Midnight (1939 film)

Midnight - unveiling at midnight (OT: Midnight ) is a screwball comedy with Claudette Colbert, directed by Mitchell Leisen from the year 1939.

Action

Eve Peabody, a showgirl from America stranded, burned down completely in Paris with nothing more than her evening dress. The chance they, together with the friendly taxi driver Tibor Czerny. On the drive through the city Tibor love with Eve, but this is looking for a rich husband. She runs away and lands straight on a somewhat stiff gala event, where she meets the eccentric millionaire Georges Flammarion. He offers Eve a considerable sum, if she manages to relax his unfaithful wife, Helene, her lover, the city known Gigolo Jacques Picot. Georges gives Eve the false identity of a Baroness Czerny and established them in a luxurious hotel suite at the Ritz. The plan to seduce Jacque Picot, is to be carried out on a weekend at the castle of Flammarion's. In the meantime, Tibor, Eve could not forget, has resumed contact with her. Just as Helene wants to expose a fraud before the assembled guests Eve, appears entirely surprising Tibor on the feast day, the Eve -witted imagines as Baron Czerny. At the same time claiming the alleged Baroness Czerny, her husband was suffering under the delusion of being a taxi driver and his wife, an American showgirl named Eve. The resulting misunderstandings bring to Jacques to hold Eve's hand. At the end of many other complications Eve recognizes how much she loves in reality Tibor.

Background

Claudette Colbert had risen since 1934 to the biggest box office star of the Paramount, mainly thanks to numerous appearances in romantic comedies. In that regard, it was a godsend for Mitchell Leisen, as Colbert finally starring in Midnight took over after the originally planned Barbara Stanwyck was not in time for the start of rotation available. The studio increased attention to the production budget to over 1 million U.S. dollars and iron was able to undertake some of the best supporting actors in Hollywood.

The production history of Midnight himself handed up to February 1937, when first announced as the director Marlene Dietrich as the lead actress and Fritz Lang. Several changes eventually revealed that Mitchell Leisen directed the film. He had been the success of My life in luxury with Jean Arthur is a proven expert for romantic comedies and also came very well with Claudette Colbert. The filming, however, were not necessarily easy. Firstly, there was a problem to conceal Mary Astor progressive pregnancy. Therefore, the actress is rarely seen in a long shot, but appears mostly her upper body while the lower body remains hidden behind props. In addition, Astor wears in some scenes very long dresses or loose fitting coats.

John Barrymore had after decades of alcohol abuse massive problems to keep his dialogues, which is why iron had to use so-called cue cards. The text was written on large cardboard discs and out of camera range in front of the actor kept high so that it read the text needed only. Then there were the well-known neurosis of Claudette Colbert, who insisted to let only her left half of the face in profile record. All sets had to take that fact into consideration and be designed accordingly. Don Ameche turned parallel nor at 20th Century Fox in the biopic love and life of the phone maker A. Bell, so iron had to turn in two layers: first he took all the scene without Ameche, then, as this was available, the rest of the shots catch up.

The biggest problems, however, there were between Mitchell Leisen and screenwriters Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett. The two authors were convinced to have delivered her second common scenario is a perfect template that was to make a film without any further changes. However, Mitchell Leisen disagreed and stressed constantly to the design around. By the end of his life Billy Wilder did not cease to reproach Leisen this approach.

"He had absolutely no idea of ​​the scene structure. And it was him completely indifferent. Everything he did was rumzudoktorn the script and our script was almost perfect! "

The film was a huge financial success with the public and the press. The studio turned 1946 a remake entitled " Masquerade in Mexico" with Dorothy Lamour in the Colbert -roll and Ann Dvorak as Helene.

Reviews

The New York Times was, though the film:

" [ ... ] One of the most turbulent, happiest, funniest and most frivolous comedies in a long time. The Director of Mitchell Leisen remembers a wonderful way to Lubitsch. The performers team [ ..] is one of the best ever. [ ..] The largest contribution to success of course makes Miss Colbert. She has to play a superb style, comedy [ ... ] "

The lexicon of international film called the film a:

" [E ] legante, multilayered comedy of errors and confusions with ironic swipes at the bourgeois society. "

Sources and literature used

  • Jerry Vermilye: More Films of the '30s, ISBN 978-0863695414
  • David Chierichetti: Mitchell Leisen: Hollywood Director, ISBN 978-1880756072
Crimson Glory 1939 in film Screenplay Film score Friedrich Hollaender Doane Harrison Screwball comedy film The Story of Alexander Graham Bell The Big Broadcast of 1938 Arise, My Love Hold Back the Dawn Take a Letter, Darling Frenchman's Creek (film) To Each His Own (film)
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