Middle of the Night

that I taped years ago and watch every so often. It's a good thing I did as it is not yet available on either VHS or DVD. The first time I ever saw this movie on television was way back when I was a teenager and I was babysitting. It's one of those movies where each time I watch it I see things I missed before; either in someone's performance or in the way a scene is filmed or something else. Fredric March is just flawless as a self-made businessman and widower in his fifties and Kim Novak is edgy as the beautiful but damaged and insecure young woman working at his company. Everyone calls her somnambulistic, but in this movie I could feel her nerves jump right through her skin at times. I thought she was very good in the role. I have to mention that one of my favorite characters in it is the son-in-law, Jack, played by Martin Balsam--a fantastic actor, of course, but he is so great in this, that, although he's not in many scenes--he just knocks me over every time I watch it. The characters all sound so true to life, of course, because they were written by Paddy Chayefsky. I found the subject matter fascinating and believable and although the standout performance was definitely that of Fredric March, playing all facets of a mature man, all actors involved were right on the mark. When WILL they make this movie available on VHS or DVD? My home-made tape looks crummy, I admit it! (And the movie is hardly ever shown on television any more) Anyway, this is one of my favorite 100 films.

Solid drama of older March falling for young insecure Kim. Both leads are excellent and present their flawed but decent characters simply. Kim was in her peak years and having just come off of Vertigo is a neurotic mess, probably a spill over from that experience but it fits her part. The people in their lives are shown in dark tones, a little heavily so, perhaps to illustrated the disapproval of society to such a relationship in the 50's. It does lend a heavy air to the film though since almost without exception they are a smothering and cruel bunch. Paddy Chayevsky's plays are usually intense emotional exercises but Mann keeps a steady hand on the tiller and the actors make the troubled lovers plight poignant.

Screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky adapted his own play about an elderly workaholic (Fredric March, in a stupendous performance) who reaches out to a beautiful woman half his age...but she's got problems of her own, beginning with her shaky self-confidence. Their sometimes-rocky, sometimes-tender courtship provides the basis for this lovely film. As the sad beauty, Kim Novak has seldom been better (it's amazing that professional critics at the time failed to see the growth in Novak as an actress here, focusing all their attention on March, who indeed is terrific). Great N.Y.C. locations, fine support from the always-reliable Lee Grant. Well worth-seeing. *** from **** (Relatively forgotten for years, the movie made its DVD debut August 2010 as part of a Novak collection.)

I saw this 20 odd years ago on broadcast/cable television. That is one of the reasons why I think this is a great movie; I did not see it in 1959, as it made an impression on me in the forgettable late 80's! It may have been TNT in 1988 or AMC when it started back in the mid 80's. It has stuck with me all these years, and I have been hoping it would come out on VHS/DVD. Kim Novak was a favorite, but Frederich March, even at the end of his career was extraordinary. Novak was ALWAYS good; March was even better. It being filmed in B&W made the relationship between two unlikely lovers even more 'special.' I've always compared this Novak performance with that Technicolor architect movie which escapes me; Novak did it with Kirk Douglas. It was great also, but this is much more touching. All you Novak fans need to find this one. You MUST.

Many years ago I caught this movie on the "Bill Kennedy at the movies" show. It was the film that turned me on to Frederick March and Kim Novak. Both were powerful in there roles. The subject matter, older man younger woman hasn't really been explored in film to the extent I think it warrants. "Lolita is another such film, but I'm hard pressed to come up with others. I would love to see this film again after all those years to see if it still holds up to my standard of excellence, but alas, it seems to have dropped off the face of the earth. I've watched for it on TCM and AMC, but I've never seen it listed. I don't know who owns the rights to it, but hope someday to see this film again.