Sat 18 Sep 2010
Movie Review: THIS COULD BE THE NIGHT (1957).
Posted by Steve under Films: Comedy/Musicals , Reviews[4] Comments
THIS COULD BE THE NIGHT. MGM, 1957. Jean Simmons, Paul Douglas, Anthony Franciosa, Julie Wilson, Neile Adams, Joan Blondell, Ray Anthony & His Orchestra. Screenplay: Isobel Lennart; based on short stories by Cornelia Baird Gross. Director: Robert Wise.
Why, one wonders, did they film this charming comedy/musical in CinemaScope but shoot it in black and white? Anytime I can see Jean Simmons in color, I’d jump at the chance, but that’s me. And black and white, too, if that’s the only chance I get.
I may be wrong about this, but I recall reading somewhere that This Could Be the Night was the last MGM musical to be filmed in black and white, and if so, it’s one fact it should be noted for. Another such fact, and this one I’m sure of, is that the movie marks the film debut of Tony Franciosa, a handsome as well as talented actor (in my opinion) whose charm seemed to show up more on TV than it did on the large screen – not that he became a huge star there, either.
He plays the co-owner of a New York City nightclub where Jean Simmons, a schoolteacher in the day, comes to work as a secretary at night. The other owner, the older one, is Paul Douglas, a gruff sort of guy who may have been a gangster in his day, takes a shine to her, while in the case of Tony Armatti (Franciosa), it’s dislike at first sight.
In the case of Anne Leeds (that’s Jean Simmons), nicknamed Baby almost immediately by the all of the dancers and staff as well as the two owners, it is a case of why should a recent graduate from Smith College (I hope I remember that correctly) find life in a nightclub so exciting? She is a virgin, as everyone wonders right off, although the word is never used (greenhorn, anyone? “nice girl”?) but no one (naturally) dares ask until the curvaceous singer Ivy Corlane (Julie Wilson’s character) does.
She reports back: “No hits, no runs, no errors.â€
And of course Baby takes over the place, teaching the striptease dancer how to win a cooking contest and win a new stove, for example, and helping a busboy pass an algebra test so his father will allow him to change his name.
You also realize that in movies like this, what dislike at first sight eventually turns into, which of course complicates things. (Follow the link to a short but critical clip found on YouTube.)
Misunderstandings ensue, Baby quits her job, and it’s all great fun. The ending is wrapped up all too quickly, but otherwise I found this admittedly shallow if not completely tall tale of a film rather charming, as I said in my opening remarks, and I shall repeat the word now.
Even if as a former math teacher I have to point out that it’s cheating to have someone else do your algebra problems for you.
September 18th, 2010 at 4:47 am
You pretty much only have to say Jean Simmons was in it from this period and I’m there. This was a good little film that like many seems much better now than it probably did then just because it is so ably done by such a good cast.
Paul Douglas had a good run of films from the late forties until his early death, quite a few of them comedies and opposite leading ladies like Simmons, Celeste Holm, and Judy Holiday.
But this one had me at Jean Simmons.
September 18th, 2010 at 9:55 am
I enjoyed this film a lot too. Had never heard of it before its recent TCM screening. It’s obscure.
March 12th, 2011 at 3:36 am
This is where I first saw Julie Wilson! So fantastic in this movie! THAT SISTA CAN BLOW!
August 30th, 2016 at 10:38 am
This was an enrapturing film. A little world of characters is created here, and you feel like you want to be part of it. The only issue I had was the ending. It was very poorly done, as if you didn’t get to see the culmination of the the film. Other than that I really loved it and it was one of the best movies I have seen. It has a host of great actors and sends some important messages about personal freedom, the evils of prejudice, and class equality. It really sucks you in from the beginning.