Cult/ Dead of Night

Ground-breaking both as a 1940s British horror film (production was paused during WWII) and as the blueprint for the horror anthology genre, Dead of Night is a classic of its kind. 

It helped popularise a now-familiar set-up: a group of strangers gather in a secluded house at the request of a wealthy patron – there, each unfolds a chilling tale of the supernatural. Most memorable of all the vignettes included in Dead of Night is surely the story of Maxwell and Hugo: the ventriloquist and his dummy experiencing creative differences. 

Dead of Night features contributions from many of the figures who would define Ealing Studios’ output in the post-War years, and a host of British acting talent.