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Nor the Moon by Night
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Wikipedia article
'Nor the Moon by Night' is a 1958 British drama film directed by Ken Annakin and starring Belinda Lee. It was based on the novel by Joy Packer and partly filmed in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. The title is a quote from the Old Testament passage (Psalm 121:6); "The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night."
The film was released in the United States as 'Elephant Gun'. It has several sections in Swahili but is not subtitled.
Plot summary
Two brothers, Rusty and Andrew Miller, are game wardens in Africa. Andrew's fiance visits from the UK, and falls in love with Rusty.
A broken headlight caused by a crashed Land Rover starts a bush fire, and the humans try to beat it out as the wildlife stampedes to escape. Meanwhile, Andrew has tied himself into a tree to escape the lions but threatens to be burnt in the fire.
Cast
*Belinda Lee ... Alice Lang
*Michael Craig ... Rusty
*Patrick McGoohan ... Andrew Miller
*Anna Gaylor ... Thea Boryslawski
*Eric Pohlmann ... Boryslawski
*Pamela Stirling ... Mrs. Boryslawski
*Lionel Ngakane ... Nimrod
*Joan Brickhill ... Harriet Carver
*Ben Heydenrych ... Sergeant Van Wyck
*Alfred Kumalo ... Chief
*Doreen Hlantie ... Oasis
Production
Development
Joy Packer's novel was published in 1957. Film rights were bought by Sir John Davis of the Rank Film Organisation, in part because Davis' wife Dinah Sheridan was a fan of the novel. Packer later wrote she sold the rights via a "contract which reduced me to nothing and made me feel like the man who sold his shadow to the devil".Packer, p. 114In the late 1950s, the Rank Organisation made a series of adventure films in colour shot on location which were aimed at the international audience. These included 'The Black Tent', 'Robbery Under Arms', 'Ferry to Hong Kong', 'Campbell's Kingdom' and 'Nor the Moon by Night'.
The film was directed by Ken Annakin. He says that he did not really want to do the job. The film he really wanted to make was 'The Singer Not the Song'. He agreed because it gave him the chance to see South Africa.Brian McFarlane, 'An Autobiography of British Cinema', 1997 p 26
Packer says producer John Stafford flew out to South Africa to meet with her and secure her help in making the movie. He showed her the script which she found "amazingly fresh and new. The basic situation and a few names and places were vaguely familiar. I recognised none of the dialogue and only part of the action, but the story sounded exciting."Packer, p. 115
Packer felt Belinda Lee was physically miscast to play the role, but Annakin pointed out she was under contract and felt "she'll play Alice very convincingly. She's very intense - is Belinda".Packer, p. 116 'Filmink' said "Lees part was in the "sensible girl" realm, a spinster who discovers love on the veldt in between being attacked by wildlife."
Packer later wrote "none of the cast bore the faintest resemblance to my characters."Packer, p. 122
Shooting
Filming began on 23 November 1957 on location in South Africa. The unit was based at Cato Ridge. The bulk of location shooting took place in the Valley of a Thousand Hills near Durban, with second unit work involving animals hear Johannesburg. At one stage the film was known as 'The Voice of the Lion'.BRITAIN'S MOVIE SCENE: J. Arthur Rank Approves Common Market - STEPHEN WATTS. 'The New York Times'. 27 October 1957: X7.Production was plagued by a number of difficulties. Belinda Lee left the unit during the shoot to see her married lover in Italy who had been threatening to commit suicide; they both tried to commit suicide.[http://www.glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com/show/159/Belinda+Lee/register.php Belinda Lee] at 'Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen' Patrick McGoohan suffered concussion after crashing his car. Anna Gaylor fell ill with dysentery.
Director Ken Annakin had a number of issues with the crew; he later wrote that the electricians sabotaged director of photography Peter Hennessey's rushes with incorrect light filters, forcing him to be replaced by Harry Waxman.[http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/513584/ 'Nor the Moon by Night'] at BFI Screenonline The cast and crew consistently fell sick, with snake and spider bites, heat exhaustion, dysentery, rheumatism and chest complaints the chief cause.
Michael Craig wrote in his memoirs that Annakin was known among the crew "not very lovingly" as "Panickin' Annakin".
Lee returned from Italy on 2 February 1958 to recommence filming. She flew into Johannesburg Airport, then took a flight to Durban. Questions were asked in South African parliament whether Lee was given special treatment to get into the country as a customs and immigration officer went to meet her on the plane at Johannesburg airport so she could avoid the press. "I regret any harm I have done to anyone in Italy," she said.I Know what they think, says Belinda
Date: Thursday, Feb. 6, 1958
Publication: Daily Mail (London, England)p 7
One of the cheetahs used in filming savaged its trainer. A bush fire got out of control. Michael Craig, although married, had an affair on set with a woman called Shirley.Craig p 81-82 He also almost drowned crossing a river.
At one point, Michael Craig was the only one of the four leads available at work. He later quipped "I'm left alone for three weeks with a film crew and a lot of monkeys."[http://www.theage.com.au/news/arts/boyos-way-with-words/2005/08/24/1124562911814.html "Boy's way with words"] 'The Age' 2005 Annakin said "one day there was only me and a snake available to work."Brian McFarlane, 'An Autobiography of British Cinema', 1997 p 27 However Annakin did meet his future wife Pauline during filming.Steve Chibnall, [http://networkonair.com/features/2015/08/06/feature-nor-the-moon-by-night/ "Nor the Moon by Night"], Network Publishing, 3 August 2015
The unit returned to London in April 1958 where some additional scenes were shot, including a new ending. "I feel as if I have just come out of prison", said Lee on her return. "I have been watched and questioned all the time. I'm 22 and hope to marry again before I'm 80. Love is the important thing. I believe in letting my heart rule my head." Filming took around a month.Goring, Edward, "Love is all, says Belinda Lee", 'Daily Mail', 9 April 1958, p. 3
The movie was completed over budget and behind schedule. Rank terminated Lee's contract, and she never worked for the studio again.[http://www.dmu.ac.uk/research/research-faculties-and-institutes/technology/cath/news/2011/remembering-belinda-lee.aspx "Remembering Belinda Lee"], De Montfort University The job of directing 'The Singer Not the Song' was taken from Annakin and given to Roy Ward Baker.
Rank said the combined cost of the film and three others - 'Innocent Sinners', 'The Wind Cannot Read' and 'Night to Remember' - was 1,100,000.Film Correspondent, "Rank's to Stop Four Films & Dismiss 300", 'The Daily Telegraph', 1 January 1958, pp. 1, 12
Reception
'Variety' praised the photography but criticised the acting and script.[https://archive.org/details/variety211-1958-07/page/n287/mode/1up?q=%22belinda+lee%22 Review of film] at Variety
The film managed to recoup its costs in Europe and made a profit after its release in the United States.
Annakin later said "the picture was a mediocre hotch potch."
References
Notes
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