Cette nuit ou jamais

"This Could be the Night" is a charming fish-out-of-water story about a straight-laced girl who becomes a part-time secretary at a seedy nightclub in New York. Jean Simmons plays Anne, the self-possessed college grad who's trying to expand her horizons by taking a job where she's surrounded by "characters." The club staff quickly find out that she's a "nice girl" -- that is, a virgin -- and tacitly conspire to keep her that way. No-one takes this task more seriously than Tony, one of the owners, and a well-known lothario. Naturally he's falling for her and is determined to keep her out of every man's clutches, especially his own.

The chemistry between Simmons and Fransciosa sizzles and all the characters' tiptoeing around the word "virgin" definitely gives the movie more sexual overtones than you would expect. The club staff are a likeable bunch -- from busboy Hassan, whose father won't let him change his name until he passes algebra, to strip-dancer Patsy, who really wants to be a cook. The dialogue is snappy and intelligent and the characters stay true to the end.

Jean Simmons is a school teacher who has just moved to New York City from New England. To make ends meet, she takes a second job as a secretary at a nightclub owned by Paul Douglas and Anthony Franciosa (in his film debut). Douglas, who hired her, is quite taken with her, but Franciosa thinks she has no business working in a nightclub and tries to get rid of her. She gradually charms her way into the fabric of the place, so by the time she and Franciosa realize they're in love, he can't get rid of her.

This is a pretty damn delightful movie. All three leads are charming and amusing, and it has a pretty wonderful supporting cast including J. Carrol Naish, Joan Blondell and Broadway star Neile Adams (the future Mrs. Steve McQueen) as a stripper who loves cooking. It's almost a semi-musical with Ray Anthony and His Orchestra playing the house band and his regular singer Julie Wilson playing a major role and singing several songs (including the title one).

Jean Simmons plays Anne, a nice, sheltered girl who inexplicably gets herself a job at a nightclub with a seedy reputation. Rocco (Paul Douglas) is taken by this shy but sweet lady and hires her...even though his grouchy partner, Tony (Tony Franciosa), doesn't seem to like her...or anyone else. She is an odd fit for the place and her initial adjustment is rough...but over time she becomes invaluable and Rocco obviously is smitten with her. Well, at least obvious to everyone but Anne. This is a serious problem as Rocco is a very sweet guy and over time Anne and Tony start to fall for each other--which is obvious since they initially hate each other (a bad Hollywood cliché, I know!). How's all this to play out and what is Anne's future? And what about poor, poor Rocco?

This is Tony Franciosa's first film, and it's hard to tell since he seems very good in the film. Not surprisingly Douglas and Simmons are very good...as they usually are. Although the film has some obvious clichés, it IS enjoyable. I also liked the film's supporting cast, with the likes of Joan Blondell, J. Carroll Naish and Zasu Pitts on hand...along with some nice singing by Julie Wilson and Niele Adams (who danced a VERY sexy number). My only problem is that the big confrontation portion when Anne quits seems to be stretched out WAY too long...and shortening up the final portion of the movie would have made it even better! Still, a nice and enjoyable film that's worth your time!

This is a very entertaining film, thanks to a good script and a strong cast.

Jean Simmons stars as Anne Leeds, a native of Massachusetts who moves to the big city for her first job---teaching in an elementary school. Her search for an additional part-time job leads her to a secretarial position in a racy nightclub, where some of the staff are wont to calling her "Baby". It's a fish-out-of-water setup that really works. Despite her presumed innocence, she insinuates herself into the operation (and their hearts).

The cast is diverse and interesting. Jean Simmons feels right for this part; more than for "Guys and Dolls, though it was a similar strait-laced role. Imagine Audrey Hepburn in either role. The big surprise for me is Julie Wilson, who plays the band singer Ivy. Quite a talent.

If you want to make a game of it, try to figure out which cast members acted in these films: "Blackboard Jungle", "Annie Get Your Gun", "Executive Suite", and "Vertigo". They are all fun to watch.

It's perfect casting in This Could Be the Night, with Jean Simmons as the prudish schoolteacher who wants to learn about life, Anthony Franciosa as the bad boy with good intentions, and Paul Douglas as the big softie who's just asking for a broken heart. That should be enough to sell you on the movie, but just in case it isn't, I'll continue.

Looking to pick up some extra cash, Jean gets a job in a hot nightclub as a bookkeeper. Paul Douglas instantly takes "Baby" under his wing, but Tony Franciosa thinks she doesn't fit in with their world. He tries to get her to go back to her nice, proper world, but clearly he never saw Guys and Dolls. Jean likes living on the edge!

The story is good enough on its own, but the acting really makes this movie special. All three are wonderful in their stock parts, and even though you can probably guess what'll happen in the story, you still manage to sit on the edge of your seat while it's happening. Tony and Paul have a believable chemistry together, and the screen sizzles whenever Tony and Jean share a scene. He has such a great balance of restraint and heightened emotions-if you're a fan, you need to rent this movie. If you've never seen him in a movie, this is a great one to start with; you just might get a new favorite screen couple out of it.