Midnight (1939 film)
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| Midnight | |
|---|---|
 Video cover |
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| Directed by | Mitchell Leisen |
| Produced by | A. Hornblow Jr. |
| Written by | Screenplay: Billy Wilder Charles Brackett Story: Edwin Justus Mayer Franz Schulz |
| Starring | Claudette Colbert Don Ameche John Barrymore |
| Music by | Frederick Hollander |
| Cinematography | Charles Lang |
| Editing by | Doane Harrison |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | March 15, 1939 |
| Running time | 94 minutes |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Midnight is a 1939 screwball comedy film directed by Mitchell Leisen and written by Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder based on a story by Edwin Justus Mayer and Franz Schulz.[1] It starred Claudette Colbert, Don Ameche and John Barrymore.
The film was remade as Masquerade in Mexico (1945) with Dorothy Lamour. On 13 May 2008, the New York Times reviewed a new DVD box set of Leisen titles, released by Universal Pictures, which includes a DVD of Midnight.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Out-of-work showgirl Eve Peabody (Claudette Colbert) arrives in Paris during a rainstorm with just the clothes on her back. A Hungarian cab driver, Tibor Czerny (Don Ameche), takes pity on her. He drives her around to the city's nightclubs in a fruitless attempt to get her a job. He offers to let her stay overnight at his apartment (he will be out driving all night), but she makes it clear to Tibor that she has set her sights financially higher than a taxi driver. When he stops for gas, she slips away.
She finds shelter from the rain by crashing a socialite's late-night party by passing off a pawn ticket as an invitation. Posing as the "Baroness Czerny", Eve sits next to wealthy Georges Flammarion (John Barrymore). When the pawn ticket is discovered and an attempt is made to unmask the impostor, Eve tries to slip away. She ends up in a bridge game with Georges' wife Helene (Mary Astor) and her lover Jacques Picot (Francis Lederer), with Georges watching on. Eve and Jacques lose heavily, but Eve is surprised to find enough money in her purse to cover her debts. When the party ends, Jacques insists on seeing her back to her hotel. There she is stunned to find that she has a suite reserved for her.
The next morning, a whole new wardrobe is delivered to the puzzled woman, followed by her mysterious benefactor: Georges. Georges loves his wife and has come up with a desperate plan to get her back. He wants Eve to flirt with Jacques, giving Helene an opportunity to come to her senses. Eve accepts his proposition.
Meanwhile, Tibor has not given up his search for Eve, mobilizing his fellow taxi drivers. When he finally tracks her down to Georges' estate and discovers she is using his name, he shows up posing as her husband the Baron.
[edit] Cast
- Claudette Colbert as Eve Peabody / "Baroness Czerny". Barbara Stanwyck was originally slated for the role, but had scheduling problems.
- Don Ameche as Tibor Czerny / "Baron Czerny"
- John Barrymore as Georges Flammarion
- Francis Lederer as Jacques Picot
- Mary Astor as Helene Flammarion
- Elaine Barrie as Simone
- Hedda Hopper as Stephanie
- Rex O'Malley as Marcel Renaud
- Monty Woolley as Judge
- Armand Kaliz as Lebon
[edit] Remake
Midnight is set to be remade in 2008, directed by Michael Arndt and starring Reese Witherspoon in the lead role.[2]
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Midnight at the Internet Movie Database.
- ^ Michael Fleming (May 30, 2007). Witherspoon to star in 'Midnight'. variety.com.
