Midnight (1939)

Director:

Mitchell Leisen

Writers:

Charles Brackett (screenplay) and
Billy Wilder (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

15 March 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

A chorus girl, stranded in Paris, is "set up" by a millionaire to break up his wife's affair with another man.

Plot Keywords:

Taxi Driver | Party | Aristocrat | Millinery | Piano

Cast

Claudette Colbert	...	Eve Peabody aka Baroness Czerny
Don Ameche	...	Tibor Czerny
John Barrymore	...	Georges Flammarion
Francis Lederer	...	Jacques Picot
Mary Astor	...	Helene Flammarion
Elaine Barrie	...	Simone
Hedda Hopper	...	Stephanie
Rex O'Malley	...	Marcel Renaud
Monty Woolley	...	The Judge
Armand Kaliz	...	Lebon - Eve's Lawyer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eugene Borden	...	Porter (uncredited)
Paul Bryar	...	Porter (uncredited)
Jack Chefe	...	Stephanie's Party Guest (uncredited)
André Cheron	...	Train Watchman (uncredited)
Eddie Conrad	...	Prince Potopienko (uncredited)
Gino Corrado	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Gennaro Curci	...	Majordomo (uncredited)
Billy Daniel	...	Roger - Stephanie's Gigolo (uncredited)
Leander De Cordova	...	Footman (uncredited)
Joe De Stefani	...	Head Porter (uncredited)
Carlos De Valdez	...	Maurice - Flammarions' Butler (uncredited)
Elspeth Dudgeon	...	Stephanie's Party Guest with Dog (uncredited)
William Eddritt	...	Footman (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Flammarions' Party Guest / Stephanie's Party Guest (uncredited)
Arno Frey	...	Hotel Desk Clerk at Ritz (uncredited)
Robert Graves	...	Doorman (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Stephanie's Party Guest (uncredited)
William Hopper	...	Flammarions' Party Guest (uncredited)
Judith King	...	Girl (uncredited)
Max Lucke	...	Doorman (uncredited)
Mary MacLaren	...	Stephanie's Party Guest (uncredited)
Tony Martelli	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Joyce Mathews	...	Girl (uncredited)
Louis Mercier	...	Piano Playing Cabbie (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Flammarions' Party Guest (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse	...	Helene's Dance Partner at Flammarions' Party (uncredited)
Edmund Mortimer	...	Stephanie's Party Guest (uncredited)
Ferdinand Munier	...	Stephanie's Majordomo (uncredited)
Nestor Paiva	...	Woman's Escort (uncredited)
Lionel Pape	...	Edouart (uncredited)
Manuel París	...	Court Bailiff (uncredited)
Donald Reed	...	Ferdinand - Eve's Chauffer (uncredited)
Joseph Romantini	...	Footman (uncredited)
Ronald R. Rondell	...	Flammarions' Party Guest / Stephanie's Party Guest (uncredited)
Harry Semels	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Larry Steers	...	Flammarions' Party Guest / Stephanie's Party Guest (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Stephanie's Party Guest (uncredited)
Helen St. Rayner	...	The Coloratura (uncredited)
Leonard Sues	...	Bellboy (uncredited)
Michael Visaroff	...	Footman (uncredited)
Florence Wix	...	Flammarions' Party Guest (uncredited)

Directed by
Mitchell Leisen

Writing credits
Charles Brackett		(screenplay) and
Billy Wilder		(screenplay)
Edwin Justus Mayer		(based on a story by) and
Franz Schulz		(based on a story by)

Produced by
Arthur Hornblow Jr.	....	produced by
William LeBaron	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Friedrich Hollaender		(original score by) (as Frederick Hollander)

Cinematography by
Charles Lang		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
Doane Harrison		(edited by)

Art Direction by
Hans Dreier
Robert Usher

Costume Design by
Irene		(gowns: Miss Colbert)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hal Walker	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Hal Walker	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Sound Department
John Cope	....	sound recordist
Charles Hisserich	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Farciot Edouart	....	special photographic effects

Music Department
Leo Shuken	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1939) (USA) (theatrical)
• MCA/Universal Pictures (1958) (USA) (TV)
• Hosh Posh Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Hosh Posh Video (2005) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Madacy Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Studios (????) (USA) (TV) (as Universal)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #4906) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | Argentina:16

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Barbara Stanwyck was originally slated for the role of Eve Peabody, but was replaced by Claudette Colbert because of scheduling problems.

Quotes:

Eve Peabody: Listen. Back in New York, whenever I managed to crash a party full of luscious big-hearted millionaires, there was always sure to be some snub-faced kid in the orchestra playing traps. And so at four in the morning, when the wise girls were skipping off to Connecticut to marry those millionaires, I'd be with him in some nightspot learning tricks on the kettledrum. And he always had a nose like yours.

Movie Connections:

Remade as Midnight (2010)

Soundtrack:

Étude No.12 in C minor Op.10-12: Revolutionary

A Sparkling Gem from Hollywood's Golden Era

There are few films that can be seen often without the viewer tiring of them. Midnight is one of them. It glides effortlessly through the tinsel and magical world of barons and down-on-their heels showgirls without taking a mean shot at anyone. Claudette Colbert shows that she lost none of her "It Happened One Night" edginess, and Don Ameche gives the performance of his career as the romantic cab driver who sees himself as worthy to steal Colbert away from her rich suitor. John Barrymore may have been in decline at this point in his career-----but this is his last great effort at creating a truly endearing comic character. He does so splendidly. Mary Astor combines beauty and bitchiness in a memorable role. And what is there to say about Rex O'Malley as her gay pal in all this business? It is a shame that he is virtually unknown today, and didn't get many opportunities to show what a fine comic actor he was.

Midnight deserves a much wider audience than it now has. Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett have written wonderful comic dialog that continues to charm and amuse today's viewers. And it is without doubt Mitchell Leisen's masterpiece.

This is THE romantic comedy to see with someone you love.