(1946)
3
Craig Butler
Night and Day purports to be a biography of Broadway composer Cole Porter, but as with most such musical "biopics" of the period, it bares only a scant resemblance to the subject. The real Porter story is much more interesting, dealing as it does with a wealthy sophisticate from a prominent family whose marriage to a wealthy socialite masks his (and possibly her) homosexuality; even more notably, both Porter and his wife, Linda, were apparently good friends and quite fond of each other, adding another potentially interesting layer to their story. Since none of this could be dealt with in 1946, the result is a rather uneventful and unconvincing story filled with showbiz clichés. In other instances (such as Words and Music), the ridiculous screenplay is compensated for by a series of dazzling numbers. Night and Day's numbers, for the most part, are not standouts (despite the dazzling quality of Porter's words and music). This is largely due to the fact that they too often lack real powerhouses performing them. Jane Wyman does reasonably well with her numbers, but she's not a dynamo, and Ginny Simms is simply no Ethel Merman. Only Mary Martin, recreating the number that launched her career, provides the kind of punch that is required. What makes Night and Day work at all is its stars. Cary Grant and Alexis Smith provide enough charisma and star quality to make viewers forget the silliness of the script and the uninspired musical numbers. Grant even manages to suggest that perhaps there's a reason why Porter can't seem to commit to spending time with his wife. The two stars, along with supporting talent like Monty Woolley and an amusingly French Eve Arden, rise far above the material, transforming it into a very pleasant way to waste a couple of hours.
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Night and Day (1946)
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Title/Studio |
Release Date |
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Night and Day
Warner Home Video
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December 31, 2007 |
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Night and Day
Warner Home Video
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June 1, 2004 |
