Midnight Lace

*** / *****

It’s funny. I passed by Midnight Lace (1960) a number of times at Walmart, always eyeing the DVD, even picking it up a few times, nearly purchasing it. Never did, though, and it sure enough came on Turner Classics this year. I had it on when I laid down that night, making sure to record it on the Genie because the sleep was starting to undermine my efforts to watch it in earnest. Not saying I was bored of what was on the screen, mind you, but just exhaustion/fatigue applied its weight on the eyes. At any rate, it has been a month or so, and Midnight Lace was edging its way towards the bottom of the list, fading way into the back, so I gave it a go on this sleepy, rainy, dreary Saturday early afternoon. Thinking about it, I’m glad I decided to wait. This seemed like the ideal time to give such a film its due watch.

Certainly Doris Day tied to such a “lurid thriller” set in London, made in the Hitchcockian vein, out in the same year as Psycho (1960) would be of interest to me, but, funnily enough, I had watched this once before in the early 2000s (made 2000 or 2001) and remembered hating it. What makes it funny is that I don’t recall what was so bad about it in retrospect. It was a reasonably (perhaps marginal if not for having Day in the starring role and looking as stylish as it does) entertaining chiller, reminding me of Gaslight, with Doris Day’s Mrs. Preston slowly driven mad by a crazed obscene phone caller, speaking with a device that disguises his or her voice. The problem is that no one is witness to the calls or experiences tormenting her (or no one not aware of the effects purposely driving her to the brink, that is), and Scotland Yard’s Inspector Byrnes (John Williams) never receives much proof of this crazed caller’s existence. So Kit (Day) is left trying to convince her businessman husband (Rex Harrison), military wife neighbor (Natasha Parry), architect next building over (John Gavin), among others that she is telling the truth and that her claims are not an elaborate delusion. The finale is in no way a surprise and the actual story is quite formulaic, but Day’s involvement, along with the star power in the cast (which includes Myrna Loy gracing the screen as Day’s Aunt Bea, equipped with the expected charm and appeal to leave an impression), and such rich cinematography (not to mention, the Hollywood polish of extravagant sets giving Harrison’s abode the posh treatment and Day costumed in only the designer best), Midnight Lace has plenty of the Universal production accoutrements.

The screenplay proposes suspects like Gaven’s Brian Younger, quite emotionally interested in Day, not concealing his attraction to her. There’s a passing comment in a nearby pub from the oft-seen waitress, Dora (Hermoine Baddeley; I was mining my brain for where I place her, and it was as Bob Cratchet’s wife in the Alistair Sim Scrooge (1951)) about being on the phone “in the back”. And Brian worked right next to Kit’s building. I think many will feel he was but a red herring. And Anthony Dawson has that great face perfect for scaring frightened ladies alone in dark apartments (or even ladies alone in apartments during the day!), later to be revealed as Peggy’s husband. Dawson’s face is made up in this film with “war scars” to give him an extra edge. Supposedly Dawson is away “in the Navy”. Herbert Marshall (with the regal name of Charles Manning) is Harrison’s associate at the business in London, given a phone conversation implicating his gambling problem. Later a scene has Harrison called to the office, notified that someone is “reaching into the till”…obviously this questions Marshall’s potentially desperate attempt to pay off his debts. Charles Manning even calls not long after, seemingly interested quite a bit in why Harrison left. John Williams having already played Inspector Hubbard in Dial M for Murder (1954), hired in a similar part for Midnight Lace, ties this to Hitchcock which I found most amusing. Russell Metty’s photography was the real star in the film, though, I thought. I particularly liked how Metty shoots Day during the night scenes or when she’s nearly hysterical. Day is never failed by Metty.

While Day is almost always combating near hysteria or under duress from terror (the caller tells her she would be killed soon), even in her softer moments, the camera is sure to get the very best shots of her. Day reached back into her own life to add gravitas to the character’s condition, embattled by the experience to the point where Kit begs for Peggy (Parry) to help trick husband, Anthony (Harrison) into believing the phone calls were real…on set Day was affected by her using the past for the character, needing rest afterward! And this film requires Day to almost exclusively remain terrified of just when the killer would make good on his or her warnings. The phone would ring but never when someone else answered…that was until he or she *needed* to pick up the phone to further the ruse to hopeful success. The old thriller mainstays of adultery and greed arrive at the end to give the phone harassment its reasoning. Day going out on the scaffolds of the metal skeletal frame of the building under construction by Brian’s design at the end as Scotland Yard’s finest move in while her tormenter(s) try to come after her is well staged but expectedly neat…Brian coming to her in a lift as the detectives mention bugging the phone to seal the deal just gives the whole conclusion a pat bow tied on the present.

My favorite scenes involved Roddy McDowell as a scoundrel often working his commoner maid mother out of moneys, deciding that a job is far worse than getting his hands on funds to lavish his lifestyle without putting in the time/grind. Kit's employ of McDowell's mother assures the continuances of such funds, freed often by his power of persuasion. I always enjoy how Day sells Kit's revulsion in the sight of him, especially at the opera. McDowell quivering with Harrison confronting him tells you how he's more of a worm than tiger. McDowell nails it, too. The way he tries to secure money meant for his mother, Kit sees through him. He gets defensive but because he uses words not brute Force it is all meaningless. I think he's another red herring dismissed at the opera, but McDowell makes the most of his time in the movie.

Seriously despite it's rather okay plot and blah reveal, the cast and Hollywood budget/talent give Midnight Lace real credibility.