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Midnight Lace [1960]
![Midnight Lace [1960]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51bgQ01AEvL._SL160_.jpg)
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Editorial
Synopsis
Doris Day portrays a rich young wife living in London who is the target of life-threatening phone calls and near fatal accidents. Everyone becomes a potential murderer, including her debonair husband, an adoring next- door-neighbour, and a construction foreman working nearby. Academy Award Nominations: Best (Color) Costume Design.
Midnight Lace
Review date: 2007-02-07 Rating: 8 out of 10
Midnight Lace is a tense, gritty thriller, however Doris Day does overplay the part somewhat, and her performance could be described as hysterical, in places. The starring role should have been played by Grace Kelly or Tippi Hedren - one of the Hitchcock stars - in my opinion, it is fairly hard to watch Ms Day in a completely serious role.
Saying this, I do like the film, it has colour and glamour and the plot is frighteningly believable. Very similar in plot and characters to 'Dial M for murder', by Hitchcock. Hope this was useful!
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Reviews
Doris Day without the song and dance
Review date: 2006-11-28 Rating: 10 out of 10
Yes, Doris Day. But no... no singing, no laughter, no romance in this film. What you do get is a solid thriller, even for today's standards (the creepy voice has a lot to do with it!).
Doris Day is an American living in London. Her life is just fine, what with her loving husband, a good friend, a bright future and more money than she can ever spend. But then one day, walking home, out of the fog, the most eerie, high-pitched voice you've ever heard threatens to kill her. Without a reason, without a suspect and without any evidence, she -and all those around her- is beginning to question her sanity.
Couldn't say the ending was a total surprise but it still had a few surprises waiting for me.
Beware of the things lurking in the London fog!
Review date: 2006-10-11 Rating: 8 out of 10
"Midnight Lace" is one of Doris Day's lesser known efforts, the second of the only two thrillers she has ever appeared in (the other being Hitchcock's "The Man Who Knew Too Much".) Miss Day plays Kit Preston, an American who has recently moved to London to live with her British husband, Rex Harrison. While out in the fog one night, she is threatened by an eerie voice. The threats continue by telephone, but the police seem unable to help - or unwilling, as even her friends begin to suspect that she is making things up to get attention ...
"Midnight Lace" is a solid thriller, very much in the tradition of "Sorry, Wrong Number" or "Dial M for Murder" (even sharing the "same" police inspector, John Williams, with the latter.) The plot offers some nice twists and turns and, more than once, makes perfect use of its London setting. Seeing the film today, some of the surprises might not be as surprising as they were in 1960, but the cast of well-known faces is still a joy to watch, especially Myrna Loy as bubbly "Aunt Bea" and Roddy McDowall as ruthless schemer. Doris Day got two nominations for her role and, yes, she does give a rather decent dramatic performance, although, for a more modern taste, her "fear" turns too readily into hysterics (quite literally, as it seems, as Day writes in her memoirs that drawing on memories of her abusive husband for those scenes had her in hysterics and crying uncontrollably so that filming once had to be stopped until she recovered.)
Still, "Midnight Lace" is an effective little thriller, with a good script and good performances, and would certainly deserve more recognition. Hopefully, its release on DVD will bring it just that, helped by a decent transfer, though sadly without any extras.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Doris Day
Roddy McDowall
Rex Harrison
Myrna Loy
Herbert Marshall
Creators:
Doris Day (Primary Contributor)
Rex Harrison (Primary Contributor)
Director(s):
Recording label: Universal Pictures UK
Manufacturer: Universal Pictures UK
EAN: 5050582409635
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2006-05-08
Audience rating: Universal, suitable for all
Region code: 2
Running time: 93 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1960
Language: English (Original Language)