Night Train To Murder
Encyclopedia
Night Train To Murder is a 1984 British
comedy film
directed by Joseph McGrath and starring Morecambe and Wise
. It was the last work that Eric Morecambe
and Ernie Wise
worked on together before Eric's death in 1984. It was written as a pastiche
of the works of various writers including Agatha Christie
and Edgar Wallace
and is set in 1946, featuring Morecambe and Wise ostensibly 1940s versions of themselves.
The film is interesting in several ways; the duo's move from the BBC
to Thames in 1978 was a much publicised media event, and one of the main reasons for their move was to make films and move away from the format of the Morecambe & Wise Show
that had proved so popular in the last decade. It is ironic then, that it took six years (during which time they basically re-hashed a lot of their BBC material) for this film to come to fruition. It was completed in late 1983 but not shown until after Morecambe's death the following year. It was originally made with a laughter track but when shown, and later released on both VHS
and DVD
this was absent.
The film features an overly-complicated plot of family members dying in strange circumstances and the two leads are drawn into this when Eric's niece Kathy (Lysette Anthony
) is visited by the family's lawyer, played by Fulton Mackay
. There are several well-known character actors mixed into the story, but this does nothing for the creaking plot. As a swansong of a glorious career, it is a very disappointing affair, but as an historical document of the final work of Britain's greatest double act
it remains valuable. The fact that their popularity had peaked during their ten-year tenure with the BBC
as their "flagship act" had been over for several years is evident in this film. Their later work for Thames Television
had been littered with material re-hashed from their BBC years, owing in part to the fact that their regular writer Eddie Braben
had remained under contract and could not immediately follow them to Thames where they were to see out their days as a double act.
The film was made largely on location and produced on video tape, which in some cases does little to enhance the quality look of the finished product; it is clear that Morecambe's heart is not really in the production and despite having some reasonable lines, they are not delivered with the "spark" that he was associated with. Indeed, this is a hallmark of many of their later shows. Wise, on the other hand is still in the peak of health, and gives his usual brisk performance, but the act's energy was always attributed to Morecambe who at the time of making the film was in poor health. The closing moments of the film see Eric and Ernie walking off together, onto the next gig which is a quietly touching moment given that it was their final screen image together.
Rarely shown on television, the film remains on sale on both VHS and DVD formats.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by Joseph McGrath and starring Morecambe and Wise
Morecambe and Wise
Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, or Eric and Ernie, were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984...
. It was the last work that Eric Morecambe
Eric Morecambe
John Eric Bartholomew OBE , known by his stage name Eric Morecambe, was an English comedian who together with Ernie Wise formed the award-winning double act Morecambe and Wise. The partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death of a heart attack in 1984...
and Ernie Wise
Ernie Wise
Ernest Wiseman OBE , known by his stage name Ernie Wise, was an English comedian, best known as one half of the comedy duo Morecambe and Wise, who became an institution on British television, especially for their Christmas specials.-Career:Ernest Wiseman was the eldest of five children, and changed...
worked on together before Eric's death in 1984. It was written as a pastiche
Pastiche
A pastiche is a literary or other artistic genre or technique that is a "hodge-podge" or imitation. The word is also a linguistic term used to describe an early stage in the development of a pidgin language.-Hodge-podge:...
of the works of various writers including Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
and Edgar Wallace
Edgar Wallace
Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace was an English crime writer, journalist, novelist, screenwriter, and playwright, who wrote 175 novels, 24 plays, and numerous articles in newspapers and journals....
and is set in 1946, featuring Morecambe and Wise ostensibly 1940s versions of themselves.
The film is interesting in several ways; the duo's move from the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
to Thames in 1978 was a much publicised media event, and one of the main reasons for their move was to make films and move away from the format of the Morecambe & Wise Show
Morecambe and Wise
Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, or Eric and Ernie, were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984...
that had proved so popular in the last decade. It is ironic then, that it took six years (during which time they basically re-hashed a lot of their BBC material) for this film to come to fruition. It was completed in late 1983 but not shown until after Morecambe's death the following year. It was originally made with a laughter track but when shown, and later released on both VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
this was absent.
The film features an overly-complicated plot of family members dying in strange circumstances and the two leads are drawn into this when Eric's niece Kathy (Lysette Anthony
Lysette Anthony
Lysette Anthony is an English film, television, and theatre actress.-Early life:Anthony was born Lysette Chodzko in Fulham, London, the only daughter of actors Michael Anthony, and Bernadette Milnes....
) is visited by the family's lawyer, played by Fulton Mackay
Fulton Mackay
Fulton Mackay OBE was a Scottish actor and playwright, best known for his role as prison officer Mr. Mackay in the 1970s sitcom Porridge.-Early life:...
