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The Night Digger

  • 1971
  • R
  • 1h 37m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
1.5K
YOUR RATING
Pamela Brown, Nicholas Clay, and Patricia Neal in The Night Digger (1971)
Official Trailer
Play trailer2:41
1 Video
35 Photos
Psychological DramaPsychological ThrillerDramaHorrorThriller

The dreary existence of middle-aged spinster Maura Prince takes an unexpected turn with the arrival of young handyman Billy Jarvis, but there is more to Billy than meets the eye.The dreary existence of middle-aged spinster Maura Prince takes an unexpected turn with the arrival of young handyman Billy Jarvis, but there is more to Billy than meets the eye.The dreary existence of middle-aged spinster Maura Prince takes an unexpected turn with the arrival of young handyman Billy Jarvis, but there is more to Billy than meets the eye.

  • Director
    • Alastair Reid
  • Writers
    • Roald Dahl
    • Joy Cowley
  • Stars
    • Patricia Neal
    • Pamela Brown
    • Nicholas Clay
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    6.3/10
    1.5K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Alastair Reid
    • Writers
      • Roald Dahl
      • Joy Cowley
    • Stars
      • Patricia Neal
      • Pamela Brown
      • Nicholas Clay
    • 34User reviews
    • 53Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro

    • Videos1

    The Night Digger
    Trailer 2:41
    The Night Digger

    Photos35

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    Top Cast16

    Patricia Neal
    Patricia Neal
    • Maura Prince
    Pamela Brown
    Pamela Brown
    • Mrs. Edith Prince - Mother
    Nicholas Clay
    Nicholas Clay
    • Billy Jarvis
    Jean Anderson
    Jean Anderson
    • Mrs. Millicent McMurtrey
    Graham Crowden
    Graham Crowden
    • Mr. Bolton
    Yootha Joyce
    Yootha Joyce
    • Mrs. Palafox
    Peter Sallis
    Peter Sallis
    • Rev. Rupert Palafox
    Brigit Forsyth
    • District Nurse
    Sebastian Breaks
    • Dr. Ronnie Robinson
    Diana Patrick
    • Mary Wingate
    Jenny McCracken
    • Jenny - Farmwife
    Bruce Myles
    • Bank Clerk
    Zoe Alexander
    • Stroke Patient
    Christopher Reynalds
    • Young Billy
    Elaine Ives-Cameron
    Elaine Ives-Cameron
    • Gypsy
    Sibylla Kay
    • Whore
    • Director
      • Alastair Reid
    • Writers
      • Roald Dahl
      • Joy Cowley
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews34

    6.31.5K
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    Summary

    Reviewers say 'The Night Digger' Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Curabitur pretium tincidunt lacus.

    Nulla facilisi etiam dignissim diam quis enim lobortis scelerisque
    Lorem ipsum dolorSit amet consecteturAdipiscing elitSed do eiusmodTempor incididuntUt labore et doloreMagna aliquaUt enim ad minimVeniam quisNostrud exercitation
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    Related interests

    Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
    Psychological Drama
    Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl (2014)
    Psychological Thriller
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Horror
    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

    Did you know

    • Trivia
      In the beginning, Patricia Neal's character is shown working as a speech therapist. Later she mentions having had a stroke herself years earlier. Neal suffered three burst cerebral aneurysms while pregnant in 1965 and was in a coma for three weeks. She survived with the assistance of her husband Roald Dahl and a number of volunteers who developed a grueling style of therapy which fundamentally changed the way that stroke patients were treated. She subsequently relearned to walk and talk and gave birth to a healthy daughter on August 4, 1965.
    • Goofs
      When Billy climbs into his bedroom after murdering another woman, it is dark outside. After he gets into bed without detection, by Maura, the camera turns towards the window in his bedroom and it is daylight outside.
    • Alternate versions
      The original UK X rated version is 110 minutes long, while the 97-minute version was released in most other countries including in the US, where the 97-minute cut version received an R rating. TCM has now shown the entire UK 110-minute version in North America; however, they also screen the 97-min. version.
    • Connections
      Referenced in Doctor Who: Terminus: Part One (1983)

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    Details

    • Release date
      • July 30, 1971 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Road Builder
    • Filming locations
      • Oakley Court Hotel, Windsor Road, Bray, Berkshire, England, UK(Maura and Edith's house)
    • Production companies
      • Tacitus Productions
      • Yongestreet Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    • Runtime
      • 1h 37m(97 min)
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1

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