Nor the Moon by Night

Joy Packer's novel was published in 1957.[2] Film rights were bought by Sir John Davis of the Rank Film Organisation, in part because Davis' wife Dinah Sheridan was a fan of the novel.[3] Packer later wrote she sold the rights via a "contract which reduced me to nothing and made me feel like the man who sold his shadow to the devil".[4]

In the late 1950s, the Rank Organisation made a series of adventure films in colour shot on location which were aimed at the international audience. These included The Black Tent, Robbery Under Arms, Ferry to Hong Kong, Campbell's Kingdom and Nor the Moon by Night.

The film was directed by Ken Annakin who was making it under a two picture contract he had with Rank. He says that he did not really want to do the job. The film he really wanted to make was The Singer Not the Song but when he could not get the casting he wanted for that film he decided to make the second film under his deal, Nor the Moon by Midnight. He agreed because it gave him the chance to see South Africa.[5][6] He later wrote "At this period, both Guy and I believed we could turn almost any material into a viable screenplay, and the opportunity to travel again and make a movie with the easygoing John Stafford finally swept away any scruples I had. “It’s really only just to give us time to hook Brando and make the big movie next,” he assured me."[7]

Packer says producer John Stafford flew out to South Africa to meet with her and secure her help in making the movie. He showed her the script which she found "amazingly fresh and new. The basic situation and a few names and places were vaguely familiar. I recognised none of the dialogue and only part of the action, but the story sounded exciting."[8]

Packer felt Belinda Lee was physically miscast to play the role, but Annakin pointed out she was under contract and felt "she'll play Alice very convincingly. She's very intense - is Belinda".[9] Filmink said "Lee’s part was in the "sensible girl" realm, a spinster who discovers love on the veldt in between being attacked by wildlife."[10] Annakin later wrote "our great coup was supposed to be Belinda Lee, a very beautiful model, who had been picked up by Rank and was now regarded, at least by John Davis, as their ‘Big Attraction’. Nobody thought of her as a great actress, but she did look great, and I felt with careful direction, she could be adequate."[11]¿

Packer later wrote "none of the cast bore the faintest resemblance to my characters."[12]

Filming began on 23 November 1957 on location in South Africa.[13][14] The unit was based at Cato Ridge.[15] The bulk of location shooting took place in the Valley of a Thousand Hills near Durban, with second unit work involving animals hear Johannesburg. At one stage the film was known as The Voice of the Lion.[16]

Production was plagued by a number of difficulties. Belinda Lee left the unit during the shoot to see her married lover in Italy who had been threatening to kill himself; they both attempted suicide.[17] Patrick McGoohan suffered concussion after crashing his car. Anna Gaylor fell ill with dysentery.[15]

Director Ken Annakin had a number of issues with the crew; he later wrote that the electricians sabotaged director of photography Peter Hennessey's rushes with incorrect light filters, forcing him to be replaced by Harry Waxman.[18] The cast and crew consistently fell sick, with snake and spider bites, heat exhaustion, dysentery, rheumatism and chest complaints the chief cause.[19] He wrote "despite the efforts Guy Elmes and I had made, the screenplay had not escaped its ‘women’s magazine origins. The situations were trite, and the relationships cliche, so that neither I nor the actors were making the dialogue real and convincing."[20]

Michael Craig wrote in his memoirs that Annakin was known among the crew "not very lovingly" as "Panickin' Annakin".[21]

Lee returned from Italy on 2 February 1958 to recommence filming. She flew into Johannesburg Airport, then took a flight to Durban. Questions were asked in South African parliament whether Lee was given special treatment to get into the country as a customs and immigration officer went to meet her on the plane at Johannesburg airport so she could avoid the press. "I regret any harm I have done to anyone in Italy," she said.[22]

One of the cheetahs used in filming savaged its trainer. A bush fire got out of control. Michael Craig, although married, had an affair on set with a woman called Shirley.[23] He also almost drowned crossing a river.[15]

At one point, Michael Craig was the only one of the four leads available at work. He later quipped "I'm left alone for three weeks with a film crew and a lot of monkeys."[24] Annakin said "one day there was only me and a snake available to work."[25] However Annakin did meet his future wife Pauline during filming.[15]

The unit returned to London in April 1958 where some additional scenes were shot, including a new ending.[15] "I feel as if I have just come out of prison", said Lee on her return. "I have been watched and questioned all the time. I'm 22 and hope to marry again before I'm 80. Love is the important thing. I believe in letting my heart rule my head." Filming took around a month.[26]

The movie was completed over budget and behind schedule. Rank terminated Lee's contract, and she never worked for the studio again.[27] The job of directing The Singer Not the Song was taken from Annakin and given to Roy Ward Baker.

Rank said the combined cost of the film and three others - Innocent Sinners, The Wind Cannot Read and Night to Remember - was £1,100,000.[28]