The Night Walker

1964

The Night Walker

Critics Consensus

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TOMATOMETER

Total Count: N/A

54%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 447

The Night Walker Photos

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Movie Info

Irene Trent (Barbara Stanwyck) was married to the inventor Howard (Hayden Roarke) before the blind electronics genius blows himself up following an argument between the couple. Irene leaves after the arguments only to learn of her husband's demise later. When Irene has reoccurring dreams of a faceless lover, she confides in her friend and attorney Barry Moreland (Robert Taylor) of her vision. She also tells him that Howard had accused her of marital infidelity and had her trailed by a private detective. William Castle directed the suspenseful thriller written by Psycho author Robert Bloch. Taylor and Stanwyck appear in their first film together in 27 years. The two were married from 1939 to 1951 and appeared in two films before their marriage. Their mutual respect as friends and performers is evident in The Night Walker.

Rating:

NR
Genre:

Horror, Mystery & Suspense
Directed By:

William Castle
Written By:

Robert Bloch
In Theaters:

Nov 1, 1964 wide
On Disc/Streaming:

Jun 30, 1993
Runtime:

86 minutes
Studio:

Universal

Cast

Barbara Stanwyck
as Irene Trent

Robert Taylor
as Barry Morland

Judi Meredith
as Joyce Holland

Hayden Rorke
as Howard Trent

Lloyd Bochner
as Man in the Dream

Rochelle Hudson
as Hilda

Marjorie Bennett
as Manager

Jess Barker
as Malone

Pauelle Clark
as Pat

Tetsu Komai
as Gardener

Ted Durant
as Narrator

Paulie Clark
as Pat

Kathleen Mulqueen
as Customer

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Critic Reviews for The Night Walker

All Critics (3) | Fresh (2) | Rotten (1)

Limp Psycho-like copycat thriller.

Mar 12, 2015 | Rating: C | Full Review…

Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Not bad creepy psychodrama from schlockster William Castle.

Oct 23, 2006 | Rating: 3/5

Steve Crum
Dispatch-Tribune Newspapers

View All Critic Reviews (3)

Audience Reviews for The Night Walker

Jan 16, 2010

One of William Castle's more interesting films. With another screenplay from Robert Bloch, this movie is one part Twilight Zone, one part Vertigo and all parts Castle. This is one of William's better efforts and I did find some creepyness to it, which rarely happens to me. It is far better than his previous effort I Saw What You Did.

Tim S Super Reviewer
Sep 14, 2009

<div style="width:280px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com/photos/the-night-walker-12110589"><img src="http://content7.flixster.com/photo/12/11/05/12110589_ori.jpg" border="0"/></a><div style="text-align:center;font-size:10px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com"></a></div></div> <div style="width:280px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com/photos/the-night-walker-12110653"><img src="http://content7.flixster.com/photo/12/11/06/12110653_ori.jpg" border="0"/></a><div style="text-align:center;font-size:10px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com"></a></div></div> <div style="width:280px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com/photos/the-secret-beyond-the-door-12111480"><img src="http://content6.flixster.com/photo/12/11/14/12111480_gal.jpg" border="0"/></a><div style="text-align:center;font-size:10px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com"><B><I> The Night Walker</I></B></a></div></div> <I>The Night Walker</I> (1964). Written by horror master Edward Bloch. Directed by William Castle. With Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Taylor, Irene Trent, Joyce Holland, and Hayden Rorke. After her covetous, jealous, and suspicious husband allegedly burns to death in a mysterious laboratory explosion, a wealthy widow (Stanwyck) has recurrent nightmares featuring an imaginary lover (Bochner). He appears to her at night while she is dreaming and takes her on hellish journeys into the macabre. She dreams repeatedly that she falls asleep and then "awakens" to this nightmare while still within a dream. Each time, the nightmares begin with the lover awakening her at her bedside after she falls asleep. Every night, her clocks indicate that she has awoken from her sleep into the recurrent nightmare at the same time that she went to bed. Bochner eerily tells her, "Time stands still when you're with me!" The mysterious stranger drives her through a haunting Los Angeles nightscape to a a creepy, delapidated chapel where sinister, animated wax figures play the organ and conduct a bizarre and puzzling wedding service. One night she awakens from the recurrent nightmare, only to find Bochner again in her room. She concludes that she has only dreamed that she has woken up, and is trapped in a nightmare from which there is no release. Driven to the brink of madness by this ceaseless paradox, she dramatically shrieks over and over, "I can't wake up! I can't wake up!" Her scheming, apparently disbelieving lawyer attempts to help her unravel the mystery. But does he know more than he is telling her? Is everyone in her life really who they appear to be? Is she going crazy? Stanwyk's character struggles to unravel the mystery of what she is experiencing as she attempts to retain her dwindling shreds of sanity. William Castle employs no pedestrian gimmicks in this surreal, haunting film. By this point in his career he demonstrates that he has honed his skills as a competent director of horror. Stanwyk is as stunning, convincing and naturally suited for her role in this mysterious noir as she is in her haunting film roles in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers and Double Indemnity. Released on VHS.

Pamela D Super Reviewer
May 28, 2007

not a great movie but of its type a good one and interesting to see Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Taylor together so many years after their divorce. She looks good, he looks like hell.

jay n Super Reviewer