User reviews

A 1950's movie from the British studios. The basis of the plot is relatively simple, however, the outcome is never really obvious. It may not keep you on the edge of your seat biting your nails but it does keep you guessing till the end. A few lines at the very end by two of the lesser characters adds a finish not really seen till the advent of the "Twighlight Zone" TV series. Shakespeare used the use of dreams in many of his plays. This created his characters thoughts and actions. It seems that this method is used in this film for the same reason and pushes the movie along. The movie has a classic British cast such as Michael Redgrave and Denholm Elliott. Whilst the other actors names might not be easily recalled. They are readily identifiable and seen in numerous British movies of the 1940's and 50's. There is a small amount comic relief in the movie through the minor characters of two British soldiers. Australian viewers may even find hard to recognize one of them as being the local classic actor Bill Kerr. It is an old fashioned movie worthy of a watch.

Although it may not have the same notoriety as some others produced by Ealing Studios under the benevolent leadership of Sir Michael Balcon this one is certainly one of the most intriguing. That it is based on a dramatic incident in the life of Air Marshall Sir Vincent Goddard who happened to be a spiritualist with an interest in paranormal activity, makes it even more intriguing.

Eight passengers and five crew members take off on a routine flight from Hong Kong to Japan. Unfortunately, the night before, three of the passengers have a dream recounted to them by a fellow dinner guest in which their plane crash lands. As the flight progresses the coincidences start piling up and what seemed a dream fast becomes a terrifying reality........

This film really works because of its excellent, tightly knit construction, literate script by R. C. Sheriff, ominous score by Malcolm Arnold and restrained direction by Leslie Norman.

Superlative Michael Redgrave plays the Air Marshall and heads a first rate cast whose understated performances give the film its dramatic intensity. This is probably the finest hour of actor Nigel Stock as the pilot who inadvertently hears about the dream and wishes he hadn't!

The ancients set great store by the prophetic power of dreams. Those who staunchly advocate 'free will' as opposed to 'predestination' will no doubt find the plot to be a load of tosh but 'there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophy'!

The seediness of the post-war colonial Far East and that rather morbid fascination with death and fate that pervades the consciousness of people who have been through a world-shattering conflict flavours this film. A great script (by RC Sherriff of 'Journeys End' fame) and a great cast - headed by that master of actorly understatement, Micheal Redgrave - slowly build the story, bit by bit. The exotic setting, where strange things could happen. The drab ordinariness of military outposts - which hightens the surreality of the events. A sense of a military and aristocratic world giving way with poor grace to the brash 'modern' future - epitomised by the crass Brummagem scrap dealer (accompanied by his effete elderly public-school personal assistant). The sense of dread is created by the pure spoken word and performance - of a good tale well-told. MR James in the age of Dakotas.

Commander Michael Hordern has a detailed dream of 8 people in a plane crash which he relays to a group of travellers....due to fly the next day.

Interesting notion around whether destiny is preordained. A fine British cast deliver quite a theatrical piece with Redgrave, Knox and Elliott on fine form throughout this will they won't they fulfill the dream

From the title, I was expecting a gambling yarn along the lines of "The Man Who Broke The Bank At Monte Carlo", but instead I got a very British suspenser directed by the late, venerable British film critic Barry Norman's old dad Leslie. It's got a good cast too of top British talent, including Michael Redgrave, Sylvia Sim and a young Denholm Elliott and just-as-young Michael Hordern, who actually looks pretty much like his later, much older self.

The story has the hallmark of the much later Hollywood "Final Destination" series as Hordern's non-traveling R.A.F. commander reveals to Alexander Knox's ambitious Far Eastern diplomat a weird dream he had the night before of a particular group of people including Knox, on a particular flight flying into a terrible life-threatening storm over Japan. Knox has never flown and dreads the thought when he's corralled into the aerial mission but is comforted when the personnel details Hordern provided don't match up to the expected passengers, but that all changes when the ducks all line up in a row overnight as the aeroplane type and planned passenger list eerily changes to match the related dream.

