Night and Day (1946)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Charles Hoffman (screenplay) and
Leo Townsend (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

3 August 1946 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Musical

Plot:

The fictionalized biography of composer Cole Porter from his days at Yale in the 1910s through the height of his success to the 1940s...

Plot Keywords:

Cigarette Case | Piano | Yale University | Megaphone | Neglected Wife

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Cary Grant	...	Cole Porter
Alexis Smith	...	Linda Lee Porter
Monty Woolley	...	Himself
Ginny Simms	...	Carole Hill
Jane Wyman	...	Gracie Harris
Eve Arden	...	Gabrielle
Victor Francen	...	Anatole Giron
Alan Hale	...	Leon Dowling
Dorothy Malone	...	Nancy
Tom D'Andrea	...	Bernie
Selena Royle	...	Kate Porter
Donald Woods	...	Ward Blackburn
Henry Stephenson	...	Omar Cole
Paul Cavanagh	...	Bart McClelland
Sig Ruman	...	Wilowski

Runtime:

128 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate #11068) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Australia:G | Finland:S

Filming Locations:

George Lewis Mansion - Benedict Canyon Drive, Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

In the "You're the Top", Mel Tormé is the blond drummer on the bandstand.

Goofs:

Factual errors: As in Kiss Me Kate (1953), Cole Porter is depicted as a healthy man who is capable of walking for most of the film. In fact, he was a cripple needing constant medical care for his shattered legs which were the result of a riding accident in 1937; any scene showing him walking after that date is in error.

Quotes:

Cole Porter: Thanks for all the flowers.
Monty Woolley: Yes, one can only send them to a man when he's flat on his back.

Movie Connections:

Version of De-Lovely (2004)

Soundtrack:

An Old Fashioned Garden

Cole Porter Bio

Have you ever liked a film you knew wasn't all that great, yet one you simply enjoyed watching? That's the way I feel about "Night and Day," a musical bio with a large dose of fantasy mixed in on that great American songwriter Cole Porter. Perhaps it's the pleasure of watching Cary Grant having a ball playing the composer, and even singing a few tunes to boot. Or maybe it's the youthful Alexis Smith as a perfect "Mrs. Porter," coping with challenges as a famous songwriter's spouse. Certainly Monty Woolley is amusing as himself, playing a role he reportedly lived with the real-life composer. Then there's that honey-coated contralto Ginny Simms looking gorgeous in Technicolor and beautifully singing some of Porter's most expressive music and lyrics. In the supporting cast is a sprighty Jane Wyman (before she became laden with heavy dramatic roles) doing several comic-singing turns, and even a surprise bit from Eve Arden as a French cabaret star, "Gabrielle," performing an early, lesser-known show number. The screen has only one bio of this outstanding American songwriter, one who is respected by both popular and "serious" composer-peers, as well as by the critics and general public alike. Surely the scripters "did a job" on Porter's factual life, yet at least we have this elaborate effort, with a gung-ho cast that's ready & willing to give it their all. They all look like they're having a great time, and I for one have fun with them. Until a better Porter bio comes along, this one will have to do.