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Miss Tulip Stays the Night is a 1955 British comedy crime film directed by Leslie Arliss and starring Diana Dors, Patrick Holt, Jack Hulbert and Cicely Courtneidge.[2] The screenplay concerns a crime writer and his wife who stay at a country house, where a mysterious corpse appears.

Miss Tulip Stays the Night
Directed by	Leslie Arliss
Written by	John O. Douglas uncredited Jack Hulbert Bill Luckwell
Based on	play by Nan Marriott-Watson
Produced by	John O. Douglas Bill Luckwell associate Derek Winn
Starring	Diana Dors Patrick Holt Jack Hulbert Cicely Courtneidge
Cinematography	Kenneth Talbot
Edited by	Sam Simmonds
Production company	Jaywell
Distributed by	Adelphi Films Ltd. (UK)
Release date	July 1955 (UK)
Running time	68 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	£40,000[1]

It was also known as Dead by Morning. It was the last major feature film from director Leslie Arliss.[3]

Plot

A novelist (Patrick Holt) and his wife (Diana Dors) are sleeping peacefully in their new cottage when a mysterious older lady (Cicely Courtneidge) arrives, apparently stranded in a storm. She hands the writer her gun and some jewellery for safe-keeping, and asks for a bed for the night. Unfortunately, someone shoots her during the night and the author is accused of the crime. He is forced to turn detective to defend himself.

Cast

• Diana Dors - Kate Dax
• Patrick Holt - Andrew Dax
• Jack Hulbert - Constable Feathers
• Cicely Courtneidge - Millicent Tulip/Angela Tulip
• A. E. Matthews - Mr Potts
• Joss Ambler - Inspector Thorne
• Pat Terry-Thomas [Ida Patlanski] - Judith Gale
• George Roderick - Sergeant Akers
• Brian Oulton - Dr. Willis
• Ian Wilson - Police photographer
• Archie Terry-Thomas - Archie Dax [dog]

Production

The script was based on radio play by Nan Marriott-Watson. This had been performed on Australian radio in 1948.[4][5]

Ron Randell was reportedly offered the lead.[6]

Hulbert and Courtnidge's casting was announced in August 1954.[7] It was the first time they had made a film together since 1939. It was the first film made by a company formed by ex-publicity officer William Luckwell and D Winn. Producer John Douglas did sound on early Hulbert films and director Leslie Arliss had written scripts for Courtidge and Hulbert. It was shot at the studio at Walton on Thames.[1] Filming took place in July 1954. Dors' fee was £1,500.[8][9]

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin called it "a remarkably poor piece of craftsmanship in almost every sense."[10]

The Manchester Guardian said "the stupendous silliness of its plot and dialogue gives a certain wild period charm" to the movie.[11]

TV Guide called the film "badly done on all counts";[12] whereas The Digital Fix wrote, "Miss Tulip manages to combine comedy and murder with efficient ease".[13]

Filmink argued the film should have focused on Dors rather than Holt.[14]

References

External links

• Miss Tulip Stays the Night at IMDb
• Miss Tulip Stays the Night at BFI
• Miss Tulip Stays the Night at Letterbox DVD

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