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Fog-shrouded London is the setting for MIDNIGHT LACE, a glossy thriller starring Doris Day as a terrorised heiress.Doris Day plays Kit, an American heiress, newly-married to suave English businessman Tony Preston (Rex Harrison). Kit's life couldn't be happier, until she becomes the target of obscene phonecalls and begins to have 'accidents'. The detectives at Scotland Yard begin to feel that perhaps Kit is seeking attention, and even Kit's loving Aunt Bea (Myrna Loy) has her doubts. Is Kit going mad? Or is a killer really out to get her?Doris Day delivers a finely-pitched performance in this frothy thriller. In order to convey the reality of her character's situation, Ms Day drew from her abusive first marriage to musician Al Jordan. The painful memories that Day re-lived for her scenes resulted in the production having to temporarily halt after Day collapsed in hysterics on-set. In the final scene of the film you can tell that Day was completely drained; with her face puffy, lined and streaked with tears.The rest of the cast is equally fine: Rex Harrison as Kit's romantic husband Tony, the legendary Myrna Loy adds some much-needed comedy as Kit's beloved Aunt Bea; and John Gavin as helpful construction foreman Brian Younger.The gallery of supporting players includes Roddy McDowall, Natasha Parry, Herbert Marshall, Richard Ney, John Williams and Hermione Baddeley. John Williams' role as a Scotland Yard inspector harks back to his character in the similarly-themed "Dial M for Murder".MIDNIGHT LACE was filmed on location in London, with Doris Day's wardrobe exclusively-designed by Irene. The story was lifted from a little-known play by Janet Green called "Matilda Shouted Fire"; the screenplay by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts adds some obvious Hitchcockian touches.MIDNIGHT LACE has been released on DVD in the United Kingdom; those with multi-region players should seek it out. A domestic US release shouldn't be too far away. |