Night Is
The Time For Killing
(ITC Movie title "Murder On The Midnight Express")
Original UK transmission: 18th January 1975
Original US transmission: 7th January 1975
WRITTEN BY: Brian Clemens
DIRECTED BY: John Cooper
PRODUCED BY: John Cooper
MAIN CAST: Judy Geeson (Helen Marlow), Charles Gray (Hilary
Vance), Jim Smilie (Bob Malory), Jeffry Wickham (Parker), Edward
Burnham (The Minister), Anthony Nash (General), Jackie Piper
(Bride), Duncan Preston (Groom), Milos Kirek (Ivan Malov),
Alister Williams (Barkly), Robert MacLeod (Henry Marlow)
Teaser
Sequence
The camera pans across a busy
urban street, and closes in on the upstairs window of a large
house. Inside, a group of Secret Service agents await the arrival
of a Russian defector whom they have never seen. Outside, the man
in question pulls up in a car but is immediately shot at by a spy
disguised as a road worker. As he speeds off again, the would-be
assassin fires repeatedly at the car...he fails in his task, but
then turns to a hidden wireless phone and dials.
Plot
Summary
A young woman mourning the
sudden loss of her lover becomes embroiled in the world of
espionage when she discovers a dead body on the overnight train
she is taking. No sooner has she reported the body missing than
the man she thought murdered is found to be still alive, and
Helen is left pondering her own sanity. An Australian, Bob, seems
to want to believe her story, but remains sceptical until Helen
once again spots the body in a compartment. The two then pair up
to try and determine who the murderer of the man was and, more
importantly, why someone is now impersonating him.
Comments
A tribute to the novel Murder On The Orient Express (as
the movie title made plain), with a couple of Agatha
Christie-type characters thrown in to boot. Charles Grey as the
incredibly sarcastic (but amusing) Hillary Vance steals the show
for the most part, especially during those moments when he turns
his savage wit against the hapless steward. Judy Geeson fulfils
the role of the troubled Helen well and Australian Bob Smilie
makes the character of Bob Mallory a very likeable fellow. The
central premise of this story was filched almost wholesale by the
makers of the Gene Wilder comedy The Silver Streak a few
years later.
Original TV Times interview with Judy Geeson
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