That Midnight Kiss (1949)

Sadly Over-hyped

Highly Overrated But Still Good

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

Philadelphia's own crooner, Mario Lanza, looks positively svelte in his real film debut. He also sounds as good as he ever will and shows his acting talents in this formulaic story of an amateur singer who longs for a big break in the opera world. It's a story not unlike Lanza's own.Jose Iturbi--MGM's resident maestro--is the impresario Lanza's character, Johnny Donnetti, seeks to impress, with the help of Kathryn Grayson.Whether one is a fan of opera or not, this is the film to watch to best appreciate Mario Lanza's film contributions and his leading man potentiality. The musical selections, including "They Didn't Believe Me", allow Lanza to demonstrate his ability to master both pop and classical songs.The romantic storyline is tepid and predictable. The comedic elements are tolerable distractions. Mario Lanza almost singlehandedly makes this production worth watching with his sterling presence.

That Midnight Kiss is a good, solid feature film debut for Lanza, though he went on to do better afterwards. Lanza and classical music/opera fans will find much to love, as an overall film it's good, solid fun but didn't bowl me over.Lanza is the best thing about That Midnight Kiss. One wishes that he had more to sing and that the studio could have been a little bolder with some of the song choices(understandable though because it was a debut, and he was very young at the time, and they didn't want to tax him too early), but all the songs in the film suit him brilliantly, especially They Didn't Believe Me and Una Furtiva Lagrima(he does quite well too with Celeste Aida). He also sounds sensational, one of the loveliest and most distinctive of all tenor voices, singing with warmth, emotion and generous style, and while inexperience(again understandably) occasionally shows, his feature film debut is dashing and truly charming.Kathryn Grayson radiates on screen and sings like an angel, there was the worry that Caro Nome was too big for her but she manages the colouratura well. After hearing mixed opinions on Lanza and Grayson's chemistry, I'm of the opinion that they have a good natural chemistry together. Ethel Barrymore brings incandescent class to her role, looking positively regal and giving her dialogue a witty edge and classy delivery. Keenan Wynn is a lot of fun and Jules Munshin is even funnier. Thomas Gomez fares the best in the comedy department, this said, the best of his comic timing is hilarious. That Midnight Kiss also looks great, with colourful costumes and sets and glowing photography.The other great thing about That Midnight Kiss is the music and songs. There are some operatic favourites here, for soprano and tenor, and they're still fabulous, and They Didn't Believe Me is the highlight of the film. Love is Music is a little sappy though, not the melody seeing as it is based on one of Tchaikovsky's most beautiful melodies but the rather cloying lyric writing. One mustn't also forget about Jose Iturbi, who gets the opportunity to play piano pieces by Liszt, Tchaikovsky and Chopin and does so simply thrillingly, the performance of the Chopin Revolutionary Etude comes off particularly well. The film is also efficiently paced, more than competently directed and has a mostly winning script with a lot of heart and genuinely funny humour, if occasionally laying it a little thick with the schmaltz and once or twice the comedy is ever so slightly overplayed.Coming off the least well is the story. It's not a disaster as it knows what tone it wanted to be, light and fun, and sticks to it without jumping around or changing tone discordantly. It is however as thin as a wafer, which is true of a lot of MGM musicals at this time, and does feel at times on the too silly and too frothy side, you can also painfully and correctly predict what is going to happen next.All in all, a good feature film debut for Lanza, who along with the music is the film's selling point. 7/10 Bethany Cox

This is actually a very charming and light-hearted musical about a young opera singer hopeful (Kathryn Grayson) that discovers a truck driver (Mario Lanza) singing opera in her wealthy grandmother's living room and suggests he take over as the leading man in her granny's new opera company. You see, Grayson can't hide the giggles she gets when singing a duet with the chunky Thomas Gomez, an opera star she admires professionally but can't see as romantic either on stage or off. She predictably falls in love with Lanza but a misunderstanding with the secretary at the truck company he works at leads her to think he's already engaged. No amount of midnight serenading or playful interference from grandma Ethel Barrymore can fix it, but you know, this is MGM, and there has to be a romantic clinch at the end, right? Of course right! Before being teamed with the less temperamental Howard Keel for three beautiful romantic musicals, the lovely Grayson was paired with Lanza for two films, and here, in his film debut, he shows true star potential. Less portly and diva-like than his future films, Lanza is charming, funny and extremely handsome. They sing a beautiful duet of Jerome Kern's "They Didn't Believe Me" that is the musical highlight of the show. Keenan Wynn is very funny as Lanza's pal who becomes his agent, and Barrymore takes over the roles that Charles Coburn had been playing for years-the octogenarian who feels that if lovers are going to get together, they need a boost from someone who's older and wiser.Marjorie Reynolds is the lovely young lady who accidentally gives Grayson the wrong impression about her and Lanza. The legendary Jose Iturbi plays himself here, and has several piano concertos that are beautifully played and don't become too highbrow. The final opera sequence, sung in English, is a bit silly and not at all realistic to American opera companies, yet lavish and romantic. Lanza and Grayson are a fine pair on-screen although her teamings with Keel are much more famous.

Mario Lanza made his film debut in "That Midnight Kiss" costarring Kathryn Grayson, Ethel Barrymore, Jose Iturbi, Keenan Wynn, Thomas Gomez, Marjorie Reynolds, and Jules Munshin. The script was tailor-made for Lanza, set in his home town of Philadelphia. It was this film that nearly ruined my own singing aspirations. My mother always thought that if I were really good, someone would discover me - I guess hauling a piano - the way that Lanza was in this film. Nevertheless, I put all that aside when I watched it.Johnny is a truck driver discovered testing out the piano he delivers to Abigail Budell (Barrymore), patron of the arts. She's just founded an opera company for the benefit of her daughter Prudence (Grayson). When the current tenor (Gomez) quits in a huff, Johnny steps in. He and Prudence are in love, but before either one of them can really act on it, Prudence is told by another woman (Marjorie Reynolds) that she wants to marry Johnny. How to get these two songbirds back together? "That Midnight Kiss" is a big budget, glossy MGM musical extravaganza and as such, it's delicious to watch and makes for joyful listening. Lanza, attractive and a natural before the cameras, really commercialized opera in the U.S. with his clarion tenor. His IMDb bios were obviously written by fans. Though he certainly had a fantastic voice, he was evidently hard to work with, especially for his female costars. Alcohol and crash dieting eventually made his heart give out while he was still in his thirties. Also, he had his own sound; in recordings, Caruso sounds much more baritone-y, though Lanza's IMDb bio claims the voices match. It's hard to know what Lanza's voice sounded like on the opera stage. People who heard him in person claim the voice was not very large. Nevertheless, it was perfect for film. Pretty and petite, Kathryn Grayson does a lovely job both in her acting and singing. Both singers shine in the more lyrical pieces sung outside Prudence's window and show their versatility. A side note - it's a little questionable what opera the company is doing - Grayson and Gomez sing a duet from "Lucia" in rehearsals, but the final product was in English and definitely NOT Donizetti! The rest of the cast is superb - Keenan Wynn has impeccable comic timing, and Jules Munshin is given some great bits throughout. Thomas Gomez is hilarious as the bombastic tenor Betelli. Ethel Barrymore is stately and classy as Prudence's grandmother. Iturbi, playing himself, is delightful and plays some beautiful piano. Celeste Aida and the Lucia duet were conducted at pretty swift tempi, as was the "Caro Nome" that Grayson starts to sing at the piano.Highly entertaining and recommended if you're a lover of classical music.