That list, which prominently includes Redgrave's senior Air Marshall and his P.A. Elliott, a former pilot now reduced to ground duties after suffering a nervous breakdown from his war-time pilot duties, is expanded to include initially two late-returning soldiers, then a young woman, Sim, a lordly government V.I.P. Ralph Truman and to complete the fateful eight (passengers) a spivvy, gobby businessman and his elderly male secretary who, added to the crew of five, headed by pilot Nigel Stock, take the total personage on board to unlucky 13. As the story of the dream leaks out, mostly from the terrified Knox, the passengers start to fear the worst, especially when the plane flies off course and straight into an almighty storm...

I found the first hour of the movie rather slow-moving, with stereotypical character types demonstrating the familiar British traits of reserve and stiff-upper-lip. The little model plane used for the exterior shots is hardly convincing either as it takes a supposed battering and just how or why Hordern dreams his dream is left unexplained. I also kept expecting some sort of emotional outburst from Elliott's obviously damaged character while Sim's character and that of the two working-class squaddies seem just like so much padding.

However, the tension ratchets up nicely as the film hurtles towards its destiny, there's a pretty effective crash scene and a neat pay-off joke as Hordern's character reveals the outcome of his latest sleep to his next acquaintance on the ground.

Overall, this was a good under-the-radar movie to get on board and if not an absolute high-flier, certainly made for an interesting and entertaining journey.

This is a film which will stay with you for a long time. Its title sets the tone for what follows : a flight which, as it continues, looks more and more to be one that will end in disaster and thus, apparently, mean that a man's dream regarding it will come frighteningly true. The increasing sense of foreboding is alleviated at one time or another by a development that appears to be at odds with the dream, that is, until something else transpires which then sees the exact circumstances of the dream restored. It is a film which, not unnaturally, gives rise to tension-laden conversations about whether there is such a thing as fate, but that is not the main impact of this film, which is that one's attention is riveted from the opening scene to the final shocking end.

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The Night my Number Came Up is an absorbing film keeping you wondering the next scene. Splendid entertainment from the Brits.

On display is one of the greatest scenarios ever presented in film - a flight over the Orient of which an anonymous British officer has had a dream premonition of disaster. What is so great about this idea and how it was executed here is that the dream itself is simply a catalyst for a psychological probing of the behavior of the passengers once they learn one-by-one about the particulars of the dream and how these particulars are playing out in their real flight. The theme then becomes the old-as-Shakespeare literary idea of fate vs. free will, but the strength of the filmmakers is that it is never resolved conclusively in the end. Even when the characters do hint at not letting a particular passenger on board the plane because this passenger has been prophesized to be an integral part of the disaster, they take no serious action to remove him, instinctively realizing that even that may not give them greater control over the situation.

The contrast of a modern technological artifice such as an aircraft with an archaic-style premonition is so brilliant because it portrays the ultimate paradox of human technological evolution: the farther human beings advance in their technological feats of control, paradoxically, the greater their lives are placed in the hands of the gods (fate) with all the many ways in which that technology can go tragically awry. For a simple idea, the filmmakers were obviously thinking, and they have added multiple layers to the story. "Night My Number Came Up" is a film I hope to see many times to pick up some themes I missed the first time. Like paintings, writing, and other forms of art, I believe that it is this characteristic which distinguishes great art from all the rest.

It seems to me that in making this film they were trying to replicate past successes with The Halfway House and Dead of Night.Part of the problem with this film is because we are given the details of Michael Horse's dream at the beginning we know what is going to happen so there is not a great deal of suspense.It also seems as if the producers are giving the plane every conceivable problem.The radio fails,the cabin is not pressurised and there is no radar.It seems almost inconceivable that the plane would have no radar,and that the navigator was so incompetent that the aircraft would be flying around in circles.Entertaining but no classic.

Leslie Halliwell in his book HALLIWELL'S HARVEST refers to this as a "smoking room story", which is the kind of reminiscence tale told between old friends in a club over drinks. It is not given in one shot - all good anecdotes are told slowly and build up. This one (apparently based on a true incident from the Far East in the late 1940s) takes it's time, but as it progresses the momentum of events squeeze and squeeze the human personnel involved until the moment of crisis.

