Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Excellent, smart action film.

A Disappointing Continuation

After watching Doris Day deal with a KKK husband in "Storm Warning", the pain of a kidnapped son in "The Man Who Knew Too Much" and a psychotic husband in the dismal "Julie", watching her being stalked by someone presumably with the intent of killing her is painful to watch. It isn't that this is a bad movie; It is incredibly suspenseful. But how much suffering and tears can a woman take? She truly fears for her life, from even before the opening credits when a shrill voice haunts her from the fog and tells her that she's going to die. Wealthy British businessman husband Rex Harrison has given Doris pretty much everything she could ask for, the glamorous life and a wardrobe to die for. Decked out to die, so it seems, because every time she answers the phone it appears that the grim reaper has come calling. Fortunately, her beloved aunt Myrna Loy comes to make sure she's OK, yet it appears that Loy knows something. Or could it be handsome stranger John Gavin? Slimy housekeeper's son Roddy McDowall (obviously guilty of elder abuse in addition to being a suspect) who openly threatens her? The loving husband Harrison? Other minor characters, too, come in as suspects, and in a crowd of people trying to board a bus, she almost gets run over by it when somebody pushes her out into the street.Brilliantly made but hard to take at times because of Day's predicament which would drive anybody crazy, this has great set decoration featuring Harrison and Day's beautiful apartment, right near a construction site. At one point, Day is rescued from a falling metal beam, and later a stranger enters her home, stalking her as she runs to the balcony to yell for help. Like "The Man Who Knew Too Much", the audience really feels frightened for Doris. Watching her distraught over her son's kidnapping and a pending assassination attempt in the Hitchcock classic is almost nothing in seeing her here fighting for sanity and survival, and indeed, it is one of Day's greatest performances.Coming off the success of playing the obnoxious Henry Higgins on Broadway in "My Fair Lady", Rex Harrison is the epitome of suave sophistication here, but like the original "Unfaithfully Yours", there's something behind that smile you're never quite sure of. Loy is elegant and well mannered, but hints of an agenda too are given. If anybody is the obvious choice, it's McDowall's slimy son who leaves his ailing mother broke because of his failure to hold down a job. The dramatic music is straight out of a Hitchcock movie, and in many ways, it's very similar to "Rear Window", as well as many women in peril films like "Sorry Wrong Number" and "Witness to Murder" with Barbara Stanwyck and Joan Crawford in "Sudden Fear" and "Female on the Beach". In spite of the familiarity of the plot, this is superbly done, and you will be drawn in from the very beginning.

"Midnight Lace" is a thirties style mystery with an "A" list cast but with no murder.Kit Preston (Doris Day) is an heiress (I think) who is married to Anthony Preston (Rex Harrison) who runs the family business. While walking home through the London fog one night, Kit hears a mysterious voice that threatens her life. Anthony and her friend Peggy (Natasha Perry) convince her that it was probably a prank.However, Kit starts to receive threatening phone calls. She and Anthony go to Scotland Yard to report the incidents. There, Inspector Byrnes (everybody's favorite Scotland Yard detective - John Williams) reassures the couple and doubts Kit's story. But the calls continue.The film lines up the suspects so that each may have a motive for the calls. First there is businessman Victor Elliott (Rhys Williams) who tells the Preston Board of Directors that someone will pay if his company is allowed to go under. Next is clean cut builder Brian Younger (John Gavin) whom we see ogling Kit outside her apartment. Then there is money hungry Malcom Stanley (Roddy McDowell) who tries to extort money from Kit on behalf of his ailing mother (Doris Lloyd), Kit's housekeeper. Charles Manning (Herbert Marshall) the treasurer of the Preston firm apparently is in some financial difficulty and acts suspiciously. Kit's eccentric Aunt Bea (Myrna Loy) arrives and is also under suspicion.One night Anthony receives a call from his assistant Daniel (Richard Ney) who has found some shortages on the company's books. A mysterious stranger, Ash (Anthony Dawson) appears at Kit's apartment and she panics believing him to be the mystery caller. Anthony feigns going to the office in an effort to lure and trap Ash into returning. When he does a scuffle ensues and.................................Doris Day gives an excellent performance in a straight dramatic role as the frightened Kit. She conveys her fear through tears and screams while trying to evade her tormentor. Rex Harrison is good as the supportive husband who has secrets of his own. Not sure what John Gavin is doing here but to rescue Kit. Thirties favorites Loy and Marshall are largely wasted in supporting roles. The always interesting McDowall makes an excellent little rat as well.Alfred Hitchcock would have had at least one murder to deal with.

A mildly entertaining suspense film starring Doris Day as the neglected wife of business executive Rex Harrison. She's being tormented by phone & in person by some unknown lunatic. Of course, as with most damsel in distress films, few actually believe her, least of all Harrison. Director David Miller's film is certainly derivative of other films (like DIAL M FOR MURDER & SORRY, WRONG NUMBER) but it's not without merit. Day is terrific in a rare dramatic role and the supporting cast is great: Myrna Loy; Roddy McDowell; Herbert Marshall; John Williams (as a Scotland Yard inspector of course). John Gavin is an American building contractor who just happens to be around anytime Day is in danger. It's set in London so there's A LOT of fog. Day wears one outlandish high fashion outfit after another, some of which seem to defy gravity.

Ultra luxurious equally overwrought melodrama with Doris in one high fashion outfit after another being terrorized by phone. Barely believable but highly entertaining film has good co-stars in Rex Harrison and Myrna Loy, who while for the most part is also dressed very well, is forced to wear one of the ugliest hats every seen in film! It looks like an upside down flower basket was dumped on her head. Otherwise the settings are incredibly plush and poor Doris, who has rarely looked better on screen, spends the entire movie in a state of just below the surface hysteria. Also provides a chance to see some nice scenery of London in the early 60's. Silly but a whole lot of fun.