A Major Disappointment

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The first must-see film of the year.

Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

Philadelphia's own crooner, Mario Lanza, looks positively svelte in his real film debut. He also sounds as good as he ever will and shows his acting talents in this formulaic story of an amateur singer who longs for a big break in the opera world. It's a story not unlike Lanza's own.Jose Iturbi--MGM's resident maestro--is the impresario Lanza's character, Johnny Donnetti, seeks to impress, with the help of Kathryn Grayson.Whether one is a fan of opera or not, this is the film to watch to best appreciate Mario Lanza's film contributions and his leading man potentiality. The musical selections, including "They Didn't Believe Me", allow Lanza to demonstrate his ability to master both pop and classical songs.The romantic storyline is tepid and predictable. The comedic elements are tolerable distractions. Mario Lanza almost singlehandedly makes this production worth watching with his sterling presence.

That Midnight Kiss is a good, solid feature film debut for Lanza, though he went on to do better afterwards. Lanza and classical music/opera fans will find much to love, as an overall film it's good, solid fun but didn't bowl me over.Lanza is the best thing about That Midnight Kiss. One wishes that he had more to sing and that the studio could have been a little bolder with some of the song choices(understandable though because it was a debut, and he was very young at the time, and they didn't want to tax him too early), but all the songs in the film suit him brilliantly, especially They Didn't Believe Me and Una Furtiva Lagrima(he does quite well too with Celeste Aida). He also sounds sensational, one of the loveliest and most distinctive of all tenor voices, singing with warmth, emotion and generous style, and while inexperience(again understandably) occasionally shows, his feature film debut is dashing and truly charming.Kathryn Grayson radiates on screen and sings like an angel, there was the worry that Caro Nome was too big for her but she manages the colouratura well. After hearing mixed opinions on Lanza and Grayson's chemistry, I'm of the opinion that they have a good natural chemistry together. Ethel Barrymore brings incandescent class to her role, looking positively regal and giving her dialogue a witty edge and classy delivery. Keenan Wynn is a lot of fun and Jules Munshin is even funnier. Thomas Gomez fares the best in the comedy department, this said, the best of his comic timing is hilarious. That Midnight Kiss also looks great, with colourful costumes and sets and glowing photography.The other great thing about That Midnight Kiss is the music and songs. There are some operatic favourites here, for soprano and tenor, and they're still fabulous, and They Didn't Believe Me is the highlight of the film. Love is Music is a little sappy though, not the melody seeing as it is based on one of Tchaikovsky's most beautiful melodies but the rather cloying lyric writing. One mustn't also forget about Jose Iturbi, who gets the opportunity to play piano pieces by Liszt, Tchaikovsky and Chopin and does so simply thrillingly, the performance of the Chopin Revolutionary Etude comes off particularly well. The film is also efficiently paced, more than competently directed and has a mostly winning script with a lot of heart and genuinely funny humour, if occasionally laying it a little thick with the schmaltz and once or twice the comedy is ever so slightly overplayed.Coming off the least well is the story. It's not a disaster as it knows what tone it wanted to be, light and fun, and sticks to it without jumping around or changing tone discordantly. It is however as thin as a wafer, which is true of a lot of MGM musicals at this time, and does feel at times on the too silly and too frothy side, you can also painfully and correctly predict what is going to happen next.All in all, a good feature film debut for Lanza, who along with the music is the film's selling point. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Having seen this movie when I was young, I became an enduring opera fan and a Mario Lanza fan. The story is believable, and Lanza is a handsome, romantic figure beautifully paired with Kathryn Grayson. Lanza is Johnny Donetti, a rough and tumble piano mover; Grayson is the refined niece of Ethel Barrymore, and she is being groomed for a career in the opera. Lanza was still relatively slim when this movie was made, and he became an instant matinée idol with his dark good looks and unleashed passion. Rent the movie, pop a bowl of corn, and enjoy the gold and silver of Lanza and Grayson along with the incomparable José Iturbi at the piano.

When "That Midnight Kiss" was filmed, star Kathryn Grayson, a coloratura soprano, was already a veteran with 11 movies on her resume'. Even though they are about the same age, this was Mario Lanza's first featured role, and he performed it well. The musical production numbers are good-looking and great-sounding, with perhaps the two premiere singers of that era, the late 40s.Born Alfredo Cocozza, with an adopted stage name of Mario Lanza, in this movie he plays Johnny Donnetti, an ex-GI born in Philadelphia and with perhaps the greatest tenor voice of all time. It is almost a Mario Lanza biography. In this movie he is "discovered", ends up replacing a temperamental Italian tenor in the operatic production, falls in love with Grayson's character, and the movie ends with their very first kiss.I rated this movie 7 of 10. It is a nice little piece of fluff, nothing new or particularly interesting in the story. Typical MGM fare for that era. But if you love music and great singing, and want a chance to see and hear Mario Lanza, the whole hour and a half is totally enjoyable.