Sunday, March 21, 2010

Midnight(1939).























Midnight (1939). Romantic/comedy. Director: Mitchell Leisen. Written by Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder based on a story by Edwin Justus Mayer and Franz Schulz. Cast: Claudette Colbert, Don Ameche and John Barrymore.



Eve Peabody an American showgirl, finds herself stranded in Paris one rainy night. Eve makes a deal with cab driver Tibor Czerny, to double his fee for driving her from nightclub to nightclub looking for a job.

Eve, decides to run away from him when it looks like he is becoming interested in her. She hides from him at a charity event and attracts the attention of, millionaire Georges Flammarion.

The adventure begins after Georges gives her the title of the Baroness Czerny, Eve finds herself in a room at the Ritz, with beautiful clothes and a chauffeured limousine.

Later that morning, Georges,shows up at the Ritz to offer Eve the job of taking Jacques away from Helen. She accepts the job and his weekend invitation at his home.

That same day, Tibor has organized the cab drivers of Paris to find Eve and on a tip, he finds her at the Flammarion chateau. Just as Helen is about to expose Eve as an impostor, Tibor arrives as the Baron to claim his wife. Will they be able to keep up the crazy charade?

Favorite quote:

Eve Peabody: (at the ball) Don't forget, every Cinderella has her midnight.

I love this film and I thought the story was magical. Once again, Claudette Colbert shows that she is a wonderful comedian. This maybe one of my favorite Don Ameche performances. Mary Astor combines beauty and meanness in her performance.



Elaine Barrie(July 16, 1915 – March 1, 2003), performed in several films and one Broadway play. She was  actor John Barrymore's fourth, and last, wife. Barrie claimed to have fallen in love with Barrymore in 1931, when she was 16, after seeing his film, the classic Svengali.

They did marry five years later, but the marriage was a rocky one and they divorced in 1940.

She performed in one of her husband's films and made two shorts (one of which, How to Undress in Front of Your Husband 1937), was made by low-rent exploitation legend Dwain Esper) capitalizing on her status as Barrymore's wife.

She also co-starred with Barrymore on Broadway and in several radio dramas.

After the divorce Barrie wrote a book about her life with Barrymore, All My Sins Remembered, and took a job at a New York brokerage firm. She was born and died in New York City, New York.


2 comments:

  1. Dawn, If you want to add this as part of your DVD collection you should be able to find it at Costco for $6.99 as part of the Universal Classic's ,along with Scareface, All Quiet On the Western Front, The Heiress, The Major & The Minor among others.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Paul, I'm going to Costco later this week. I will look for it. Thank you.

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