Mon 3 Mar 2025
STAR OF MIDNIGHT. RKO Radio Pictures. William Powell, Ginger Rogers, Paul Kelly, Gene Lockhart. Director: Stephen Roberts.
In this case a suave lawyer must both solve a murder and find a missing leading lady. He’s aided in this by his determined young girl friend, who is equally determined to make the relationship permanent.
The plot is complicated, but the result is not much of a detective story, when it comes down to it. Powell, who is his usual urbane self, finds the killer, but only in cooperation with a police lieutenant whose aching feet nearly steal the show.
— Reprinted from Movie.File.1, March 1988.
March 3rd, 2025 at 11:48 pm
It is okay, but derivative; the way to have dealt with that is with more heat, sexual and violent, or at least the suggestion of both.
March 4th, 2025 at 1:32 am
Doesn’t surprise me in the least. If this had been a better movie, it’d have better reputation than it does. Not that I remember much more than I mentioned in this very short review. I did discover it available as a rental on Amazon Prime. It costs $3.99 but I’m considering it.
March 5th, 2025 at 12:31 pm
The Powell charm makes it work to some extent, but it’s no Thin Man and Ginger’s no Nora.
March 5th, 2025 at 8:50 pm
For a convicted murderer (who served his time and was well liked and respected in Hollywood) Paul Kelly played a surprising number of policemen, usually quite well as he does here.
No Thin Man obviously, but Powell, Roger, and Kelly are well worth the time even if the mystery needed work.
March 5th, 2025 at 9:19 pm
Kelly also played Clinton Duffy opposite Maureen O’Sullivan, Joanne Dru, and Louis Hayward. Not a great picture, but it got Walter Doniger ahead in the directing business. Duffy of San Quentin did well enough to spark a sequel, The Steel Cage.
March 7th, 2025 at 4:23 pm
Apparently, Kelly killed someone everyone in Hollywood hated, because he picked up where he left off as soon as he came out.