Thriller (TV Series) Murder on the Midnight Express (1975) User Reviews

Express fun

[analoguebubblebath · 7/10 · 11 September 2005]

'Night Is The Time For Killing' starts out as one of Thriller's more intricate stories. The third outing in series 4, it is quite different to its two predecessors 'Screamer' and 'Nurse Will Make It Better' and while less effective, is nevertheless a worthwhile production.

Activity is centred on a train where Helen Marlow (played by the beautiful Judy Geeson) is a mournful young woman who is still depressed over the death of her fiancé some twelve months beforehand. She is befriended by Bob Malory (Jim Smilie - who would turn up as Return To Eden's Dr Dan over ten years later) while a motley crew of other passengers rapidly make their mark on the story. Among them is the caustic Hilary Vance (played brilliantly by Charles Gray) and an unnamed honeymoon couple. A atmosphere of espionage ensues when Helen discovers Vance's dead body only for it to disappear, re-appear and vanish again. All this makes her look pretty insane - and is dismissed by the others as a symptom of her depression.

It becomes obvious that there a couple of the other passengers have hidden agendas and before long Helen and Bob become embroiled in a role of trying to discover who, what, where and why.

An entertaining episode - well worth watching even if just for Vance's withering opinions on the state of the British rail system.

Worth it for Charles Gray's acidic tour-de-force

[HenryHextonEsq · 6/10 · 16 May 2010]

This is an ultimately passable instalment in the long-running 1970s anthology series from ATV, although it took me several attempts to finish watching this, having started watching late a few times and fallen asleep.

Most notable for a star turn from character actor, Charles Gray, a perennial element in so many British films and television shows of the 1960s and 70s: everything from "The Devil Rides Out", to "The Rocky Horror Show" to the BBC Shakespeares, to "The Galton and Simpson Playhouse", indeed to a superb performance in a 1972 "Upstairs, Downstairs" episode, 'Married Love'. Here, Gray portrays a waspish author, seemingly channelling the spirits of actor Clifton Webb ("Laura" and "Sitting Pretty") and High Tory British journalists such as Christopher Booker and Auberon Waugh. Some of Clemens' dialogue is excellent, making Gray's Hilary Vance an eccentric to rival those in his earlier series, "The Avengers".

Another 60s/70s archetype, Judy Geeson, is well cast; an actress with beautifully sad eyes, given to playing rather hunted characters: for example, John Reginald Christie's victim in "10 Rillington Place". She is luminous as the bereaved Helen Marlow.

Overall, a bit slow to get going, but it becomes a fairly enterprising thriller. Admittedly, it never threatens "The Lady Vanishes" or "Caught on a Train" in terms of train-set narratives, but it is a solid enough entry in an anthology series that remains compulsively watchable.

The Gentleman Vanishes.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 20 May 2018]

Night is the time for killing seems to borrow a little from works of Ethel Lina White , who inspired The Lady Vanishes. Similar story, someone is convinced they're going crazy, by the sudden disappearance of a passenger on board a train, only this time she's convinced Hilary Valance has been murdered.

I like several things about this episode, firstly the brilliant performance of Charles Gray, enormously charismatic, bold and cutting throughout, Judy Geeson and James Smillie are also very good. I love the fact that Jacki Piper was cast in a slightly more villainous role, always so sweet on screen, great to see her cast against type, a fine performance.

On the downside, I feel the episode is a bit of a mess, lacking fluidity, the start is very slow, and seems to have absolutely no relevance to the rest of the story, until the very last. It could perhaps have been introduced a lot better, it just seemed to switch from one story to another.

Pretty decent, but those powerhouse episodes of Series Three seem a long way off. 7/10

Worth the Journey...

[all-briscoe · 7/10 · 4 April 2004]

While this is not one of the best of Brian Clemens's "Thriller" anthology it is still a very capable effort and is worth seeing if you have the opportunity.

The story opens with an attempt to kill an East European defector. It then switches to a young American woman, Helen Marlow. She is booked onto a luxury train journey to aid her recovery from a nervous breakdown following the death of her fiancee. An Australian traveller, Bob, befriends her but it is tough going as she is still very depressed. Her distress becomes much worse when she seems to see a dead passenger. Bob and others assume she is hallucinating but she is quite convinced. However there are people on the train who are not what they seem, and who have murder on their mind...

This is one of the stories with an espionage theme. It bears similarity with "Good Salary - Prospects - Free Coffin" that aired only four months later. Both episodes centre around elaborate impersonation schemes. These plans are rather stretching credibility but are necessary to a solid story. A key figure in all this, and "star of the show" is the brilliant character of Hilary Vance. Vance is an elderly diplomat, cultured and witheringly sarcastic, demolishing the hapless train staff with his wittily-delivered complaints. Vance is extremely entertaining and very funny, but it is a very natural humour that doesn't detract from a serious story. The character of Helen Marlow is also well-handled. Her depression is quite authentically projected.

There is some good acting, most notably from Charles Grey as Vance and Judy Geeson as Helen. The climax is quite sharp, with an impressive final line from Helen. It is interesting to see Duncan Preston as part of a newly-married couple who turn out to have matters other than romance on their minds. Preston later became a frequent face on TV, usually in comic roles such as accompanying Victoria Wood. Jim Smilie very much looks the part as the smoothie Bob. His charm maybe comes a little too easy and reflects the more traditional image of the sexes that permeates so many "Thriller" episodes. All the same his role is well-done and contributes to a superior piece of television.

Mission impossible?

[Wirefan122 · 6/10 · 21 June 2019]

Fairly good episode of Thriller which, unfortunately, falls apart due to the unbelievable disguise taken by one of the villains.

Defector says he will only turn himself over to one person he trusts who happens to be Charles Gray with that unmistakable voice, mannerisms and physical presence. Basically the villains (Russian agents we presume) kill him and one of them assumes his identity. I am all for suspending some disbelief but to replicate Charles Gray (or anyone really) is just too much. Mission Impossible used this routine too much and basically ended up losing my interest. Decent episode until then!

Excellent

[jillymaz-1 · 10/10 · 12 September 2006]

This episode of Thriller was very good, At first you may think it's another spy thriller but once the train is boarded it turns into a great thriller. They don't make them like this anymore. A spy is waiting at Euston station to meet someone he thinks he can trust but does not realise that the authorised on the other side know of his plane to inform on them. James Smiley plays a gent who is just travelling alone minding his own business. When he is faced with an out of control woman (Judy Geeson) her father has already told people on board the train that she is unstable so when she starts seeing dead bodies all over the train everyone thinks she is crazy including Bob (Jim Smiley) There is a very strange married couple on board and it soon turns in to a race to find out who is dead before the train arrives at it's destination. Great viewing