Midnight Lace

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mark g @Mark_Alan_G. Sep 2 Failed attempt at trying to copy Hitchcock, in particular, Dial M for Murder. It's not terrible, but it does drag a bit. Day and Harrison are invested, but Loy and McDowell are wasted. See more Nizar N @RT00283363 04/16/2023 Doris Day is an amazing actress, but she simply wasn't made for this one. That doesn't mean at all that she wasn't good. It only means she's more suitable for "lightweight" roles where her character comes off as likeable, playful, and intelligent. It's not wrong to see her in a thriller, but with at least making use of those aforementioned qualities, especially when they're ready at hand. In other words, the solution would've been to alter the script to cater to Day, and not to cast someone else. It is true a Hitchcock vibe tents over, but Midnight Lace is still not there yet; it just isn't as dark or suspense-packed as a Hitchcock movie, despite the thrilling plot twists. In all, the things I mentioned barely affect the end result, which is nevertheless enjoyable to the extent that it's one of those movies that can easily be seen twice or more. See more Bill B @RT01438538 12/05/2022 OK mystery movie with an obvious nod to Hitchcock. Marred by several unexplained detours. See more stu b @RT12689018 12/27/2021 Lightweight suspenser starring Doris Day as a wealthy American living in 1960s London, receiving threatening phone calls from a mysterious stranger; Rex Harrison co-stars as her suave businessman husband. Not nearly as good (or subtle) as she was in, let's say, Hitchcock's "The Man Who Knew Too Much"--tearful and hysterical, she spends so much time chewing the scenery that it's a wonder no one supplied her with toothpicks--Day is given free rein, and not always to the film's advantage. The outdoor shots of swinging London are a seat-of-the-pants traveler's dream, Harrison and the rest of the cast are fine, and, indeed, some of the characters are not who (or what) they appear to be; but the whole premise is a trifle tawdry, and the Big Reveal is vaguely disappointing. For Day fans--and rainy day or late-night viewing--only. See more 09/17/2021 HOLLYWOOD GIALLO (+ ITS OTHERS), the awesome IMDB list by Schwenkstar, described this nascent giallo as "Stalker disguises his voice in a creepy manner to hide his identity, a multitude of red herrings keep you guessing, and a shock reveal." What it did not tell me was that Midnight Lace starts Doris Day — of all people — as American heiress Kit Preston, a young girl who is one day threatened by an unseen voice inside the fog that threatens to kill her, keeps gaslighting her and makes her think that she's going insane. Day vowed to never make another thriller after this movie, as she said it so emotionally drained her. She stayed true to her word. Perhaps the reason why she was so mentally destroyed by this picture was that in order to be properly inspired to be afraid, she called upon a memory of her first husband dragging her out of bed and throwing her into a wall. Midnight Lace is pretty much like a cover version of a Hitchcock thriller. Beyond having so many of his stars — Day was in The Man Who Knew Too Much, John Williams was a cop in Dial M for Murder* and To Catch a Thief, as well as John Gavin being in Psycho, this feels like, well, Dial M as a telephone is how the killer goes after our heroine who has a husband named Tony. That said, the ending, which finds Day trying to escape through the scaffolding of her house after the reveal of who the villain really is — well, that's the whole reason to watch this. *Anthony Dawson and Herbert Marshall were also Dial M and this movie. See more Emilio T @MilloTPue 01/29/2021 Not a bad movie, and curious to have been done in 1960. See more Read all reviews

Midnight Lace

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