| Night Tide | |
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Was she human... |
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| Directed by | Curtis Harrington |
| Produced by | Aram Katarian |
| Written by | Curtis Harrington |
| Starring | Dennis Hopper Linda Lawson Marjorie Cameron Luana Anders |
| Music by | David Raksin |
| Cinematography | Vilis Lapenieks |
| Editing by | Jodie Copelan |
| Distributed by | The Filmgroup Inc. American International Pictures |
| Release date(s) | 1961 |
| Running time | 84 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $25,000 |
Night Tide is a 1961 thriller film, written and directed by Curtis Harrington and starring Dennis Hopper. It was filmed in 1960, premiered in 1961, but was held up from general release until 1963. The film was restored by the Academy Film Archive in 2007.
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Seaman Johnny Drake (Dennis Hopper), on shore leave, finds a "Mermaid" sideshow attraction at the marina, operated by Captain Murdock (Gavin Muir). The "Mermaid" Mora (Linda Lawson), who lives in a hotel above the marina merry-go-round (the movie was filmed at the Santa Monica pier) and Johnny fall for each other. Everyone around them is wary of the romance, as her previous lovers have died mysteriously.
Mora believes she is a descendant of the Sirens, mythic sea creatures who lure sailors to their deaths. From time to time a mysterious and seemingly sinister woman (Marjorie Cameron) appears and frightens Mora. She believes the woman is the leader of the mermaids, calling Mora to fulfill her destiny. Mora's origins seem to be driving her to commit murder by the full moon. Johnny is unable to believe his lover is capable of murder, but Mora herself seems more certain. During a diving trip on the day of the full moon, Mora cuts Johnny's breathing tube and he is forced to surface, leaving her below, where she swims away into the shadows.
When Johnny returns to the marina the next day, he sees that the lifeless body of Mora is now on display in the mermaid tank. Murdock appears, brandishing a gun. It is he who has been committing the murders and convincing Mora that she was an actual mermaid. Mora had discarded her oxygen tank in the sea, and had drowned. In the ensuing struggle between Johnny and Murdock, the glass tank is shattered, and the water and debris pin Murdock down.
In the film's conclusion, at the police station, Murdock confesses to the crimes and Johnny returns to his ship accompanied by the shore patrol. The one loose end to Murdock's story is that he denies any knowledge of the mysterious woman who had been frightening Mora. The police dismiss it as the man protecting her, but the door is left open to other possibilities.
In order to film some of the underwater sequences in Night Tide, director Curtis Harrington gave detailed instructions to a cameraman who then shot the scenes underwater at the director's request.[1]
The role of Mora the Mermaid (played by Linda Lawson in the film) was originally to be played by Susan Harrison, who had been the lead in Sweet Smell of Success (1957). A friend of director Harrington's at the time, Harrison initially agreed to do the role, but then reneged due to a personal relationship at the time.[2]
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