"Midnight Lace" is a thirties style mystery with an "A" list cast but with no murder.
Kit Preston (Doris Day) is an heiress (I think) who is married to Anthony Preston (Rex Harrison) who runs the family business. While walking home through the London fog one night, Kit hears a mysterious voice that threatens her life. Anthony and her friend Peggy (Natasha Perry) convince her that it was probably a prank.
However, Kit starts to receive threatening phone calls. She and Anthony go to Scotland Yard to report the incidents. There, Inspector Byrnes (everybody's favorite Scotland Yard detective - John Williams) reassures the couple and doubts Kit's story. But the calls continue.
The film lines up the suspects so that each may have a motive for the calls. First there is businessman Victor Elliott (Rhys Williams) who tells the Preston Board of Directors that someone will pay if his company is allowed to go under. Next is clean cut builder Brian Younger (John Gavin) whom we see ogling Kit outside her apartment. Then there is money hungry Malcom Stanley (Roddy McDowell) who tries to extort money from Kit on behalf of his ailing mother (Doris Lloyd), Kit's housekeeper. Charles Manning (Herbert Marshall) the treasurer of the Preston firm apparently is in some financial difficulty and acts suspiciously. Kit's eccentric Aunt Bea (Myrna Loy) arrives and is also under suspicion.
One night Anthony receives a call from his assistant Daniel (Richard Ney) who has found some shortages on the company's books. A mysterious stranger, Ash (Anthony Dawson) appears at Kit's apartment and she panics believing him to be the mystery caller. Anthony feigns going to the office in an effort to lure and trap Ash into returning. When he does a scuffle ensues and.................................
Doris Day gives an excellent performance in a straight dramatic role as the frightened Kit. She conveys her fear through tears and screams while trying to evade her tormentor. Rex Harrison is good as the supportive husband who has secrets of his own. Not sure what John Gavin is doing here but to rescue Kit. Thirties favorites Loy and Marshall are largely wasted in supporting roles. The always interesting McDowall makes an excellent little rat as well.
Alfred Hitchcock would have had at least one murder to deal with.
Kit Preston (Doris Day) is an heiress (I think) who is married to Anthony Preston (Rex Harrison) who runs the family business. While walking home through the London fog one night, Kit hears a mysterious voice that threatens her life. Anthony and her friend Peggy (Natasha Perry) convince her that it was probably a prank.
However, Kit starts to receive threatening phone calls. She and Anthony go to Scotland Yard to report the incidents. There, Inspector Byrnes (everybody's favorite Scotland Yard detective - John Williams) reassures the couple and doubts Kit's story. But the calls continue.
The film lines up the suspects so that each may have a motive for the calls. First there is businessman Victor Elliott (Rhys Williams) who tells the Preston Board of Directors that someone will pay if his company is allowed to go under. Next is clean cut builder Brian Younger (John Gavin) whom we see ogling Kit outside her apartment. Then there is money hungry Malcom Stanley (Roddy McDowell) who tries to extort money from Kit on behalf of his ailing mother (Doris Lloyd), Kit's housekeeper. Charles Manning (Herbert Marshall) the treasurer of the Preston firm apparently is in some financial difficulty and acts suspiciously. Kit's eccentric Aunt Bea (Myrna Loy) arrives and is also under suspicion.
One night Anthony receives a call from his assistant Daniel (Richard Ney) who has found some shortages on the company's books. A mysterious stranger, Ash (Anthony Dawson) appears at Kit's apartment and she panics believing him to be the mystery caller. Anthony feigns going to the office in an effort to lure and trap Ash into returning. When he does a scuffle ensues and.................................
Doris Day gives an excellent performance in a straight dramatic role as the frightened Kit. She conveys her fear through tears and screams while trying to evade her tormentor. Rex Harrison is good as the supportive husband who has secrets of his own. Not sure what John Gavin is doing here but to rescue Kit. Thirties favorites Loy and Marshall are largely wasted in supporting roles. The always interesting McDowall makes an excellent little rat as well.
Alfred Hitchcock would have had at least one murder to deal with.