Night Must Fall: a Play in Three Acts

by Emlyn Williams

In a bungalow in a forest in Essex lives Mrs Bramson, a persnickety and hypochondriacal widow. She pays her niece Olivia a small salary to act as her companion and the household also includes her cook, Mrs Terence, and her maid Dora. When Dora gets pregnant, Mrs Bramson is determined to get the boyfriend to marry her. At the same time, a woman disappears from a nearby hotel.

The police begin investigations and, when Dora brings home her boyfriend Dan, Olivia immediately notices that his behaviour is not quite normal. He is perpetually putting on an act and soon he worms his way into the affections of Mrs Bramson, leaves his job as page boy at the hotel and moves in.

Genres: Plays, Drama, Theatre, Fiction, Mystery, British Literature

102 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1935

About the author

Born George Emlyn Williams in Pen-y-Ffordd, Mostyn, Flintshire in northeast Wales on November 1905, he lived in a rural village in which Welsh was spoken until he was 12 years old, when his family moved to an English-speaking town, Connah's Quay. It changed the course of his life as it was there that the teacher Sarah Grace Cooke, recognizing his literary talent, encouraged him and helped him win a scholarship to Oxford, where he attended the college of Christ Church. She is immortalized in the character of Miss Moffat in his play, "The Corn is Green."

Williams' plays "Yesterday's Magic," "The Morning Star" and "Someone Waiting" were also performed on Broadway, and he had a success on the Great White Way as an actor himself in a solo performance as Charles Dickens, which he revived twice. He was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for 'A Boy Growing Up' (1958), an adaptation of a work by fellow Welshman 'Dylan Thomas'. The tribal Williams also nurtured the young Welshman Richard Burton, whom he directed in his first lead film role in 'The Last Days of Dolwyn' (1949). (Burton's professional stage debut had been in Williams' play "Druid's Rest," and Emyln Williams' son 'Brook Williams' became one of his life-long friends.) Williams was the godfather to his first daughter, 'Kate Burton', who is also an actress.

In addition to directing and acting in film, Emlyn Williams famously collaborated with the great director Alfred Hitchcock. Williams acted in and wrote additional dialog for both the original The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) and Jamaica Inn (1939).

Emlyn Williams wrote two memoirs, "George, An Early Autobiography" (1961), and "'Emlyn: An Early Autography, 1927-1935" (1974), as well as a 1967 non-fiction account of the Moors Murders entitled "Beyond Belief." His 1980 novel "Headlong" was adapted by David S. Ward into the movie "King Ralph" (1991). He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1962.

When he died in 1987, Emlyn Williams had written or co-written 20 screenplays in addition to his 20 plays. As an actor, he had appeared in 41 films and teleplays, plus made numerous appearances on stage.

Reviews

[Petra X · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is absolutely destined for a high-camp made-for-tv Ealing movie. It's like being with slightly mad people. You can almost relate to them, but not quite and are perpetually surprised at what they do and what they believe which just leaves you incredulous.

Every office has one, every school classroom has one, and this book has the Queen of them all.

If you read the blurb, you get the idea, but the blurb goes too far, it spoils it (so I'm using my librarian privileges to take out the spoiler). Let's just say

Mrs. Bramson, a fussy hypochondriac widow pays her niece Olivia to be her companion in a household consisting of a cook and a maid. The maid falls preggers and Mrs. B is determined the Dad should make an honest woman of her. But the boyfriend is not all he seems, or maybe he's a lot more. And none of it good. Murder, mayhem and a dark and lonely forest setting...

Anymore would spoil this very fun play, the sort if you read it, you are going to have to read bits out loud to whoever is with you.

Should be better known.

Read Dec. 2013

[Cathi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading plays, and this was one that my husband and I read together recently. It was a delight! Set in 1930s England, it's a murder mystery with a great cast of characters, both likable and not-so-likable. There's plenty of wit, charm, quirky humor, and intrigue, and it was easy to imagine this being performed on stage. I look forward to reading my next British suspense play soon!

[Martin Denton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A difficult, mean-tempered old hypochondriac, Mrs. Bramson is perpetually annoyed with her sharp-tongued housekeeper Mrs. Terrence and her smart but diffident niece-companion Olivia; and she is especially annoyed with her foolish serving maid Dora, who has not only broken several pieces of the china, but also revealed herself to be in an embarrassing and troublesome condition of pregnancy. Mrs. Bramson demands to meet the young man responsible, a local drifter named Dan. Her intent is to shame him into meeting his obligations, but when Dan appears, her agenda changes rapidly. Before the end of scene one, she has been won over entirely by this young man, the only person in the world, it seems, able to understand her sad and intolerable circumstances. By the time the next scene begins, she has hired Dan and he has moved in easily, to the consternation of Olivia, as her faithful retainer and surrogate son.

Of course, you don't need a degree in dramatic literature to figure out that Dan is a murderer; a psychotic, in fact, as well as a pathological liar, with neither conscience nor scruples. It won't surprise you either that Olivia is the only one who suspects him; everyone else in Mrs. Bramson's household is entirely won over by the engaging young man. Even the Scotland Yard detective who pops up ominously from time to time fails to arrest Dan, despite his having made some clearly incriminating statements.

