The book had been previously adapted as the 1947 film Fear in the Night, originally titled Nightmare, also written and directed by Shane.

[2][3] New Orleans big-band clarinetist Stan Grayson experiences a nightmare in which he sees himself killing a man in a mirrored room, while in the background haunting dirge-like music plays.

Grayson tells his brother-in-law, police detective Rene Bressard, about the problem but is dismissed.

After they find a record player and begin dancing, Grayson's girlfriend bumps into the phonograph, changing the speed.

In a contemporary review for The New York Times, critic Milton Esterow called the film "... a modest melodrama with some crooked turns but neat performances ..."[6] The Los Angeles Times called Nightmare "draggy" and wrote: "Its opening scenes are effective, but things go haywire fast.