If you're familiar with the Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee episodes of the BBC series "Doctor Who" that were set on Earth you will almost certainly enjoy this film from 1965. In fact, The Night Caller appears to have had a substantial impact on the British series, with the opening scene of the film with the radar screen almost exactly duplicated five years later for the opening scene of Jon Pertwee's first Dr Who adventure. The film also has that fine actor Maurice Denham playing a Dr Who type and the frequent involvement of the army in that era of the TV series is mirrored by the brief involvement of the army in this movie. One of Denham's assistants, played by Patricia Haines, also reminds me of Pertwee's scientist companion Liz Shaw in Dr Who.
The theme tune at the beginning is wonderfully reminiscent of the 60's and sounds classic. The film is nearly spoilt by the terribly bland, square-jawed John Saxon playing an American whose presence in the film doesn't make much sense. The black and white picture is a major asset, helping the atmosphere superbly. There are supporting actors worthy of mention, including Warren (Till Death Us Do Part) Mitchell, Ballard Berkeley (the Major from Fawlty Towers) and the creepy character actor Aubrey Morris, all of whom are sadly underused.
The plot is satisfactory but rather thin (at least it's not convoluted) and the film proves to be fairly enjoyable sci-fi but not frightening by any means (except perhaps for the part at the end when you see a brief image of the alien's face). There is a definite lack of chemistry between the characters and not enough time to develop any (unfortunately Denham's character gets killed long before the film's conclusion). In its favour, the movie doesn't try anything too ambitious for its budget and consequently still looks good today. In short, The Night Caller is worth watching for fans of old British sci-fi.
The theme tune at the beginning is wonderfully reminiscent of the 60's and sounds classic. The film is nearly spoilt by the terribly bland, square-jawed John Saxon playing an American whose presence in the film doesn't make much sense. The black and white picture is a major asset, helping the atmosphere superbly. There are supporting actors worthy of mention, including Warren (Till Death Us Do Part) Mitchell, Ballard Berkeley (the Major from Fawlty Towers) and the creepy character actor Aubrey Morris, all of whom are sadly underused.
The plot is satisfactory but rather thin (at least it's not convoluted) and the film proves to be fairly enjoyable sci-fi but not frightening by any means (except perhaps for the part at the end when you see a brief image of the alien's face). There is a definite lack of chemistry between the characters and not enough time to develop any (unfortunately Denham's character gets killed long before the film's conclusion). In its favour, the movie doesn't try anything too ambitious for its budget and consequently still looks good today. In short, The Night Caller is worth watching for fans of old British sci-fi.