- Actors: Rex Harrison, Doris Day, Myrna Loy, Roddy McDowall, Herbert Marshall
- Directors: David Miller
- Format: Colour, Full Screen, HiFi Sound, PAL
- Language English
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3 - 1.33:1
- Classification: U
- Studio: 4front
- VHS Release Date: 27 Dec 2001
- Run Time: 103 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00005QC2K
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 18,680 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Product details |
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organise and find favourite items. |
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Yes, Doris Day. But no... no singing, no laughter, no romance in this film. What you do get is a solid thriller, even for today's standards (the creepy voice has a lot to do with it!).
Doris Day is an American living in London. Her life is just fine, what with her loving husband, a good friend, a bright future and more money than she can ever spend. But then one day, walking home, out of the fog, the most eerie, high-pitched voice you've ever heard threatens to kill her. Without a reason, without a suspect and without any evidence, she -and all those around her- is beginning to question her sanity.
Couldn't say the ending was a total surprise but it still had a few surprises waiting for me.
Doris Day is an American living in London. Her life is just fine, what with her loving husband, a good friend, a bright future and more money than she can ever spend. But then one day, walking home, out of the fog, the most eerie, high-pitched voice you've ever heard threatens to kill her. Without a reason, without a suspect and without any evidence, she -and all those around her- is beginning to question her sanity.
Couldn't say the ending was a total surprise but it still had a few surprises waiting for me.
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
"Midnight Lace" is one of Doris Day's lesser known efforts, the second of the only two thrillers she has ever appeared in (the other being Hitchcock's "The Man Who Knew Too Much".) Miss Day plays Kit Preston, an American who has recently moved to London to live with her British husband, Rex Harrison. While out in the fog one night, she is threatened by an eerie voice. The threats continue by telephone, but the police seem unable to help - or unwilling, as even her friends begin to suspect that she is making things up to get attention ...
"Midnight Lace" is a solid thriller, very much in the tradition of "Sorry, Wrong Number" or "Dial M for Murder" (even sharing the "same" police inspector, John Williams, with the latter.) The plot offers some nice twists and turns and, more than once, makes perfect use of its London setting. Seeing the film today, some of the surprises might not be as surprising as they were in 1960, but the cast of well-known faces is still a joy to watch, especially Myrna Loy as bubbly "Aunt Bea" and Roddy McDowall as ruthless schemer. Doris Day got two nominations for her role and, yes, she does give a rather decent dramatic performance, although, for a more modern taste, her "fear" turns too readily into hysterics (quite literally, as it seems, as Day writes in her memoirs that drawing on memories of her abusive husband for those scenes had her in hysterics and crying uncontrollably so that filming once had to be stopped until she recovered.)
Still, "Midnight Lace" is an effective little thriller, with a good script and good performances, and would certainly deserve more recognition. Hopefully, its release on DVD will bring it just that, helped by a decent transfer, though sadly without any extras.
"Midnight Lace" is a solid thriller, very much in the tradition of "Sorry, Wrong Number" or "Dial M for Murder" (even sharing the "same" police inspector, John Williams, with the latter.) The plot offers some nice twists and turns and, more than once, makes perfect use of its London setting. Seeing the film today, some of the surprises might not be as surprising as they were in 1960, but the cast of well-known faces is still a joy to watch, especially Myrna Loy as bubbly "Aunt Bea" and Roddy McDowall as ruthless schemer. Doris Day got two nominations for her role and, yes, she does give a rather decent dramatic performance, although, for a more modern taste, her "fear" turns too readily into hysterics (quite literally, as it seems, as Day writes in her memoirs that drawing on memories of her abusive husband for those scenes had her in hysterics and crying uncontrollably so that filming once had to be stopped until she recovered.)
