The Night My Number Came Up **** (1955, Michael Redgrave, Sheila Sim, Alexander Knox, Denholm Elliott, Ursula Jeans) – Classic Movie Review 8507

A military transport aircraft’s flight from Hong Kong to Japan starts to bear a startling similarity to one of the passenger’s bad dreams, which had ended with a plane crash.

Michael Redgrave stars as the passenger in question, Air Marshal Hardie, in director Leslie Norman’s fascinating, thoroughly gripping 1954 fantasy, mystery suspense drama The Night My Number Came Up, with a plot that constantly toys with your expectations, since the logic of dreams is pitted against that of reality. It is written by R C Sherriff, based on a story by Victor Goddard.

The plane is simply packed with fine British actors in this beautifully crafted gem from the sadly missed Ealing Studios. It was nominated for four BAFTA Film Awards – Best British Actor, Best British Film, Best British Screenplay and Best Film from any Source – but failed to win.

Also in the cast are Sheila Sim, Alexander Knox, Denholm Elliott, Ursula Jeans, George Rose, Nigel Stock, Michael Hordern, Ralph Truman, Victor Maddern, Bill Kerr, Alfie Bass, David Orr, David Yates, Stratford Johns, Doreen Aris, Richard Davies, Charles Perry, Geoffrey Tyrrell, Hugh Moxey, Nicholas Stuart, John Fabian, Percy Herbert, Robert Bruce and Philip Vickers.

The Night My Number Came Up is directed by Leslie Norman, runs 94 minutes, is made by Ealing Studios and Michael Balcon Productions, is distributed by General Film Distributors (1955) (UK) and Continental Distributing (1955) (US), is written by R C Sherriff, based on a story by Victior Goddard, is shot in black and white by Lionel Banes, is produced by Michael Balcon and Tom N Morahan, is scored by Malcolm Arnold, and is designed by Jim Morahan.

It is Richard Attenborough’s wife Sheila Sim’s last film following her debut in A Canterbury Tale (1944), apart from an uncredited cameo as Visitor in I’m All Right Jack (1959), her tenth and final film appearance.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8507

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com