. There are several well-known character actors mixed into the story, but this does nothing for the creaking plot. As a swansong of a glorious career, it is a very disappointing affair, but as an historical document of the final work of Britain's greatest double act
Double act
A double act, also known as a comedy duo, is a comic pairing in which humor is derived from the uneven relationship between two partners, usually of the same gender, age, ethnic origin and profession, but drastically different personalities or behavior...
it remains valuable. The fact that their popularity had peaked during their ten-year tenure with the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
as their "flagship act" had been over for several years is evident in this film. Their later work for Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
had been littered with material re-hashed from their BBC years, owing in part to the fact that their regular writer Eddie Braben
Eddie Braben
Eddie Braben is a comedy writer and performer who has provided material for such figures as David Frost and Ronnie Corbett, and who is most famous for having written for Ken Dodd and Morecambe and Wise....
had remained under contract and could not immediately follow them to Thames where they were to see out their days as a double act.
The film was made largely on location and produced on video tape, which in some cases does little to enhance the quality look of the finished product; it is clear that Morecambe's heart is not really in the production and despite having some reasonable lines, they are not delivered with the "spark" that he was associated with. Indeed, this is a hallmark of many of their later shows. Wise, on the other hand is still in the peak of health, and gives his usual brisk performance, but the act's energy was always attributed to Morecambe who at the time of making the film was in poor health. The closing moments of the film see Eric and Ernie walking off together, onto the next gig which is a quietly touching moment given that it was their final screen image together.
Rarely shown on television, the film remains on sale on both VHS and DVD formats.
Cast
- Eric MorecambeEric MorecambeJohn Eric Bartholomew OBE , known by his stage name Eric Morecambe, was an English comedian who together with Ernie Wise formed the award-winning double act Morecambe and Wise. The partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death of a heart attack in 1984...
as Eric Morecambe - Ernie WiseErnie WiseErnest Wiseman OBE , known by his stage name Ernie Wise, was an English comedian, best known as one half of the comedy duo Morecambe and Wise, who became an institution on British television, especially for their Christmas specials.-Career:Ernest Wiseman was the eldest of five children, and changed...
as Ernie Wise - Margaret Courtenay as Dame Flora
- Kenneth HaighKenneth HaighKenneth Haigh is a British actor. He played the central role of Jimmy Porter in the very first production of John Osborne's seminal play Look Back in Anger in 1956. His performance in a 1958 Broadway theatre production of that play so moved one young woman in the audience that she mounted the...
as Cousin Milton / Cousin Homer - Fulton MackayFulton MackayFulton Mackay OBE was a Scottish actor and playwright, best known for his role as prison officer Mr. Mackay in the 1970s sitcom Porridge.-Early life:...
as Mackay - Pamela SalemPamela SalemPamela Salem is a British film and television actress.She was born in Bombay, India, and educated at Heidelberg University in Germany and later at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, England...
as Cousin Zelda - Lysette AnthonyLysette AnthonyLysette Anthony is an English film, television, and theatre actress.-Early life:Anthony was born Lysette Chodzko in Fulham, London, the only daughter of actors Michael Anthony, and Bernadette Milnes....
as Kathy Chalmers - Roger BrierleyRoger BrierleyRoger Brierley was a British chartered accountant-cum-actor.Though never a major star, he appeared in many television productions over a forty year period. He twice appeared in Doctor Who, as Trevor in The Daleks' Master Plan and as the voice of Drathro in The Mysterious Planet...
as Chief SuperintendentChief SuperintendentChief superintendent is a senior rank in police forces organised on the British model.- United Kingdom :In the British police, a chief superintendent is senior to a superintendent and junior to an assistant chief constable .The highest rank below Chief Officer level, chief...
Rivers - Edward JuddEdward JuddEdward Judd was a British actor.Born in Shanghai, China, he and his English father and Russian mother fled when the Japanese attacked China five years later....
as Knife Thrower - Ben ArisBen ArisBenjamin Patrick Aris was an English actor who was best known for his parts in Hi-de-Hi! and To the Manor Born, and was also very active on stage. He was often cast as an eccentric, upper-class man....
as Theatre Manager - Tony BonczaTony BonczaTony Boncza is an English actor. Born in Fulham, educated in Sevenoaks and Kingston Upon Thames. Originally trained as a journalist.-Career:...
as Joe - Frank Coda ... Stage Manager
- Mike Crane ... Big Jim (as Big Mike Crane)
- Robert Longden ... Vicar
- Penny MeredithPenny Meredith-Selected filmography:* The Flesh and Blood Show * The Ups and Downs of a Handyman * Confessions from a Holiday Camp * Night Train to Murder -Television roles:* Man at the Top* The Benny Hill Show...
... Mrs. Manzini - Tim Stern ... Tiny Big Jim
- Richard VernonRichard VernonRichard Vernon was a British actor. He appeared in many feature films and television programmes, often in aristocratic or supercilious roles...
as Uncle Felix