Page 2
“It is structured with an incredible symmetry and tightness which reflects the precision of Matheson’s work on The Devil Rides Out. Hayers too shoots the whole thing with an uncharacteristic yet almost Wellesian flourish, extracting the maximum effect from every scene; indeed, his style is so flamboyantly successful that many have fruitlessly ransacked the rest of his work in search of the slightest similarities.” David Pirie, A New Heritage of Horror
Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com | Amazon.ca
“Simply as a suspense yarn, blending lurid conjecture and brisk reality, growing chillier by the minute, and finally whipping up an ice-cold crescendo of fright, the result is admirable. Excellently photographed (not a single “frame” is wasted), and cunningly directed by Sidney Hayers, the incidents gather a pounding, graphic drive that is diabolically teasing. The climax is a nightmarish hair-curler but, we maintain, entirely logical within the context.” The New York Times
Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com
“True, budgetary constraints are occasionally obvious (perhaps the visible tether attached to the eagle during the nail-biting climax represents the psychic supervision exerted by its controller). But it’s hard not to be impressed by the precision with which Sydney Hayers orchestrates it, carefully balancing pace and ambience to create a compelling, creepy film.” Offbeat: British Cinema’s Curiosities, Obscurities and Forgotten Gems by Julian Upton (editor), Headpress, UK, 2011
“It’s flawed, of course. The director can’t seem to go five minutes without a close-up of the stone eagle, as if, you know, it could be significant and important, so the climax is less of a surprise. Bill Mitchell’s character is a pain in the arse: while you could argue that he’s meant to be annoying, the fact that his accent lies somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic (is he British or American, I can never quite tell) is out of place in a cast filled with top-notch British character actors.” The Shrieking Sixties: British Horror Films 1960 – 1969
“Everything about this is first-class, from script to photography, and it’s really suspenseful and exciting.” Clive Davies, Spinegrinder
Buy Spinegrinder: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com | Amazon.ca
“There’s a sly humour to be found in the way that the educated folks’ genteel life of bookcases, wood panelling and bridge parties is merely the facade for rampant jealousy, petty hatred and devious manipulation. The villain is easy to spot, but nevertheless a convincing threat […] Night of the Eagle offers enjoyable low budget thrills; only the over-earnest leads take some of the shine off a polished production.” The Spinning Image
“The film is beautifully shot in black and white by Reginald Wyer with some incredibly atmospheric use of lighting and composition, the photography of Margaret Johnston’s face under-lit by the lamp on her desk, for example, is quite stunningly eerie. The musical score by William Alwyn perfectly complements Wyler’s photography, adding another layer to the creeping suspense and dread.” The Spooky Isles
“Not much of a movie but it does go to show what can happen in a community that fails to pay its teachers a living wage.” Time magazine, 1962
“Beaumont and Matheson cleverly set up the premise, and director Sidney (Circus of Horrors) Hayers executes the scares nicely. The flick only loses its way and resorts to cheap shocks in the final reel when a giant eagle statue comes to life to attack our hero. But other than that, it’s a top-shelf horror film on just about every level.” The Video Vacuum
“The few weaknesses of Hayers’ direction are more than offset by the positives and among the highlights is the chase sequence, which climaxes in a car-crash followed by a midnight pursuit to the graveyard. This genuinely chilling passage is underpinned by stunning photography and subjective camera angles.” John Hamilton, X-Cert: The British Independent Horror Film: 1951 – 1970
Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com
YouTube reviews:
Trailers:
Choice dialogue:
“One day I shall burn your stuffy old books, they invade every corner of our lives.”
Censorship:
While the film was accessible to an under-aged audience in the US, in the UK it was rated “X” (adults only) on its initial release. It was later re-rated ’15’, then ’12’ for UK home video releases.
Production:
Filming began on 25th September 1961.
Director Sidney Hayers told Shiver magazine in 1999: “Using a real eagle was the only way to go, really. I felt sorry for the poor thing… But I was very pleased with the results. Especially the moment when it comes crashing through the front door. I remember going to see the film with an audience at the Odeon in Leicester Square, and afterwards, in the toilets, I eavesdropped on these two guys saying how scared they had been.”
Cast and characters:
Peter Wyngarde … Norman Taylor
Janet Blair … Tansy Taylor
Margaret Johnston … Flora Carr
Anthony Nicholls … Harvey Sawtelle
Colin Gordon … Lindsay Carr
Kathleen Byron … Evelyn Sawtelle
Reginald Beckwith … Harold Gunnison
Jessica Dunning … Hilda Gunnison
Norman Bird … Doctor
Judith Stott … Margaret Abbott
Bill Mitchell … Fred Jennings
Paul Frees … Prologue Narrator (voice)
George Roubicek … Cleaner
Frank Singuineau … Truck Driver
Gary Woolf … Relief Driver
Filming locations:
Cape Cornwall, St. Just, Cornwall
Porthcurno Beach, Porthcurno, Cornwall
Taplow Court, Berkshire
Technical details:
87 minutes
Black and white
Aspect ratio: 1.85: 1
Audio: Mono (RCA Sound Recording)
Some image credits: Scenes from the Morgue
