MovieChat Forums > Dead of Winter (1987) Discussion > Mr Murray's nocturnal visit? (SPOILER!)

Mr Murray's nocturnal visit? (SPOILER!)

posted 18 years ago by Batsu73
10 replies | jump to latest

Why does Katie wake up the morning after the visit wearing a long nightdress?

She passes out after having been drugged and when she is unconscious Mr Murray enters via the secret door to amputate her finger. When she passes out she is dressed in her day clothes but when she wakes up she is in this old-fashioned nightdress. Presumably Murray took her clothes off and put her in the nightdress but why?

He didn't do it to steal her clothes - they were strewn on the floor, there was no suggestion he assaulted her in any way (except for the amputation) and he didn't need to undress her to cut off her finger. That bit never made sense to me.

[–] Vince-40 18 years ago

I don't think it is a plot hole. In fact, it is mysterious and I like that ! What happened that particular night ?

I think that Murray and Lewis are so meticulous and they want to have total control over Katie. Also, after the finger is cut, Katie is no longer Katie, she is Julie Rose's dead ringer. She is an other character. Wearing that nightdress make her look even more like Julie Rose, like a patient of Dr. Lewis.

I don't think that Murray raped her or made sexual abuses of her, but that is also a possibility.

A more interesting movie than most people think !

[–] angelroom 18 years ago

agree don't think it was a plot hole. my thinking was murray the nutcase didn't want her sleeping in the blood-let he caused.

wow was Roddy a good looney!

[–] jshaffer-6 18 years ago

Roddy was very good at everything he did. A marvelous photographer, and apparently the most likeable fellow in Hollywood. No one had a bad word to say about him, but I would like to say how good I thought he was. A wonderful actor, and a great voice artist.

[–] dead_doll00 16 years ago

I agree in that I don't think it involved any sexual or physical abuse. I think Mr. Murray was perhaps a very weak-willed, easily controlled person (for more sociopathic types like the doctor to take advantage of), although at the same time he was painted as being very considerate and caring (ie. bringing her milk, wanting to see to her when he heard her wake up screaming, the hot chocolate, etc.). He basically was under the Doctor's thumb, but at the same time, he didn't want to be cruel. Another good example of the doctor exerting his control over him was by twisting the situation where Murray was trying to give her hot chocolate and the doctor said something along the lines of "she doesn't appreciate what you're doing for her" even though she was actually spacing out because she'd been drugged. The doctor was a very talented emotional/mental blackmailer and a control freak and he obviously used the fact that Murray seemed to look up to him and was emotionally attached to him.

[–] smidget28 16 years ago

I agree. And I just realized you wrote this 3 years ago! LOL!

Now Playing: America's Got Talent

[–] chael38 15 years ago

One of the many Hitchcock references in the movie: in Vertigo, Scottie (James Stewart) undresses Madeleine/Judy after he rescues her from "drowning".

[–] smidget28 15 years ago

Good catch. I love Vertigo, by the way.

Now Playing: Man v. Food, Season 2

[–] SteverB 13 years ago

Scottie also makes Judy over into Madeleine just like Dr. Lewis made Katie into Julie Rose.

[–] tomfern 11 years ago

If someone was going to go so off character as to sexually abuse this woman involved in their 'diabolical plan', I seriously doubt they would go to the trouble of putting a fresh nightgown on her..what would be the point in that?!?!

[–] 666Night999 10 years ago

I think they wanted things to seem "normal" for her. It was night and it was natural she'd wear a nightgown to bed. If she woke up in street clothes, it would seem wrong somehow. Roddy's character was meticulous about how things were done in the house.