Midnight (1939)

A chorus girl stranded in Paris is set up by a millionaire to break up his wife's affair with another man, while being romantically pursued by a cab driver.

Director:

Mitchell Leisen

Writers:

Charles Brackett (screenplay), Billy Wilder (screenplay)

Stars:

Claudette Colbert, Don Ameche, John Barrymore

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Claudette Colbert	...	Eve Peabody
Don Ameche	...	Tibor Czerny
John Barrymore	...	Georges Flammarion
Francis Lederer	...	Jacques Picot
Mary Astor	...	Helene Flammarion
Elaine Barrie	...	Simone
Hedda Hopper	...	Stephanie
Rex O'Malley	...	Marcel
Monty Woolley	...	The Judge
Armand Kaliz	...	Lebon

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

national film registry | showgirl | chorus girl | stranded woman | husband wife relationship | 

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Taglines:

You'll have the time of your LIFE at MIDNIGHT! (Print Ad-The Pilot, ((Southern Pines, NC)) 7 April 1939)

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

Unique cinematic role of actress for Elaine Barrie, who was hired on this film to support her husband, John Barrymore, very inclined to alcohol. The presence on the set of Mary Astor, Barrymore's former mistress and friend of the couple, also helped.

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Goofs

For the opening several minutes, Claudette and Don spend some minutes talking on the sidewalk and boarding the cab. Yet, even though it is raining fairly hard, not a drop seems to land on either of them.

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Quotes

Stephanie: Before we go any further, I'd like your attention one moment more. Is there anybody in this room named... Eve Peabody? No? Well, does anyone here know a Miss Eve Peabody? Well, I won't trouble the rest of you any further. Now, my dear, Chopin's 11th Prelude.
Prince Potopienko: It is the 12th and it is an Etude!
[Shrugs shoulders]
Prince Potopienko: Huh!

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Comedy Movies: 1930s (2014)

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Soundtracks

Waltz in A-flat major, Op. 34 No. 1
(Uncredited)
Composed by Frédéric Chopin

User Reviews

often hilarious story with some familiar themes

Claudette Colbert wanders around Paris broke and in gold lame in "Midnight." She meets a cab driver and, finding herself attracted to him, she takes off. While he's organizing a city-wide cabbie search for her, she's at a private party and winds up at the Ritz as Baroness Czerny - which is his last name, chosen by her in a moment of panic. She is backed in all her lies by John Barrymore, in a wonderfully funny performance, who wants her to woo his wife's boyfriend away from her.

There are some familiar themes at work here - one is the suitor for hire and/or opportunity, used (with variations, of course) in "Her Cardboard Lover" and "Palm Beach Story," "Mannequin," and the affable, unambitious man who feels that by having nothing, he has everything, such as in "Magnificent Dope" and "You Can't Take it With You." That's the Ameche character. Knowing she could fall for him sends Colbert running - just as she ran from Joel McCrea in "Palm Beach Story." This hunger for money in some characters (usually women) and loathing of it (usually men) is a strange dichotomy than runs through several post-Depression, pre-war films.

The handsome Czech leading man, Francis Lederer, plays Mary Astor's boyfriend who falls for Colbert. In 1929, when he made a film in Germany with Louise Brooks, Lederer couldn't speak a word of English. He lived to be nearly 101 and in his last years, taught at the American National Academy of Performing Arts, which he and his wife founded.

The funniest scene to me was a phone conversation between Barrymore and Colbert, in which she pretends she's talking to her sick daughter. But everyone is great in this movie, which is very funny and refreshing.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

24 March 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

Midnight

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$12,513

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1