Still, "Midnight Lace" is an effective little thriller, with a good script and good performances, and would certainly deserve more recognition. Hopefully, its release on DVD will bring it just that, helped by a decent transfer, though sadly without any extras.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
This Ross Hunter technicolor production is glossy and sophisticated. It is a perfect, first class showcase for Doris Day, as she takes a dramatic turn in this film. Here, Ms. Day plays the role of Kit Preston, an American heiress newly married to the successful and busy British businessman, Tony Preston, played with panache by the ever dapper and debonair Rex Harrison.
While Kit's wealthy Aunt Bea (Myrna Loy) is visiting them in their beautiful home in London, Kit begins receiving a series of unnerving, anonymous calls, making threats upon her life. After notifying Scotland Yard of the threats, Kit continues to get these calls, which people are starting to think that she made up to get her busy husband's attention. She is also starting to believe that someone is following her and has some unnerving incidents occur, including one in which she is pushed in front of a moving bus and nearly run over.
Who is the stalker? Is it the handsome construction foreman, Brian Younger (John Gavin), working on the building next door, who seems to know Ms. Preston and makes his telephone calls from the pub around the corner? Is it Malcolm (Roddy McDowall), the son of Kit's maid, who is always shaking his mother down for anything he can get? Is it an executive at Mr. Preston's firm, Charles Manning (Herbert Marshall), who seems to be having money trouble and is an old love interest of Aunt Bea? Or could it be Tony, her loving husband, from whose firm someone has embezzled over a million pounds?
The red herrings fly fast and furious in this film, but the discerning viewer should be able to figure out who the crank caller is with relative ease. Notwithstanding this, the film is charming, suspenseful, and well done. Doris Day, beautifully gowned and coiffed throughout the film, is terrific as the unnerved, histrionic heiress, showing herself more than capable at handling dramatic roles. Myrna Loy is wonderful as her concerned aunt who, along with others, is beginning to think that all this is in her niece's mind. Rex Harrison, with his urbane, sophisticated air, is perfectly cast as Kit's successful and well connected husband. Roddy McDowall is excellent in the small role of the malevolent Malcolm, and John Gavin is perfect as the handsome hunk.
This is a stylish, well done film of psychological suspense, deftly directed by David Miller. Fans of Doris Day, as well as those who like a well paced mystery, will enjoy this film.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Unexpectedly good.....
Doris Day occasionally managed to do drama and frankly she was very good at it! Whilst a number of reviewers say she overdoes it I don't think so! Read more
Published 9 hours ago by Mr. DAVID Geer
Doris Day film with a difference
This is a must for anyone who enjoys thrillers and a 'tale with a twist'. No, Doris doesn't sing at all in this film but it displays her ability to tackle a completely different... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Marion
Doris Day is awful
Newly-wed Kit Preston (Doris Day) is tormented by a tape recorder voice that threatens to kill her. It speaks to her in a park and on the telephone and it sounds like a spooky... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Alex da Silva
Paranoia or Reality?
Probably one of the best Doris Day "serious" films and far removed from her usual comedy/musical theme. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Nostalgia
Midnight Lace
A good story but the film is now very dated. Doris Day as our newly wed American bride spends most of the film crying hysterically... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Romy W
Atmospheric
Midnight Lace is a very good 1960 mystery-thriller starring the wonderful Doris Day and Rex Harrison. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Grahame
Doris Day: Damsel In Distress!
A combination of glamorous soap opera and woman in peril thriller. A wealthy American heiress (Doris Day) in London is being stalked by an unseen maniac who calls to leave death... Read more
Published 17 months ago by The CinemaScope Cat
A little dated but still enjoyable
I saw this movie when I was about 20 . It's a little dated now but still enjoyable.
Published on 11 May 2010 by Colin Bentley
scary skilful suspense
As a lover of forties, fifties, sixties thrillers i have to give this film top rating. I have seen it over and over again but i still love it. Read more
Published on 22 Dec 2009 by H. G. Blest
Hard to find elsewhere
Favorite old movies are like old friends and I'm glad that I found an old friend,"Midnight Lace" here at Amazon.co.UK
Published on 16 Nov 2009 by Barbara D. Zambrana
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192198663_.gif){kind=small}
Listmania!
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