Do you believe in fate? It is an issue that has perplexed man since we first began to reason. Are our destinies written out in the stars of astrology, or in the hands of the three Greek "Fates" who spin, measure, and cut our threads? Or is everything done by chance, pure and simple? Years ago I read a portion of an essay by William James (I think it was him) for a philosophy course. James dismissed fate - he felt that the problem with believing in it is that if you decide to go down street A to reach point D a fatalist will say that you were always supposed to do that. But if you go down Street B to reach point D the fatalist would say the same thing, and that didn't sit well with James. But a fatalist would probably point out that as you went on that occasion only by one of those routes, that is the destined route you had to take at that occasion. So who can really know? In THE NIGHT MY NUMBER CAME UP, Michael Redgrave is a British Air Marshall who must go on a mission with several others, including Denholm Elliot and Alexander Knox in one of the military Dakotas used in World War II. There would be nothing wrong about this, but Michael Hordern who is in charge of arranging the trip has just had a nightmare wherein Redgrave, Elliot, Knox, and several others are traveling to the location of this mission (which Hordern did not know about when he went to bed that night) in a Dakota that is in mechanical difficulties and in very bad weather. In fact, it is crashing on a beach.

Hordern makes the mistake of telling this to the three of them, and while Redgrave pooh-poohs it, Elliot and Knox are not as certain (although Knox pretends it is all nonsense). Among other things, a major political figure (Ralph Truman) is supposed to be on the plane too in the dream, and he is not scheduled to attend the mission that Redgrave is going on. So the preparations go ahead. But point by point, little things from the dream begin to fall into place in the real world. For example, at a stopover, Truman suddenly shows up - he has to go by the Dakota on a separate trip, hooking up to another flight later on. Also there are a certain number of passengers, including a noisy one, who are to be on the plane. Everyone is happy when the number of passengers goes down, but it goes up as well. Then a rather noisy, boisterous businessman (George Rose, naturally), comes on board - literally manipulating his way on board when initially kept off by Elliot and Knox (he circumvents them going to Redgrave and Truman).

So the circumstances grow in the small world of that pressurized cabin as the passengers watch amazed at how good weather collapses and engine problems multiply (they can't raise the plane above a certain level outside the storm due to a pressurization problem - ironically enough). But Redgrave maintains his icy calm throughout the situation - he is determined that he and the others are not going to give into panic over the paranormal.

The film is excellent in tackling this type of situation in a serious way. In the end it does not matter if you are a fatalist or not, the film will carry you to to it's conclusion successfully.

One final minor point. I don't know much about the scrap metal business, but this film (made in 1955) and the Judy Holliday movie BORN YESTERDAY (1950) and one classic sequence in THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946) with Dana Andrews and the scrapped fleet of bombers are the only ones that seem to tackle this growing big business. A lot of military hardware was there for the taking after 1945. In BORN YESTERDAY, Harry (Broderick Crawford) owns junk yards and has built a local empire on scrap metal (and is in Washington to try to get the laws altered to expand his business). Here, George Rose (an English counterpart to Harry) is trying to get on the flight in order to get to Japan for an important conference dealing with British scrap metal interests in the Far East (and he constantly mentions the American competition as intense - a nod to Crawford?). It's almost enough to start a college study into the post war scrap metal business!

The British air command in Japan is searching for a missing plane. A man walks in, tells them they're looking in the wrong place, and soon they are looking someplace else entirely. We then flash back and see the man telling an interesting cast (including Michael Redgrave, Sheila Sim, Alexander Knox and a very young Denholm Elliot) about his prophetic dream of their crash... and watch as the unlikely details of that event build up.

