Oct 26, 2025
A positively juvenile Patrick Macnee helps to set up some spooky shenanigans in a haunted house, in Mario Zampi's short feature The Fatal Night (1948)
#fave spotting#patrick macnee#the avengers#john steed#the fatal night#1948#b movie#second feature#mario zampi#british cinema#at just 50 minutes longβ this featurette presumably played in support to a bigger film#director Zampi would later be known for his comedy work (including iconic 50s films The Naked Truthβ Too Many Crooks and more) but this is#resolutely in the spooker form. a pair of louche English cads set up their American acquaintance in a haunted house for the night; cue#bumps in the nightβ as well as a separate supernatural tale nested in the main narrativeβ and a creepy dream sequence to boot!#a busy little film to be sure. our American is played by opera singer Lester Fergusonβ and chief weasel by Leslie Armstrongβ but it's his#nervous partner in japes that's of most interest: a young Patβ fresh from his wartime serviceβ in possibly his first role of note (he'd had#uncredited extra parts in a couple of bigger filmsβ but he has a screen credit and actual dialogue here!). from certain angles he looks#quite different at this age; his thinner face and boyish looks unfamiliarβ but his voice is unmistakable (as is his booming laugh!)#of the two upper class snarksβ Pat is much the more likeable. he's also the cast member who went on to have the most impressive careerβ#most of the others having just a handful of credits to their names. it would take him a little while to get there still; alternating stints#in the UK and Canada would slowly help him to build his screen careerβ but it wouldn't be until The Avengers that screen immortality was#ensured...
