Night Tide (1961)
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Source: JustWatch
A lonely sailor on shore leave falls for a beautiful young woman who works the pier as a sideshow mermaid. He learns that the men who loved her before him drowned, and that she half-believes she is a Siren, fated to doom everyone who gets close.
NIGHT TIDE (1961) was the first feature by Curtis Harrington, an experimental filmmaker who came up in the avant-garde underground alongside Kenneth Anger. This is a dreamy, black-and-white fever dream somewhere between a Val Lewton chiller and a beatnik poem.
The sailor is Dennis Hopper, baby-faced and gentle, in his very first leading role, years before he became the wild man of American film.
The score is by David Raksin, who wrote "Laura." Raskin loved Harrington's project so much that he scored it for a fraction of his usual fee.
Physical media
Blu-rayIndicator (Powerhouse Films) Standard EdUnited KingdomRegion free2020UPC 5060697920673
Blu-rayIndicator (Powerhouse Films) Limited EdiUnited KingdomRegion free2020
Blu-rayKino LorberUnited StatesRegion A2013
DVDKino LorberUnited StatesRegion 12013
LaserDiscUnited States1998
DVDImage EntertainmentUnited StatesRegion 1
VHSRhinoUnited States
About the film
Temptress from the sea… loving… killing!
- Directed by
- Curtis Harrington
- Runtime
- 84 minutes
- Released
- July 1, 1961
- US theatrical
- June 6, 1963
- Certification
- NR
- Country
- United States of America
- Starring
- Dennis Hopper, Linda Lawson, Gavin Muir, Luana Anders, Marjorie Eaton
More credits
- Genres
- Romance, Mystery, Horror, Thriller
- Language
- English
- Origin
- US
- Studios
- Phoenix Films, The Filmgroup, American International Pictures
- Written by
- Curtis Harrington
- Produced by
- Jules Schwartz, Aram Katarian
- Cinematography
- Vilis Lapenieks, Floyd Crosby
- Music
- David Raksin, Paul Horn
- Also starring
- Tom Dillon, H.E. West, Marjorie Cameron, Chaino, Kirby Allan
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LOVED this movie! 🥰
I always recommend people watch this in a double-feature with Carnival of Souls
Kat Peach Now, Carnival of Souls freaks me right out. It’s one of those ‘you see it once, you never forget, and never need to see again because you remember every damn scene’ kinds of films, like Naked Lunch.
Maura Manning Truth!
Kat Peach Carnival of Souls is a movie i haven’t watched in years
As a Dennis Hopper fan I enjoyed this
I am sure I had the opportunity to watch this when I subscribed to Metrograph, but I didn’t. Or it might have been when I was on MUBI, which your link shows it is streaming now.
this was shot so well I was stunned
A beautiful film.
Lovely movie. I saw it the year it first showed on CPM Theater 1965 – I was 10 years old. I was rather moved by the story and by the music and it was another step in my fascination with the supernatural and speculative fiction.
WOuld always watch this on the late late show. Loved it. Everyone is soooo odd.
I love Curtis Harrington. I always compare this movie to Cat People, it has a very similar storyline. I tried to find his crypt in the big mausoleum at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, but I couldn’t locate it. I’ll definitely try again on my next visit out that way. I dressed up as the Queen of Blood for Halloween one year, that was a fun costume Whoever Slew Auntie Roo is a great one too, I like to watch it around Christmas.
I’ve never seen this film. Never even heard of it. Thank you!
I watched this a couple of years ago. Doesn’t Dennis Hopper live in a small room above the Carousel on the Santa Monica Pier?
Adele Cygelman no. The object of his desire did. His character was in the Navy
thanks.
This is a beautiful film visually, and such a sad film.
Yeah, but who was the ACTRESS?
Micco Mann Look it up.
I could, but I was hoping for a kind person who wouldn’t mind taking the time to do it for me. Guess I was wrong.
Dre Hund grow up, man
Carolyn Beck He’s right! Asking somebody something you could easily look up for yourself is sheer laziness … better to look smart rather than dumb, no :)?
