MysteryThriller

Midnight Lace

- Even with the arms of her love around her...she still felt the menace of that voice in the night!

Kit Preston begins to unravel when she receives threatening telephone calls informing her she's soon to be murdered.

Release Date : 1960-10-13

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Arwin ProductionsUniversal International PicturesRoss Hunter Productions

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Kit Preston

Original Name : Doris Day

Gender : Female

Character Name : Anthony Preston

Original Name : Rex Harrison

Gender : Male

Character Name : Brian Younger

Original Name : John Gavin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Aunt Bea

Original Name : Myrna Loy

Gender : Female

Character Name : Malcolm

Original Name : Roddy McDowall

Gender : Male

Character Name : Charles Manning

Original Name : Herbert Marshall

Gender : Male

Character Name : Peggy Thompson

Original Name : Natasha Parry

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dora Hammer

Original Name : Hermione Baddeley

Gender : Female

Character Name : Inspector Byrnes

Original Name : John Williams

Gender : Male

Character Name : Daniel Graham

Original Name : Richard Ney

Gender : Male

Character Name : Roy Ash

Original Name : Anthony Dawson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Victor Elliot

Original Name : Rhys Williams

Gender : Male

Character Name : Simon Foster

Original Name : Richard Lupino

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Garver

Original Name : Hayden Rorke

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nora Stanley

Original Name : Doris Lloyd

Gender : Female

Character Name : Woman

Original Name : Elspeth March

Gender : Female

Character Name : Man at American Consulate

Original Name : Peter Adams

Gender : Male

Character Name : Anthony Preston

Original Name : Rex Evans

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ballet Dancer

Original Name : Anna Cheselka

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ballet Dancer

Original Name : Vladimir Oukhtomsky

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pub Patron

Original Name : Colin Kenny

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ballet Audience Spectator

Original Name : Bert Stevens

Gender : Male

Character Name : Commuter at Terminal

Original Name : Arthur Tovey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ballet Audience Spectator

Original Name : Brandon Beach

Gender : Male

Character Name : Doorman

Original Name : James Forrest

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Matilda Shouted Fire. Midnight Lace is directed by David Miller and adapted to screenplay by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts from the play Matilda Shouted Fire by Janet Green. It stars Doris Day, Rex Harrison, John Gavin, Myrna Loy, Roddy McDowall and Herbert Marshall. Music is by Frank Skinner and cinematography by Russell Metty. Kit Preston (Day) is being stalked, but she can’t get anyone to believe her. Is she going mad? The “woman in peril” thriller has always proved popular since the advent of film, Midnight Lace may not have the class or menace of something like Gaslight or the best of Hitchcock, but it’s a splendid mystery thriller yarn. Pic sets its goals out from the start, as the delightful Miss Day is pursued through the pea souper fog by person unseen. Then the phone calls start, a weird voice at the end of the line issuing less than complimentary advice, but nobody is sure if she is really suffering these harassments. So, enter a whole ream of suspects from weasels and schemers to the unbalanced and the too suave to be true, red-herrings now rule the roost and it’s great fun. As things progress Kit’s hysteria goes up a notch at a time until it’s all out psychological bedlam. The big reveal is not exactly a surprise, but the enjoyment was in getting there. Unfortunately the production loses points for some sloppy editing and poor design for the London setting, the latter rendering the already fanciful story a fake feel that’s hard to shake off, the theatrical origins evident for sure. Which is a shame because Metty's photography is sublime, the principal colours positively spanking (check out those greens). Still, Harrison and Day can pretty much sell these characters in their sleep, and they are backed up by Gavin and Loy enjoying themselves. It makes up for what it doesn’t have in atmospherics or freshness of formula, with honest to goodness entertainment values. 7/10