Spoiler ahead!
Mary Rinehart, the American Mystery novelist, created this sub-genre. The idea is that the heroine is attracted to a man, whom she willingly marries, only to discover (belatedly) that he is an untrustworthy enemy. Ms Rinehart did not write MIDNIGHT LACE, but it follows her basic idea.
The idea is not a bad one - if handled properly. Nothing too obvious but nothing far-fetched. Here it almost works. This is due to a fine supporting cast, led by Myrna Loy, John Williams (as the Scotland Yard detective), Roddy MacDowell, Herbert Marshall, John Gavin, and Anthony Dawson. The problem is in the leads. Set in London, Rex Harrison is fine as the husband, erstwhile villain. He is smooth, and ultimately untrustworthy enough. But he and Day have no real chemistry together. With reason - she is middle American and usually independent, and he is a European sophisticate. How did they meet (presumably he was looking for a woman with money to eventually do in, but then we have to guess he was willing to pick up her despite his own lack of real emotional interest)? As the woman he does like enough to conspire with (Natasha Parry) seems somewhat stupid, it is hard to imagine what he sees in any woman. Sophisticated men usually do not like dummies as lovers or wives.
As the red-herrings, MacDowell, Marshall, and Dawson are quite good - Marshall in particular rather sad as an aging fortune hunter. MacDowell has his moments as a leech on his mother (Day's servant) whom is kept from leeching by Day, and who threatens her as a result. One wishes Loy's part had been built up a bit more than it was.
One also wishes the leads had been more even in background, and more compatible. In his autobiography, REX, Harrison gives a reason for it. He was preoccupied throughout the film with the recent death of his wife Kay Kendall. He tried to get some type of emotional support from Day, and what she offered as advice did not help him. So there was no real rapport - if there had been their scenes together might have had more electricity, and the film would have fully worked.
Mary Rinehart, the American Mystery novelist, created this sub-genre. The idea is that the heroine is attracted to a man, whom she willingly marries, only to discover (belatedly) that he is an untrustworthy enemy. Ms Rinehart did not write MIDNIGHT LACE, but it follows her basic idea.
The idea is not a bad one - if handled properly. Nothing too obvious but nothing far-fetched. Here it almost works. This is due to a fine supporting cast, led by Myrna Loy, John Williams (as the Scotland Yard detective), Roddy MacDowell, Herbert Marshall, John Gavin, and Anthony Dawson. The problem is in the leads. Set in London, Rex Harrison is fine as the husband, erstwhile villain. He is smooth, and ultimately untrustworthy enough. But he and Day have no real chemistry together. With reason - she is middle American and usually independent, and he is a European sophisticate. How did they meet (presumably he was looking for a woman with money to eventually do in, but then we have to guess he was willing to pick up her despite his own lack of real emotional interest)? As the woman he does like enough to conspire with (Natasha Parry) seems somewhat stupid, it is hard to imagine what he sees in any woman. Sophisticated men usually do not like dummies as lovers or wives.
As the red-herrings, MacDowell, Marshall, and Dawson are quite good - Marshall in particular rather sad as an aging fortune hunter. MacDowell has his moments as a leech on his mother (Day's servant) whom is kept from leeching by Day, and who threatens her as a result. One wishes Loy's part had been built up a bit more than it was.
One also wishes the leads had been more even in background, and more compatible. In his autobiography, REX, Harrison gives a reason for it. He was preoccupied throughout the film with the recent death of his wife Kay Kendall. He tried to get some type of emotional support from Day, and what she offered as advice did not help him. So there was no real rapport - if there had been their scenes together might have had more electricity, and the film would have fully worked.