THAT MIDNIGHT KISS

US, 1949, 96 minutes, Colour.
Kathryn Grayson, Mario Lanza, Jose Iturbi, Ethel Barrymore, Keenan Wynn, Thomas Gomez, J. Carroll Naish, Marjorie Reynolds.
Directed by Norman Taurog.

That Midnight Kiss was a popular MGM musical of the late 1940s. It had the operetta star of the period, Kathryn Grayson. It also starred Jose Iturbi as himself, pianist and conductor.

However, the film introduced Mario Lanza and has a great significance because of that. The story of a truck driver who wants to become an opera singer is not too different from that of Mario Lanza himself. At this stage he was 28, with a fine voice and a good screen presence. His best film was The Great Caruso in 1951. Fired from The Student Prince, his singing was mimed by actor, Edmond Purdom. He was to make Serenade in 1956 and two films in Rome, The Seven Hills of Rome and For the First Time before his untimely death at 38 in 1959.

The film was directed by Norman Taurog who won an Oscar for Skippy in 1931 and during the 1950s and sixties directed a number of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis comedies as well as Elvis Presley musicals.

The film offers an opportunity to hear opera arias as well as some popular songs, especially Jerome Kern’s They’ll Never Believe Me.

1. A popular forties MGM musical? Music, plot, characters? Reality and fantasy?

2. The music, the operas, the arias, duets? The popular songs? Rehearsals and performance?

3. The film in introducing Mario Lanza? His voice, personality, his subsequent career?

4. The Philadelphia setting, the commentd on Philadelphia, the wealthy, the American heritage?

5. The grandmother, Ethel Barrymore’s screen presence? Her wealth, philanthropy, the opera, wanting to set it up the new company? Her love for her granddaughter? Her own frustrated ambitions? Promoting Prudence? The discussions with Jose Iturbi? Her persistence? Firm and stubborn? The setting up of the company, the program, rehearsals? The Italian tenor and his behavior? Johnny and his talent, her promotion of him?

6. Prudence, age, her training, willful? Her nervousness with Iturbi? The company, the rehearsals, her inability to face the Italian tenor? Iturbi and his insistence? Hearing Johnny sing, the attraction, going to the restaurant with Iturbi, Johnny’s father singing, the other singers in the restaurant? Johnny and his work, her going to the truck depot, his concerts, the clash with the tenor and his becoming the substitute? The serenade? Her discussions with Mary, the planned marriage, her being upset, petulant? Snubbing him? His not being able to understand?

7. Johnny, in the army, his concerts? His friendship with Artie? The truck driving and the jobs? Playing the piano, singing, discovered by Prudence? The meeting with Iturbi, the audition? His success, training, the concert and his popularity? Artie and his friendship, being his agent, the contract? With his parents, his father’s singing and training? The rehearsals with Prudence? His not understanding why he was being snubbed? The restaurant? Going to her home, the singing? The grandmother turning him out? His buying back his truck, driving?

8. Jose Iturbi and his career, skill at playing the piano, with his sister, Amparo, conducting the orchestra? His being somewhat short-tempered? Audition for Prudence and his reaction? His dealing with the Italian tenor? Impatient with him? Listening to Johnny, training him, the concert performance and its success? His going back to the restaurant, with Johnny’s parents, organising for Johnny to sing?

9. Artie, the army, the job, driving, wisecracks, being the agent, the meetings, the break off? Attraction to Mary? Helping at the end, and his love for Mary?

10. The parents, Italian, the restaurant, singing, the happiness for Johnny’s success?

11. The Italian tenor, his singing, Prudence not looking at him, wanting to laugh? His temperament, vanity, his reaction to Johnny’s concert and success?
Pemberton, being urged to upset him, the trashing of the dressing room? The return, and it all happening over again?

12. Mary, her work, devoted to Johnny, her realizing the truth about the marriage, after the joy of the engagement? Her being content with Artie?

13. The final singing, the quick reconciliation and the happy ending?