One of the things that annoy me about movies in this period is their sloth. Of course, someone who appreciate such things will refer to it as 'a leisurely pace', but to me the time has to be filled up with something cinematically interesting: good performances, or striking visuals. This movie, filmed almost entirely on interior sets including more than half in the narrow confines of an airplane interior. With a lack of unusual things to shoot, and little taste for Dutch angles, the visuals are lacking. Likewise the characters are little more than brief sketches, although Knox is excellent as a man who falls under the sway of superstitious fear as events unfold.

Of course, that slow pace can be used to build up suspense, but that needs to be handled delicately, allowing a certain amount of doubt to linger. There's very little of that here.

I saw this movie in 1955, when I was 35 and not so long after my time in the Air Force in WWII, so the RAF flight in the Dakota (same as our USAF C47 and the civilian DC3) resonated for me. But it was really the extraordinary level of suspense that made it so memorable. It starts with a dream of a Dakota lost in a storm and crashing onto a rocky beach. Crucial is the exact number on board. As the real trip progresses in stages, passengers get on and off. Just as it seems the fatal number has been circumvented, something happens to re-institute it. The way this was done was so believable and artfully handled. I particularly remember an episode with someone pointing out that telling the pilot the dream is not such a good idea; after all, he needs his skills to fly the plane safely, and if he takes the dream seriously and it makes him nervous...I have used this idea the rest of my life when directing hundreds of people. It touches on a profound bit of philosophy: when is deception justified? A great movie: if you get the chance, don't miss it.

A silly and outlandish film, with somewhat limited production standards, 'The Night my number came up' is elevated to high entertainment by the professionalism of the director and the cast. There really is no way that this film should fly but, after a cautious takeoff, it gets aloft and cruises with a nice tailwind and good visibility.

Compliments to all concerned in the performance of the piece; Sheila Sim gets little to do in her final film role, which is a shame for any viewer who has seen her in 'A Canterbury Tale', but the rest of the cast, well led by Michael Redgrave, get sympathetic treatment from the director and are able to get their teeth into their characters odd and uneven inner minds.

This makes the film increasingly watchable, and the plane a happy vehicle for building dramatic belief for the audience. The special effects are dated, "period'' even, but engaging and charming and tell the story for the film because the actors are very busy communing with their characters' inner demons and mental switches and twitches.

The score and sound effects are well balanced and enhance the effect, editing allows the actors to set the pace in dialogue scenes but rapidly quickens up when action scenes do occur and the flashback, prologue, epilogue narrative structure is a decent stab at dressing the thing up as a pleasingly distracting narrative.

I rate at 6.5/10 and I recommend to fans of Ealing Studios, of Michael Redgrave in particular, and of British mid-twentieth century cinema. There's no grit involved: it's classy types being very classy "Britisher on duty" throughout, but it's carried over very nicely, so if that tone appeals then I think this film will not disappoint.

It's better than i expected. During the first 30 minutes, i must say that i was not enjoying it much, no dramatic moments, no intense scenes, totally uneventful. But that's what it was supposed to be because the first part was just the introductory part. Then, things got heated, tension was rising by the minute and it was almost exciting during the last 30 minutes. This is a clever movie with great acting, well directed, and it felt more real than i thought. Of course, this is a mystery/thriller movie with fantasy elements, nothing realistic here. I mean that this is so good that it lures you into thinking that all of this are not that far fetched. Cinema illusion in full force : Every fan of this genre will enjoy it.

A tight little British paranormal thriller centered around a dream and dealing with the themes of precognition and predestination.

Although the intent was alright and the execution was impeccable, but the thematic ideas lacked exploration and therefore today come across as dated and crude.

But the device of a precognitive dream does a few interesting things. First, like Miracle Mile, it explores not the idea itself but the impact of that idea on the mass psyche. Basically, it suggests that the power of a premonition derives, not as much from a predestined fate, but more so from the free-will of the masses. If we come to know about a future event, somehow the sum-total of our behavior paradoxically acts as a catalyst to the actuality of that event. Second, a very interesting observation that I read in another review here, that our technological evolution paradoxically puts us more at the mercy of fate. The more complexity we build, the more ghostly voids of abstraction are created, and thus the more moving parts for things to go wrong.