Micco Mann https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_Lawson_(actress)
Chris Fabiaschi Thank you, kind person! You are muy worthy.
Micco Mann You’re welcome! 🎞
Micco Mann Linda Lawson. Never heard of her but she was on tons of TV shows in that era and one movie: Apache Rifles. She looks terrific in this.
Scott Covell Thanks. Very kind of you to reply to this gentleman’s question..Bless you.
Carole Anne Berry Look it up is a lame response. Most of us just want to set up some sort of discourse.
Scott Covell Exactly.
The fantastic Luana Anders is in this little masterpiece.
Steven Martin Amen brother!
Curtis Harrington would have been 100 yesterday.
Watching this, you can almost smell the salt water, and seaweed, great film.
Saw this film in a theater in early 1960s. Really impressive. There is one sequence were an old lady tells Hopper about Greek mythological sirens and mermaids but seems like the story is about Atlantis. The whole story feels real and creepy.
Sounds like the story was based on one by Jan de Hertog. I will have to check this out.
A truly brilliant film.
Thank you for telling us about this film. I can hardly wait to see it. I’m sad I missed it back then.
The stunning actress in this is Linda Lawson. Some reason not mentioned in the article. She appeared in dozens of TV shows in that era. Died in ‘22.
Scott Covell certainly deserves mention!
Some people think only the men count in a project 🤨
With respect, I think if you took the time to look at other entries on this page you would see women represented at least as often as men.
One of my alltime favorite films! Loved it and old Santa Monica and Venice Beach history.
I love this flick. I just watched it a few weeks ago. Part of what I love about it is that the viewer never really finds out the true story. Gain Muir’s character insists there’s no old lady in black and that the story about Mera’s character is just fiction. Yet we see the old gal in black talking some strange language to Mera and walking around the town. ?????
Marjorie Camaron. The mysterious women.
It’s no Carnival of Souls…but a solid watch. COS is unintentional perfection
Fabulous film. So hauntingly atmospheric.
Saw it recently on Nightmare theater on PBS was interesting….
Rewatched it a couple of days ago for Curtis Harrington’s centenary.
What a weird but wonderful film.
Good Movie
Like a lower budget Val Lewton film.
Great archival footage of Venice area
Saw it at the Chinese, with Dennis Hopper being interviewed afterwards. Priceless.
On my living room wall.
probably raskin’s fee was set lower b/c he had set it way too high and he needed the money
Love this surreal film. It’s cool you get to see the upstairs interiors of the SM Pier merry go round circa 1961.
Enchanting film.
Well, one of my treasures…
Raksin also did a great score for “The Big Combo”. A very young Lee Van Cleef is excellent and the noir aspect is like a heavy black curtain.
An oddly satisfying film on zero budget
Francisco Javier
Thanks for posting! Looks interesting and is available on YouTube
Great little film. I especially enjoy any opportunity to see Luana Anders.
Going to watch it tonight. It’s free on Sling.
Venice area has always had such a darkly mysterious background, way before the Dogtown era or Jim Morrison.
Fascinating film…
Didn’t Harrington have a role in *Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome*? Cesare the Sleepwalker?
In an episode of the television program, “Route 66”, The George Maharis character meets a young woman who claims to be from Atlantis. The shock ending of the episode takes your breath away.
A Linda Lawson made records as a singer.
By this time Hopper became persona non grata in Hollywood due to his deliberate clashes with directors. He wanted to be another James Dean. Studios even warned him about his behavior. By the time he made Night Tide, his career was on the skids.
Joe Vannicola According to Hopper, Henry Hathaway was responsible for banning him from major studio productions for being a huge PITA during the film From Hell To Texas, released in 1958. This lasted until 1965, when Hathaway cast him in The Sons Of Katie Elder. He appeared in a number of TV programs in the interim, including an episode of Gunsmoke that also featured John Barrymore, Jr., another notable high talented substance abuser.
In my collection…, not alone in my disk!
I remember seeing this when I was about 10 and it certainly made an impact on me.
Let’s!
I like it: https://noirsville.blogspot.com/2017/06/night-tide-1961-fringe-noirquasi-noir.html
I have to check this out.