L'Étoile de minuit

'Star of Midnight' did have a few things going for it. When reading the plot synopsis, being a fan of this type of story and the genre, it really intrigued me. William Powell always impressed me as an actor and bad performances were rare, here in a role that suited him to the ground. Also like Ginger Rogers, if more as a dancer than as an actress (though she doesn't fare too shabbily at all in this regard, when it comes to dancing on film she's a legend), especially when partnered with Fred Astaire.

Although it is not the best that either Powell and Rogers, the latter in a very Myrna Loy sort of role, ever did (both did many great films and performances in other things before and since), 'Star of Midnight' is hardly a waste of their talents. It was far from a perfect film and a couple of components were executed very unevenly, but it was a fun and intriguing one that serves its purpose to entertain and perhaps in a way challenge very well.

Lets start with 'Star of Midnight's' good things. It looks very slick and stylish. Count me in as another person who is so envious of that bathroom. The type of script here is my personal favourite type, the sophisticated and witty kind, sorry for throwing around those words a lot recently but it is hard not to when so many films at that time had those qualities in their writing and did them well and even superbly. Much of the dialogue really crackles.

The story is mostly tight, engaging with a generally solid and atmospherically suspenseful mystery that didn't get too convoluted. Coherence was not a problem for me here. The direction was well judged. Powell is wonderfully debonair and witty, traits that suited him perfectly and at that time he was one of the best on film in doing that. Rogers fares very admirably in the Myrna Loy-type role and the chemistry between the two is difficult to resist. The supporting cast are very uneven, but Gene Lockhart, J Farroll MacDonald and particularly Paul Kelly are good.

Others didn't make the grade however. The worst offenders agreed are Leslie Fenton, who fails to inject much personality into a colourless part, and Robert Emmett O'Connor who is irritating beyond belief and overdoes the character's dumbness.

Did feel that the identity of the killer was too obvious too early, again a problem for others. Also that the ending was rather far-fetched.

In a nutshell, fun but didn't blow me away. 7/10

I'm sure that Louis B. Mayer got a good price to loan out William Powell to RKO for Star Of Midnight. No doubt he was thinking of the sequel to the immensely popular The Thin Man that was already on the boards at MGM.

Over at MGM Nick Charles was a reluctant detective who liked his new bride, martinis, and mysteries in that order. In Star Of Midnight Clay Dalzell is a reluctant detective who likes the legal profession, Ginger Rogers, martinis, and mysteries in that order. The new star of a late night revue in Manhattan walks off the stage and just disappears.

Powell's playboy friend Leslie Fenton who has been looking for her says she's a girl from Chicago he knew and when she saw him in the audience she took off. Gossip columnist Russell Hopton says he knows why and is about to tell Powell when he's bumped off and Powell wounded in the same attack.

Of course that gives Powell a nice reason to sleuth. He has to do it with the help of Ginger Rogers who just wants to get him to the altar.

RKO got Powell a little later in the decade as another amateur detective in The Ex-Mrs. Bradford. Similar story with Jean Arthur as a former wife who can't stay away.

A cast of familiar players make up the suspect list. The eventual murderer, all I can say is that it was one original disguise that was used.

Fans of The Thin Man will enjoy Star Of Midnight.

The plot was a bit loose and incredulous, but no movie with William Powell and Ginger Rogers can be bad. It slightly resembles the much better film, The Thin Man (1934), but it was fun nevertheless. Powell and Rogers have good chemistry together and provide some of the comedy with their antics, with other comedy supplied by inept police officer, Robert Emmett O'Connor. I guessed who the murderer was early, but couldn't provide the motive until it was explained.

I love this movie!!! Although it is a rip-off of the repartee between the main characters of "The Thin Man" (and even has William Powell in the lead), it is absolutely a delight. The title song,"Midnight in Manhattan" which is heard in bits and pieces throughout and in full toward the end of the film,seems to grow on you after a while (I found myself humming it and trying to remember the words). Some of the supporting actors are a little weak.....Leslie Fenton, who is not a particularly appealing actor to begin with (although he was effective as Nails Nathan in "Public Enemy")....nor did I appreciate the bumbling policeman of Robert Emmett O'Conner. J. Farrell MacDonald is a joy as the Inspector and Paul Kelly, surprisingly handsome in his early career, is good as the local crook. Ralph Morgan is what you would expect and good at it. The leads are great, of course. Nobody beats Powell as the suave lawyer and Ginger Rogers is a wonderful light comedienne. They play very well together. All in all, this is one super little film. Plus, Powell's apartment is an art deco dream and what about that bathroom!!!

So, how does Ginger Rogers stand up against Myrna Loy? Rogers has the comedy chops. She's shown that in movies like The Major and the Minor. She trades quips with Powell much like Loy. She snoops like Loy. She drinks like Loy. But, she isn't Myrna Loy...

If the Thin Man series had never been, I would've enjoyed Rogers' performance more. It was a fun movie: An incomprehensible mystery where the murderer seems like a name drawn out of a hat at the last minute. The judge from Miracle on 34th Street plays Swain the Butler. The man who played Inspector Henderson in Night at the Opera plays a cop in this movie as well.

There is a nice chemistry between Rogers and Powell, but it just doesn't rise to the chemistry between Powell and Loy. Powell's detective character needs the stern eye of a sophisticated woman like Mrs. Charles to keep him humble. Makes for better comedy...

All in all, though...a good movie...