Night Watch *** (1973, Elizabeth Taylor, Laurence Harvey, Billie Whitelaw) – Classic Movie Review 8625

The 1973 horror mystery thriller film Night Watch is a plush, suspenseful version of Lucille Fletcher’s stage chiller. Elizabeth Taylor is on top hysterical form as a rich wife convinced she has witnessed a murder through her window.

Director Brian G Hutton’s 1973 horror mystery thriller Night Watch is a well-upholstered, suspenseful version of a 1972 stage chiller by Lucille Fletcher, the author of Sorry, Wrong Number.

Elizabeth Taylor is on top hysterical form as the rich wife Ellen Wheeler, recovering from a nervous breakdown, convinced that she has witnessed a murder through her window and that she can see dead bodies in the house opposite. New husband John Wheeler (Laurence Harvey) does not believe her and assures her that it is not for real.

The situation is perhaps over-familiar and the handling is rather ordinary in the imagination department, and slack in the chills department, but Night Watch is still very watchable in a tacky sort of way, with the performances better than the material. Filmed between May and October 1972 in London, nowadays it is known as a British giallo or grande dame guignol.

Taylor was battling heart and back problems and Harvey was battling stomach cancer, so production was regularly held up. Filming shut down for a week when Hutton contracted bronchitis, and later for six weeks so Harvey could have an operation on his stomach, though he announced that is was for appendicitis.

Filming ended in September 1972.

Also in the cast are Billie Whitelaw, Robert Lang, Tony Britton, Bill Dean, Pauline Jameson, Linda Hayden, Kevin Colson, Michael Danvers-Walker, Rosario Serrano and David Jackson.

The film reunites Taylor and Harvey after their 1960 BUtterfield 8.

Some story elements recall Gaslight, and The Window and Rear Window.

Night Watch is directed by Brian G Hutton, runs 105 minutes, is made by Brut Productions and Nightwatch Films, released by Avco Embassy, is written by Tony Williamson, based on the play by Lucille Fletcher, is shot in Technicolor by Billie Williams, is produced by Martin Poll, George W. George, Barnard S Straus and David White, and is scored by John Cameron.

Producer Martin Poll bought the play rights and set up the film at Brut Productions, a new film division of the Fabergé Company. Brut financed the entire film, with Taylor taking a smaller salary in exchange for a larger percentage.

Avco Embassy made a deal with Brut in February 1973 to distribute the film with Brut’s A Touch of Class.

It was released on 10 August 1973 (United States) and 6 September 1973 (United Kingdom).

The story was relocated from the US to England and it was filmed at Elstree Studios in London.

Hutton had just made Zee and Co [X Y and Zee] with Taylor.

The cast are Elizabeth Taylor as Ellen Wheeler, Laurence Harvey as John Wheeler, Billie Whitelaw as Sarah Cooke, Robert Lang as Mr Appleby, Tony Britton as Tony, Bill Dean as Inspector Walker, Michael Danvers-Walker as Sergeant Norris, Rosario Serrano as Dolores, Pauline Jameson as Secretary, Linda Hayden as girl in car, Kevin Colson as Carl, Laon Maybanke as Florist, and David Jackson as Wilson.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8625

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