Night Must Fall is a thriller of the classic model, and it's climactic final scenes--with Mrs. Bramson finding herself helpless and alone and realizing far too late that Dan's solicitousness has masked murderous intentions--are true to form.

[Richard · Rating 2 out of 5]

WIth strong actors and a talented director, this could be carried off as a decent, but not especially great thriller. It's very dated (again with the just letting a stranger move into your home carte blanche-just crazy in 2023), and the characters are stereotyped to the max-the irascible and foolish old spinster, the put upon niece/nurse-companion, and the just a bit too charming stranger. In the end there's no suspense; what's going on is obvious, the only thing to breathe life into it is how the actors manage to breathe life into what isn't on the page.

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little dubious going into this three-hour long mystery/thriller where we know straight away who the villain is, but like the best episodes of Columbo, NIGHT MUST FALL achieves a masterful degree of tension and suspense that even modern plays struggle with. Each Act builds on the last in intensity and I’m not sure there is anything *too* cut. This play earns its runtime.

[Susan Molloy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A passable play forthwith. ”Night Must Fall” was first presented in London by J. P. Mitchelhill at the Duchess Theatre on May 31, 1935, with the following cast: The Lord Chief Justice: ERIC STANLEY; Mrs. Bramson: MAY WHITTY; Olivia Grayne: ANGELA BADDELEY; Hubert Laurie: BASIL RADFORD; Nurse Libby: DOROTHY LANGLEY; et al. The play was produced by MILES MALLESON. Overall, this is a fairly good play.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tries to be a cut above the usual murder mystery, adding a level of psychology. Rather an odd one.

[Shabbeer Hassan · Rating 1 out of 5]

A dull and disappointing tale! You would guess the culprit probably when the character is introduced and this ain't Columbo.

My Rating - 1/5

[Classic reverie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had heard Emlyn Williams' "Night Must Fall" several times on different old time radio shows and included two links below to listen, if I remember where else I will post. When I saw the play available from Kindle, I wanted to read and compare. The radio version stays fairly close, but of course more information is given with the play, but the second link is 30 minutes longer and almost complete. The introduction mentions that Emlyn Williams being an actor, wrote this so he could play a villain like Dan. In the beginning of the play, a Court of Criminal Appeal, looks into a double murder with irrefutable evidence that a young man with his charm brings melodrama to the court room, but the appeal is denied. This was not in either of the radio versions, after finishing the play and wondering why this is the first scene and not the last, it seems Williams wanted to give a view for what is to come.

Play in short- Olivia and others take care of insufferable Mrs. Bramson who is impossible to please, and then a missing woman comes into the picture.

"NIGHT MUST FALL was first presented in London by J. P. Mitchelhill at the Duchess Theatre on May 31st, 1935, with the following cast: The Lord Chief Justice ERIC STANLEY Mrs. Bramson MAY WHITTY Olivia Grayne ANGELA BADDELEY Hubert Laurie BASIL RADFORD Nurse Libby DOROTHY LANGLEY Mrs. Terence KATHLEEN HARRISON Dora Parkoe BETTY JARDINE Inspector Belsize MATTHEW BOULTON Dan EMLYN WILLIAMS The play produced by MILES MALLESON"

Molle Mystery Theater - April 12, 1946

https://www.oldtimeradiodownloads.com...

Best Plays - December 21, 1952

https://www.oldtimeradiodownloads.com...


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Olivia and Dan are the main characters because of the playing back in forth of analyzing and trying to understand each other, besides Olivia seems to be excited about Dan being a murder, multiple times she could have told the policeman but opted to save inquiry and her final remark to Dan about his killing her aunt, I will say I told you to do it. She did not even try to really want her aunt. She had turned down safe Hubert Laurie, when he proposed, and I can not see her marrying him. So little is thought of pregnant Dora, who Dan is the father, wonder how that child will turn out. It is funny Mrs. Bramson is 55, and is wanting to be an invalid.

[Brian McCann · Rating 2 out of 5]

A five scene well-made play from the 30s. Stilted at best.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was given this by a friend who loved it--she is loving the deep psychological meaning, etc. I guess I just didn't think it was that deep.

[Cory B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it because Sondheim said playing Dan was his goal and once he had done that, he didn't feel the need to act anymore.

This was a good play. Would love to see a good production of it.

[Marcella · Rating 4 out of 5]

A psychological thriller play from the 1930s with a creepy psychopath villain, new at the time.

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

All rather predictable and dated in the end.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was cast in this play (as Olivia Grayne) many years ago, and it still ranks as one of my favorite shows. It's far more successful as a kind of twisted psychological tour de force rather than a murder mystery. While today's readers may find it a bit naïve, predictable, and melodramatic - it was first published in 1935 - fans of old black-and-white movies and film noir will find much to appreciate. There is some good writing here - especially a couple of creepy monologues that I thoroughly enjoyed reciting - and some well-drawn characters.

All in all, a quick, fun read if you like this kind of thing.

[joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I played the lead in this piece and while the director insisted it was a drama, we, (the cast) disagreed and considered it a "dramady" because it was rather campy. All in all, a fun read.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read with Portland Playreaders.

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed very much for an old, dated play...

[Sophia Nicolopoulos · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite plays. Literally, I read it and I was stunned. Well done, Mr Williams.