Star of Midnight

By the sheer brilliance of his charismatic on screen presence, William Powell raises this picture out of the commonplace to something special. His grace and bearing made him the picture of dapper sophistication, and no one, save for Fred Astaire, looked better in white tie and tails than William Powell.

Here he co-stars with Ginger Rogers, and speaking for myself, I did not miss Myrna Loy. Ginger Rogers was more attractive and energetic, and was a breath of fresh air. And he was not playing Nick Charles or Philo Vance. Your regard for Ms. Loy may be the key to your appreciation of "Star Of Midnight".

It sounds like a rare jewel, but the Star of Midnight of the title is about the star of a Broadway show called "Midnight". She is missing, and in fact, never appears in the movie, despite a screen credit. The mystery is to find out who kidnapped her and who killed some of the guys looking for her. The plot is confusing, but if you are a William Powell fan, it won't matter; go with it.

The plot was a bit loose and incredulous, but no movie with William Powell and Ginger Rogers can be bad. It slightly resembles the much better film, The Thin Man (1934), but it was fun nevertheless. Powell and Rogers have good chemistry together and provide some of the comedy with their antics, with other comedy supplied by inept police officer, Robert Emmett O'Connor. I guessed who the murderer was early, but couldn't provide the motive until it was explained.

Yes, "Star of Midnight" is a bit of RKO Radio Pictures reworking, or ripping off, MGM's "The Thin Man," but so what? It's good in it's own right. William Powell plays rich and debonair lawyer, Clay Dalzell, who gets involved in a murder, and is himself, a suspect. At his side, Ginger Rogers, co-starring as Powell's romantic companion. This pairing of Powell and Rogers is not as perfect as was Powell and Loy, it's a good match up, never-the-less . The mystery centers around the disappearance of of an actress -- the star of a play entitled "Midnight" -- hence from which the film get its title. All this mystery is wrapped with over- the - top elegance, and sophisticated humor, that was so typical of Hollywood films of the 1930's . You may guess who the murderer is, but the motive should come as a surprise -- and neat one it is !

As previous commenters have said, this is a slight but fun reworking of The Thin Man. It's a fun way to spend a couple of hours. There's plenty of sizzle between Powell and Rogers (of course, Ginger's no Myrna, though). The plot is slight, but who really cares?

Check out the set design for Powell's apartment -- it's classic 30's luxury. The bathroom alone is worth watching for. It could fit in to any modern McMansion easily. This is an RKO picture, but I thought the sets were every bit as good as the ones that Cedric Gibbons and Edwin Willis were doing over at MGM during the same period.

Kudos also to the costume design. Ginger Rogers changes outfits more times than I could count. Powell, of course, looks elegant even in a bathrobe, but surely no star ever looked as good as he did in white tie.

William Powell and Ginger Rogers are a neat screen team in "Star of Midnight," a 1935 comedy-drama that concerns the disappearance of a woman named "Alice." Alice's hapless boyfriend spots her starring in a show under another name and wearing a mask. He stands up in the audience and screams "Alice" - and by the time he gets backstage, Alice has left the building. Shortly after this, a newspaper columnist is murdered in Powell's apartment. That's just the beginning. When Alice fades from view, it signals a web that connects a couple of crimes and an old girlfriend of Powell's.

Powell plays a lawyer who often doubles as a detective, and Rogers is a young woman who decided as a child that she was going to marry him. They make a good-looking and fun couple. Both handle the dialogue beautifully and play off each other well. It always amazes me how quickly people spoke in the early films. It really gives witty dialogue a nice crackle. This is also a good film to see to get a grasp on the '30s styles of design and fashions. Lots of time is spent in Powell's impressive apartment, and the slim Rogers shows off a beautiful wardrobe. There is also some footage of New York in the '30s which is marvelous.

"Star of Midnight" has a somewhat colorless supporting cast, the exception being Paul Kelly, with most of the focus being on Powell and Rogers. This is a familiar role for Powell, but I could watch him forever. He was a true master of this genre. A very enjoyable movie -I wish Powell and Rogers had been paired together more.