Night Into Morning (1951)

Berkeley university professor adjusts (using alcohol) to tragic fire deaths of wife & son.

Director:

Fletcher Markle

Writers:

Karl Tunberg (original screenplay), Leonard Spigelgass (original screenplay)

Stars:

Ray Milland, John Hodiak, Nancy Reagan

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ray Milland	...	Phillip Ainley
John Hodiak	...	Tom Lawry
Nancy Reagan	...	Mrs. Katherine Mead (as Nancy Davis)
Lewis Stone	...	Dr. Horace Snyder
Jean Hagen	...	Girl Next Door
Rosemary DeCamp	...	Mrs. Annie Ainley
Dawn Addams	...	Dotty Phelps
Jonathan Cott	...	Chuck Holderson
Celia Lovsky	...	Mrs. Niemoller
Gordon Gebert	...	Russ Kirby
Harry Antrim	...	Sam Andersen
Katherine Warren	...	Mrs. Margaret Andersen
Mary Lawrence	...	Edith Bottomly - Waitress / Student
Herb Vigran	...	Joe - the Bartender
Otto Waldis	...	Dr. Franz Niemoller

Storyline

Philip Ainley is a happily-married English teacher at a major USA university, whose life is turned upside down when his wife and child are killed by an explosion and fire in their home. Ainley's associate teacher, Tom Lawry, and the secretary of the department, Katherine Mead, a widow, do what tan to comfort him after the tragedy. As time goes by, Lawry thinks that nothing further can be done and becomes jealous of Katherine's continued efforts to help Ainley. Ainley, following an outward calm during the funeral and following days, tries to escape his sad anxiety through alcohol, and then via a suicide attempt.

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Plot Keywords:

university | teacher | alcohol | fire | widow | 

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Taglines:

When Dreams Go Smash - You Can Build a New Life!

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of two films starring Ray Milland that deals with alcoholism and co-stars a wife of Ronald Reagan. This one features his second wife, Nancy Reagan (aka Nancy Davis), and the other--The Lost Weekend (1945)--features his first wife, Jane Wyman.

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Goofs

Shadow of the helicopter on the clock tower in the closing scene.

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Quotes

Mrs. Katherine Mead: Phil, wait!
Mrs. Katherine Mead: Don't!
Mrs. Katherine Mead: I'm not going to try to stop you. Please listen to me.
Mrs. Katherine Mead: I stood exactly like that once. Exactly. Only it was a bridge. And I stood there quite calmly, looking at the lights of the city that no longer existed. And I would have hated anyone who said "Don't" or "Wait". And then someone did say it, all the way across the Pacific. I heard Dad, telling me not to do it. You could hear Anne and Timmy. That's what they'd say to you. As long as you live, they have a special kind of ...

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Connections

Featured in The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Story (1951)

User Reviews

Deliberate, authentic, intelligent

Material which all-too-readily lends itself to melodramatic and/or hackneyed treatment is handled in a deliberate and truly intelligent manner in this surprising sleeper of a film.

The acting of the leads is beyond reproach but to my mind it is the script which wins you over. There are a couple of typical Hollywood clichés (young, wide-eyed midwesterners and earnest, virtuous eastern-European immigrants) but for the most part, the writing is unaffected, original and convincing.

Several subplots weave neatly into the story and are just as convincing themselves. I had never heard of this film before (as opposed to the legendary "Lost Weekend") but I won't forget it soon. Highly recommended

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 June 1951 (USA)

Also Known As:

People in Love

Filming Locations:

Berkeley, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$777,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1