Dr. Van Straaten
Background
Dr. Van Straaten is a psychiatrist in England.
During the events of Dead of Night (1945) played by Frederick Valk
Eliot Foley introduces Walter Craig to the other guests including Mrs. Foley, Joan Cortland, Dr. Van Straaten, Hugh Grainger, and Sally O'Hara. As Walter sits down, he at first thinks he is dreaming. He walks up to Dr. Van Straaten and knows he is a psychiatrist, and says he has seen him in his dreams. Dr. Van Straaten thinks Walter must have seen him in the newspapers. Walter continues that everyone in the room has been in his dreams. They think maybe they also saw them in newspapers or around town, but he says that in his dream, they are all together in the same room they are in. He says there is a sixth person that comes in his dream later who he describes. Mrs. Foley and Eliot tell him that they believe him as does everyone else except for Dr. Van Straaten. Hugh then starts his story on the supernatural.
Hugh tells the others that if he hadn't seen the Hearse Driver, he would have gotten on the bus. Dr. Van Straaten suggests that Hugh was still struggling with the psychological stress from his crash, which made him reluctant to go inside any vehicle. Joyce Grainger arrives at the house ans asks Hugh to pay her cab fair as she doesn't have any money. Dr. Van Straaten still doesn't believe and when Walter sees him tapping his glasses, he remembers that in his dreams, Dr. Van Straaten breaks his glasses and then the room goes dark, Eliot mentions the death of a man and then his dream turns into a nightmare. Sally is the next to tell her story of strange occurrence.
Dr. Van Straaten doesn't believe Sally's story and Joyce tells everyone that when she was a nurse there were times when unexplained things happened. Walter says that things in his dreams sometimes change and that in one instance he hit Sally, but not this time as she will be leaving soon. Mrs. O'Hara arrives at the house and takes her away to go to her godfather Edwin's birthday party. Joan is next to tell her story.
Dr. Van Straaten tells the others that Joan's story is a case of cryptomnesia, the transmissibility of an illusion by one person to another. Walter tells Dr. Van Straaten that he thinks his dream was a warning and he wants to leave. Dr. Van Straaten stops him and asks him to stay. Walter tells Eliot that he is leaving and Eliot tells him a story that happened to some friends of his.
Everyone laughs at Eliot's story. Dr. Van Straaten reminds Walter that the horror soon starts after Eliot mentions a man died, which must be Larry Potter. Mrs. Foley and Joyce go to make dinner and Dr. Van Straaten tells his story.
He brings up the case of Maxwell Frere who was charged with the attempted murder of Sylvester Kee. A fellow psychiatrist named Maurice Olcott asked Dr. Van Straaten his opinion on the case. Maxwell is brought before Dr. Van Straaten and Maxwell tells him that Hugo Fitch is the only one that can help him and blames Hugo for what he did. Sylvester goes to the Chez Beulah Nightclub and is greeted by Beulah. They go to watch Maxwell's routine and during the routine, Maxwell brings Hugo to Sylvester's table. Maxwell figures out that Sylvester is also a ventriloquist and Hugo offers to work with Sylvester. Hugo says he doesn't want to sing and wants to sit with Sylvester. Hugo again tells Sylvester that he wants to work with him and calls Maxwell a cheap hat. Maxwell slaps Hugo and then ends his show. Sylvester goes to Maxwell's dressing room and Maxwell asks Sylvester what Hugo said. Sylvester tells Maxwell that he would never steal his act, and Maxwell tells him to leave. Later, Sylvester went to the Imperial Palace Hotel in London. He sees Maxwell who tells him that he walked out of Joe Green's show, because Hugo didn't like it. Mitzi and Harry Parker walk into the bar and Mitzi goes to pick up Hugo. As she goes to pick him up, Hugo warns her to leave him alone or he will punch her. She walks back to Harry and tells him to demand Maxwell apologize to her. Hugo continues to insult Mitzi and Harry punches Maxwell until he is stopped by Sylvester. Sylvester and Maxwell go to Maxwell's room and he tells Sylvester that Hugo is trying to ruin him. Maxwell accuses Sylvester of trying to steal Hugo and Sylvester goes to his room. Sylvester wakes up to someone banging on his door and when he opens it, Maxwell demands to know where Hugo is. Maxwell finds Hugo on Sylvester's bed and shoots Sylvester. Dr. Van Straaten have the police bring Hugo back to Maxwell. Hugo tells Maxwell that he is leaving him for Sylvester and Maxwell destroys Hugo to Dr. Van Straaten's shock. After Sylvester recovers, he goes to see Maxwell in the mental hospital and Maxwell speaks to him using Hugo's voice.
Dr. Van Straaten ends his story and tells them that Maxwell is a case of dual identity. As Hugh is handing Dr. Van Straaten a drink, he breaks Van Straaten's glasses. The light's go out and Eliot says George is dying on them. Hugh tells Walter that George is Eliot's power plant. Walter asks to be left alone with Dr. Van Straaten and after the others leave, Walter strangles Dr. Van Straaten to death.