Midnight (1939) 7.8
A chorus girl, stranded in Paris, is "set up" by a millionaire to break up his wife's affair with another man. Director:Mitchell Leisen |
|
| 0Share... |
Midnight (1939) 7.8
A chorus girl, stranded in Paris, is "set up" by a millionaire to break up his wife's affair with another man. Director:Mitchell Leisen |
|
| 0Share... |
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Claudette Colbert | ... |
Eve Peabody aka Baroness Czerny
|
|
| Don Ameche | ... | ||
| John Barrymore | ... |
Georges Flammarion
|
|
| Francis Lederer | ... |
Jacques Picot
|
|
| Mary Astor | ... |
Helene Flammarion
|
|
|
|
Elaine Barrie | ... |
Simone
|
| Hedda Hopper | ... |
Stephanie
|
|
|
|
Rex O'Malley | ... |
Marcel Renaud
|
|
|
Monty Woolley | ... |
The Judge
|
|
|
Armand Kaliz | ... |
Lebon - Eve's Lawyer
|
Showgirl Eve, stranded in Paris without a sou, befriends taxi driver Tibor Czerny, then gives him the slip to crash a party. There she meets Helene Flammarion and her gigolo Picot, who's attracted to Eve. Helene's scheming husband Georges enlists Eve's aid in taking Picot away from his wife. It works well... at first. Meanwhile, lovestruck Tibor searches for Eve. But then he learns she's calling herself Baroness Czerny! Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
There are few films that can be seen often without the viewer tiring of them. Midnight is one of them. It glides effortlessly through the tinsel and magical world of barons and down-on-their heels showgirls without taking a mean shot at anyone. Claudette Colbert shows that she lost none of her "It Happened One Night" edginess, and Don Ameche gives the performance of his career as the romantic cab driver who sees himself as worthy to steal Colbert away from her rich suitor. John Barrymore may have been in decline at this point in his career-----but this is his last great effort at creating a truly endearing comic character. He does so splendidly. Mary Astor combines beauty and bitchiness in a memorable role. And what is there to say about Rex O'Malley as her gay pal in all this business? It is a shame that he is virtually unknown today, and didn't get many opportunities to show what a fine comic actor he was.
Midnight deserves a much wider audience than it now has. Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett have written wonderful comic dialog that continues to charm and amuse today's viewers. And it is without doubt Mitchell Leisen's masterpiece.
This is THE romantic comedy to see with someone you love.