The Nightcomers (1972)

Director:

Michael Winner

Writers:

Henry James (characters) and
Michael Hastings (writer)

Release Date:

27 October 1972 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Plot:

Prequel to the Henry James classic "Turn of the Screw" about the events leading up to the deaths of Peter Quint and Ms...

Plot Keywords:

Orphan | Love Hate | Housekeeper | Guardian | Exploitation

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award.

Cast

Marlon Brando	...	Peter Quint
Stephanie Beacham	...	Miss Jessel
Thora Hird	...	Mrs. Grose
Harry Andrews	...	Master of the House
Verna Harvey	...	Flora
Christopher Ellis	...	Miles
Anna Palk	...	New Governess

Directed by
Michael Winner

Writing credits
Henry James		(characters)
Michael Hastings		writer

Produced by
Elliott Kastner	....	producer
Michael Winner	....	producer

Original Music by
Jerry Fielding

Cinematography by
Robert Paynter

Film Editing by
Michael Winner		(as Arnold Crust Jr.)

Art Direction by
Herbert Westbrook

Makeup Department
Stephanie Kaye	....	hair stylist
Richard Mills	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Clifton Brandon	....	production manager
James Crawford	....	production manager (as James M. Crawford)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Dryhurst	....	assistant director

Art Department
Bill Dennison	....	assistant art director (as Bill Benninson)
Syd Nightingale	....	construction manager (as Sid Nightingale)
Ray Traynor	....	property master
Barry Wilkinson	....	stand-by props

Sound Department
Russ Hill	....	dialogue editor
Christopher Kent	....	sound recordist (as Chris Kent)
Terry Rawlings	....	dubbing editor (as Terence Rawlings)
Hugh Strain	....	sound recordist

Camera and Electrical Department
Anthony Troke	....	assistant camera (as Tony Troke)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ray Beck	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Frederick Wilson	....	supervising editor (as Freddie Wilson)

Music Department
Jerry Fielding	....	conductor

Other crew
Pamela Carlton	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Elliott Kastner-Jay Kanter-Alan Ladd Jnr Productions
• Scimitar Productions

Distributors

• AVCO Embassy Pictures (1972) (USA) (theatrical)
• AVCO Embassy (1972) (UK) (theatrical)
• BMG Video (1997) (UK) (VHS)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (1986) (UK) (VHS)
• Momentum Pictures Home Entertainment (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2001) (UK) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Intrada  score album released by (limited edition)

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | UK:X (original rating) | UK:18 (video rating) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Cambridgeshire, England, UK

Company:

Elliott Kastner-Jay Kanter-Alan Ladd Jnr Productions

Trivia:

Michael Winner originally offered the role of Miss Jessel to Vanessa Redgrave but she was filming in Italy and had to decline. Jennie Linden also refused the role.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Brando (2007) (TV)

A Very Dark Tale About Finding Sexuality and Losing Innocence

In the Victorian England, the teenagers Flora (Verna Harvey) and her brother Miles (Christopher Ellis) have just lost their parents in a car accident in France. Their tutor (Harry Andrews) decides to leave the children alone in their huge mansion under the care of the old housekeeper Mrs. Grose (Thora Hird), the governess Miss Jessel (Stephanie Beacham) and the gardener Peter Quint (Marlon Brando). Miles and Flore are very connected to Peter, who misleads their education with twisted concepts of love and death, but the orphans believe and are fascinated by his knowledge. Peter is the lover of Jessel, and they use to have sadomasochistic sex. When Peter sees their kink bondage night of sex, he has a corrupted and perverted sexual initiation. When Mrs. Grose writes to the master of the house to fire Miss Jessel and Peter Quint, Flora and Miles plot a dark scheme to keep them together in the property.

"The Nightcomers" is a very dark tale about finding sexuality and losing innocence in a very twisted way. The performances of the cast are top-notch, but Marlon Brando leads the story with his usual competence. I have never had the chance to read "Turn of the Screw" or see "The Innocents" to make any comparison, but I really liked this unknown and underrated movie. The bondage scenes are very impressive, with Marlon Brando and Stephanie Beacham showing a great chemistry. It is impressive to see that Verna Harvey was twenty-years old in 1972. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Os Que Chegam Com a Noite" ("The Nightcomers")