Did you people see the same film I saw?

Best movie ever!

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

Blistering performances.

If you ask me, this film seems undervalued or under-appreciated. I don't know why. RKO's NIGHT SONG stars Dana Andrews as a blind pianist and Merle Oberon as the woman who loves him. The music is wonderful, and while the plot is full of melodramatic complications and a liberal amount of hokum, it still manages to entertain and engage the audience because the characters are well-drawn and well played. The film boasts the added bonus of having Ethel Barrymore and Hoagy Carmichael in the supporting roles.In some ways, NIGHT SONG reminds me of MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION, where Irene Dunne (or Jane Wyman, take your pick) experiences blindness and manages to find love in an unlikely source. While not considered an 'essential' (in the TCM sense of the word), NIGHT SONG is a studio film that is very well put together and succeeds on many levels.

This is basically a story dealing with loving someone for whom they are.Dana Andrews gives another wonderful performance as a blinded pianist who is bitter about his accident that left him like this. By chance, he meets the wealthy Merle Oberon, who falls for his music and pretends to be blind herself.When she sponsors a musical context knowing that he will win, he will have the money to have the surgery. With his sight restored, he doesn't get in touch with her leading her to believe that he is still blind.When the two come together as sighted people,you would think that Andrews would recognize her voice.Oberon does well as the wealthy dowager. Ample support is given by the craggy voiced Ethel Barrymore, her aunt, who plays along in the scheme as well as Hoagy Carmichael, the guy that Andrews lives with.A fine follow up for Andrews after doing such a wonderful job in "The Best Years of Our Lives," the year before.

***SPOILERS*** Somewhat on the corny side film about a blind pianist Dan Evens, Dana Andrews, who's guided back to a life of seeing things, in full and living colors, by lovely millionaires classical music lover Chritstine or Kathy Mallory, Merle Oberon. It's at the "City by the Bay" that Kathy fell in love with both Dan and his music.It was back at San Francisco's trendy "Chez Mami" nightclub that Kathy first lied eyes and ears on Dan who was the star attraction there as the nightclub's both blind and temperamental pianist. Falling madly in love with both Dan and his music Kathy was determined to, by having Dan practice practice practice, make possible his musical debut at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Kathy planned to have Dan's unfinished piano concerto, that he swore he'd never finish, played to an adoring public of classical music lovers, besides herself, by her good friend the legendary Artur "Ruby" Rubinstein backed up by a full orchestra conducted by fellow musical legend Euegne Ormandy.Dan who lost his eyesight about a year ago is bitter about the hand that life dealt him and doesn't want any sympathy from anyone much less Kathy whom he had never laid eyes on in his life! It's with the help of Dan's good friend and roommate fellow musician Chick Morgan, Hoagy Carmichael,that Kathy tricks him into thinking that she's blind like himself to gain Dan's confidence. Calling herself Mary Willie Kathy slowly brings Dan out of his depression in giving him confidence in his piano playing ability as well as his musical composition that she has accepted, by being a member of the board, by a board of musical experts back in New York City. In winning the contest in best musical score Dan ends up getting a $5,000.00 prize that Kathy plans to pay for an eye operation that would bring Dan back his sight.It's then that the movie "Night Song" starts to really get corny in Dan at first wanting Kathy, whom he thinks is blind, to get the sight restoring operation instead of himself in noble Dan feeling that she deserves, after laying on him this line of BS bout her sad and sorry life, it far more then he does. Despite all his efforts against it Dan does get operated on and finally is able to see but Kathy, or Mary as he knows her as, is nowhere to be found. Kathy feels that if Dan finds out that she, or Mary Willie, pulled the wool over his eyes in making him think that she was as blind as a bat, like he was, he being the proud and sensitive person that he his would drop her like a handful of hot coals. Dan himself in meeting Kathy after his successful eye operation has completely forgotten about her other self as Mary Willie which distresses Kathy in her feeling everything that she did for him was completely in vain.It's only after a spellbinding and bravado of a performance of Dan's now finished unfinished piano concerto with the amazing "Ruby" Rubinstein tickling the piano keys at Carnegie Hall that Dan finally realized what a real jerk he was. That's in him ignoring the very person who made that great event for him possible Mary Willie; Kathy Mallory's other self!***SPOILERS*** Flying back to his old stomping grounds in San Francisco to see Mary and tell her how much he both loves and appreciates what she did for him Dan finally finds out what everyone watching the movie knew all along! That Mary and Kathy are one and the same person! It's then that Dan and Kathy, who's also an excellent pianist, sit down in her shabby San Francisco pad and play on her antique piano, worth thousands of dollars, beautiful classical music together as the movie finally, after 102 excruciating minutes, comes to an end.

For those who did not live in the 40s, this film may appear to be soap-operish. However, one must remember that 60 years of Real and TV soap opera have drastically diminished its impact, leaving us with a feeling that we have seen it all before - forgetting that it was the "first". A blind musician, a wealthy socialite, an "all-knowing" aunt, a musical friend, Rubinstein and Ormandy - what a confection! And the "glue" that holds it all together is the music. After all, it IS "Night Song". Other reviewers have been rather harsh in their criticism of Leith Stevens' concerto. It should be noted that it has been recorded along with other film piano concertos on ELAN CD (Piano in Hollywood)and represents - along with the output of so many others - the greatest "American" symphonic music of the 20th century. Film music never gets its proper due. Whatever "romanticism" in this movie appears far fetched, it's no less plausible than the current crop of "action" films. For those who prefer clanging and banging, this "song" is not for you!