The story begins to draw you in as commander Lindsay (Michael Hordern) relates a recent dream he has had about an air crash involving certain members of a dinner party he has cordially been invited to.Gradually, his dream starts to turn to a nightmarish reality as events start coming true. Even the Air Marshall played by Michael Redgrave, usually in control, finds his "stiff upper lip" starting to quiver as the dreaded dream of an air disaster looks like becoming a reality.Mr Robertson (Alexander Knox)gives a convincing performance as a man terrified of flying but more afraid of being seen to let his fear override his ideas of being dominated by superstition.This gripping story makes comparisons between the Eastern beliefs in dreams and omens and the Western culture's dismissive attitude to the same."There is no effect without cause" and this clever film has a way of persuading you that you are flying on the ill-fated Dakota instead of sitting comfortably in your armchair. An array of different characters and a fantastic supporting cast including the late Alfie Bass. Great story, superb direction from Leslie Norman, wonderful atmospheric music. In fact the perfect ingredients for a British classic thriller. Unforgettable film, a definite must watch. 10 stars. from Meryl Heasman (songwriter) CATFLAP MUSIC Kent England.

This fantastic almost documentary film of a flight incident with its metaphysical preludes is like a corollary to "The High and the Mighty" of the same year, but this is in black and white and much more to the point. The real argument is about a dream. An officer (Michael Hordern) dreams about an air accident which troubles him, and he commits the mistake of communicating the details of his dream. Eventually, the flight with Michael Redgrave from Hong Kong to Tokyo develops into this nightmare flight with almost every detail corresponding exactly to those of the dream. While above all it's a great air flight thriller, it's also something of an experiment and a thorough speculation in the phenomenon of dreams coming true. The actors are all perfect and natural, and leading actors like Alexander Knox and Denholm Elliott (quite young here) have a very hard time, especially the pilot Nigel Stock, who more than sweats it out. It's a film you wouldn't have missed for your life - if you survive it.

Faded greying reminder of the low-budget 50's war movies, which often rested on clichés, just because it was the easiest (laziest) way to hold the attention of English cinema audiences.

In Hong Kong, a naval officer recounts a vivid dream he had about a plane crashing on a beach. A senior Air Marshal (Michael Redgrave) notices a few eerie parallels with a flight that he is just about to join, though he feels relieved that certain details don't match. But several changes of plan appear to replicate the dream more closely, and he confides his fears to the other passengers.

It is the themes, not the story, that hold the interest. The eternal debate about predestination versus free will. The apparent duty of a serving officer to ignore any tomfoolery about dreams. And a reminder that the world's oldest civilisation, China, has always been deeply embedded in a culture of superstition.

Apart from Alexander Knox's performance as a man who has never flown before, and whose dread of flying seems to be alarmingly vindicated, there is little opportunity for fine acting, and the two female characters are completely thrown away. Most of it is routine dialogue of the most banal sort, unworthy of scriptwriter R.C. Sheriff, who did far better work than this on stage and screen.

The film is supposedly based on the true story of a dream described to Air Marshal Sir Victor Goddard, which prompted him to order a search that saved the lives of a stranded aircrew, though we have only his word for it.

I saw the movie for the first time only two days ago (12/01/2002) and really liked it. For a black & white movie, it had a good story line, suspense and a good selection of characters. It was typically British as in The Dam Busters and Reach For The Sky, bt then again, somethings the British do better than America. Its a movie I could watch again. It also shows a young Denholm Elliott, still highly recognizable as the same person who starred in the Indiana Jones Movies.

Very enjoyable and highly recommended.

Why on earth is this not available on DVD? A Brilliant film that fully deserves a DVD release. One wonders if any trails or out takes survive too?

Redgrave is - as always - excellent and the supporting cast are superb. An intriguing story - that has already been described by other reviewers, so I won't repeat that.

It used to play regularly on UK TV but has now disappeared. Does anyone know who now owns it? Could they be persuaded to re-master it and release it on DVD? Being directed by BBC TV film critic Barry Norman's dad should give it a little extra interest for the market.