There were a few reasons for wanting to see 'Nightfall'. The premise did intrigue, and film noir-type films are right up my street. That it was directed by Jacques Tourneur was also a plus, being one of many people who loves 'Out of the Past'. Have always loved Anne Bancroft ever since 'The Miracle Worker', the film and her performance in that are still powerful. Was really hoping that it would live up to its potential rather than being another potential waste.

Seeing it, 'Nightfall' doesn't live up to full potential and could have been better. It though is not a waste, despite the story being wanting and the lead performance being uneven 'Nightfall' is compensated hugely by the production values, atmosphere and the rest of the cast. It is fun and atmospheric, though falls short of greatness. So another one of those recommended films, while not raving about it or rating it an absolute essential.

'Nightfall' has a lot of good things. It looks great for one thing, it is really amazing that it is low budget when it looks better than a lot of films made on a higher budget. Especially striking is the photography, which is at its best pretty exquisite and creates a truly haunting atmosphere. The locations are beautifully used too, especially the snow-covered Wyoming. Tourneur's direction impresses in a lot of areas, he always had a keen eye for creating atmosphere that was evident throughout 'Out of the Past' and evident here too. He succeeds too in allowing the film to move quickly in general. The score is suitably ominous.

Enough of the script is thought provoking and taut and the story engrosses more often than not and has some nice suspense. The climax is very memorable and tensely staged, while the murder scene absolutely chills. Most of the cast are strong, especially alluring Bancroft as the film's most interesting character and Brian Keith is a good unsettling presence too. She and Aldo Ray have a good sensual yet uneasy chemistry together that really worked with the film.

Did think however that 'Nightfall' could have been better. While there is definitely atmosphere and while it didn't bore me, the story (as well as not being a particularly unique one on the whole) is on the implausible side at points and is too unlikely coincidence heavy. It is especially not too easy to swallow towards the end. The script generally could have been tighter, early on is a little talky.

Opinions on Ray's performance here are rather mixed, my feelings on him personally are pretty mixed too. He is effective enough later on but he starts wooden and it takes a while for him to get properly comfortable in a role that could have been better fleshed out.

Concluding, not great but worth watching. 7/10.

This is a pretty exciting and unusual crime drama that stars Aldo Ray. Parts of the story are told through flashbacks, though most is not. When the story begins you learn that Ray's being tailed by an insurance investigator (James Gregory) as well as two thugs (Brian Keith and Rudy Bond). All three think that Ray knows about $350,000 in stolen money and the latter two are more than willing to bust him up to find out where it's hidden. The only trouble is, Ray has no idea where the money is because he didn't take it and no one believes him!!

Into this odd little flick is dropped Anne Bancroft for no apparent reason other than to provide SOME female presence in the film or else to provide the clichéd "woman who believes in him" story element. Whatever the reason she was included, it was a bad choice, as she falls for Ray and believes in him based only on the flimsiest evidence and her entire part seems irrelevant. In other words, after just meeting him, she agrees to run from her job and go a thousand miles with Ray because....I dunno exactly!! So we have an excellent actress in a thankless role and I feel compelled to knock off a point from the overall score for this.

Apart from this worthless story element, the rest of the film is excellent--making excellent use of a small budget and using second-tier actors who could really act.

Nightfall finds Aldo Ray as a man on the run. On the run from a couple of bank-robbers who think he's got their loot, on the run from the police who think he killed a good friend. So he's doing the Richard Kimble thing and staying low.

I'm sure he couldn't believe his luck when beautiful model Anne Bancroft gives him the come hither look in that bar just to get him out in the alley so Brian Keith and Rudy Bond can get to him. Of course she being the good citizen she is, does this because she believes they're cops and they just want to apprehend Ray.

In flashback we learn that out in the Wyoming woods Keith and Ray get some help from Ray and his friend Frank Albertson who happens to be a doctor. They shoot Albertson and rather unbelievably Ray survives. But the two geniuses take Albertson's medical bag instead of the one with their loot. After that Ray's on the run.

Jacques Tourneur directed this rather unbelievable noir film and the thing I most can't believe is this is the same guy who directed Out of the Past. The plot is too much for me to swallow.

Rudy Bond and Brian Keith play a nice pair of contrasting hoods. Bond the happy go lucky homicidal maniac and Keith the brains of the outfit. There's also a nice final confrontation with the parties back in Wyoming where the loot got stashed by Ray.

Still this is not the greatest of noir pictures.