Night Tide

Night Tide
Was she human...
Directed by	Curtis Harrington
Produced by	Aram Katarian
Written by	Curtis Harrington
Starring	Dennis Hopper Linda Lawson Marjorie Cameron Luana Anders and Marjorie Eaton
Music by	David Raksin
Cinematography	Vilis Lapenieks
Editing by	Jodie Copelan
Studio	Virgo Productions
Distributed by	Filmgroup American International Pictures
Release dates	1961 (U.S.)
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.

Plot summary

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 was he who committed the murders and convinced 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.

Production

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]

Harrington had previously worked with Marjorie Cameron - his 1955 black and white short documentary The Wormnwood Star is about her and her artwork.

The production company, Virgo, defaulted on their Pathe Lab loan of $33,793 and Pathe were preparing to foreclose of the picture. Roger Corman asked the lab to hold off on their legal actions to allow Filmgroup to distribute the film, guaranteeing Pathee $15,000 within 12 months of the film's release. Pathee agreed, and Filmgroup released through AIP.^[2]

Trivia

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.^[3]

References

External links

• Night Tide at the Internet Movie Database
• Night Tide is available for free download at the Internet Archive [more]
• Night Tide at allmovie