That Midnight Kiss
Theatrical release poster
Directed byNorman Taurog
Screenplay byBruce Manning
Tamara Hovey
Produced byJoe Pasternak
StarringMario Lanza
Kathryn Grayson
Ethel Barrymore
José Iturbi
CinematographyRobert L. Surtees
Edited byGene Ruggiero
Music byCharles Previn
Conrad Salinger (uncredited)
Distributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • September 22, 1949 (1949-09-22) (United States)
Running time
96 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1,701,000[1]
Box office$3,177,000[1]

That Midnight Kiss is a 1949 Technicolor American musical romance film also starring Mario Lanza (in his first leading role) and Kathryn Grayson. Among the supporting cast were Ethel Barrymore, conductor/pianist Jose Iturbi (playing himself), Keenan Wynn, J. Carrol Naish, and Jules Munshin. The commercially popular film was directed by Norman Taurog, who the following year would again direct Lanza and Grayson in the even more successful The Toast of New Orleans.

Plot

Abigail Trent Budell (Ethel Barrymore), a wealthy resident of Philadelphia and patron of the arts, supports her soprano granddaughter Prudence Budell (Kathryn Grayson), just returning from Europe after five years of vocal training. Prudence's grandmother sponsors an opera company run by the famous maestro Jose Iturbi (himself) to give her chance to lead an opera. They hire the also famous tenor Guido Russino Betelli (Thomas Gomez), but Prudence does not feel comfortable with him on the stage.

Prudence happens to see an American-Italian truck driver, Johnny Donnetti (Mario Lanza), singing opera. She soon becomes instrumental in bringing Johnny to public attention by insisting that he replace the opera troupe's defecting star tenor.[2][3]

From here, Johnny becomes attracted to Prudence. Things get complicated when she encounters Mary (Marjorie Reynolds), one of Johnny's colleagues, whom she assumes is in love with him.

Cast

Reception

According to MGM records the film earned $1,728,000 in the US and Canada and $1,449,000 overseas resulting in a profit of $173,000.[1][4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
  2. ↑ http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/447/That-Midnight-Kiss/full-synopsis.html
  3. ↑ "That Midnight Kiss (1949) – Norman Taurog | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie".
  4. ↑ "Top Grossers of 1949". Variety. 4 January 1950. p. 59.


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