Peter Cortland
Background
Peter Cortland is an accountant in England. His wife is Joan Cortland. Peter's birthday is on 9 April.
During the events of Dead of Night (1945) played by Ralph Michael
On Peter's birthday, Joan comes home with a mirror for Peter's birthday. Peter hangs the mirror up and Joan tells him that she got a ride with Guy. As Peter is getting ready to go out, the background of the mirror changes to some other room's background, but then changes back again. At dinner, Joan notices that Peter seems broody. He tells her about what he saw in the reflection in the mirror. When they get home, Peter looks in the mirror again and the background changes once more, but this time for longer. During the next few weeks, Joan and Peter spent the time looking for a house in Chelsea. Peter eventually tells Joan that the mirror keeps on showing him the other room for longer periods of time and he is worried that the other room in the room is trying to claim him which is evil. He offers to postpone the wedding. Joan walks with Peter to the mirror and has him look in the mirror and he tells her that at this point, he can't even see her in the mirror. She forces him to look into it while holding his hand and the mirror image returns to normal. Time passe and Peter is able to look at the mirror again. On the day that Joan goes to see her mother, the mirror changes again to the other bedroom. Joan goes home to find Peter staring into the mirror. He accuses her of cheating on him and she tries to tell him that the mirror is causing him to act the way he is. He starts to strangle her and Joan uses a candlestick to break the mirror, freeing Peter from its effects.