her young maid Dora is pregnant, she summons the child's presumed father to her bungalow. The young man, Dan, is charming but mysterious. Could he be responsible for the recent murder and beheading of a local woman, and could Mrs. Bramson be his next victim? Skillfully, Dan insinuates himself into Mrs. Bramson's affections and attemps to seduce her skeptical niece, Olivia. Despite strong suspicions of Dan's diabolical intentions, Olivia finds herself attracted to, and fascinated by, the young man. Emlyn Williams' classic thriller, a hit on stage and screen, provides thrills and surprises for audiences of any era.
History
The original production of Night Must Fall premiered on 31 May 1935 at the Duchess Theatre in London. The play premiered on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on 28 September 1936. A 1999 Broadway revival, directed by John Tillinger, starred Matthew Broderick and Judy Parfitt. The play was adapted to film three times: in 1937, starring Robert Montgomery, Rosalind Russell and Dame May Whitty; in 1954, for the television anthology series Ponds Theater, starring Terry Kilburn, Una O'Connor and Evelyn Varden; and in 1964, starring Albert Finney, Mona Washbourne and Susan Hampshire.