source: The Midnight Story

Moviecut—The Midnight Story

source: The Midnight Story

source: The Midnight Story

source: The Midnight Story

The investigation, very complicated ,with the suspects' agendas, alibis, twists et al ,is not the most important .This is ,as depicted,a manhunt in camera ,but it's not as simple as that. Although temporary ex-cop Joe thinks Sylvio is the main suspect in the murder of good priest Thomasino , he can't refrain from considering him a surrogate father ;raised by the nuns , an orphan , Joe 's longing for a family is intense ;his marriage to Sylvio 's cousin ,with whom he falls in love, would confirm his being part of a true family .But this surrogate father-in-law ,who warmly welcomed in his home ,may be a murderer,and the murderer of a man Joe cherishes;and anyway what would be the motive? This saint man was adored by the whole congregation. Like in Hitchcock 's "I confess " , the hearing of confession is sacred; the priest may urge the culprit to give himself over to the police ,but it's him who decides .A Catholic priest would not betray one of his flocks .The Holy Writs tell us so: "And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. " But this mark has remained ,and the priest's eye on a man devoured by agonies of remorse is too much to endure . A gripping thriller , "the midnight story" renews the wodunit by focussing on the psychological drama.Well acted by both principals.

Noir films don't come much better than this modest little 'B' thriller from 1957. Every department is in top form - casting, direction, acting, locations, photography - even the music. A youthful-looking Tony Curtis plays an (ex-)cop on the trail of the killer of his boyhood-idol priest, with Gilbert Roland (outwardly, a calm, assured typical San Franciscan Italian family member) his chief suspect. Curtis moves in with the family, then spends almost the entire film veering wildly between believing Roland totally innocent or guilty, producing all sorts of wild mood swings & unstable behaviour in him (Curtis). The final dramatic scene in Roland's store-hut will have you riveted to your seat! Like other reviewers, I recommend this movie wholeheartedly, although currently (January, 2015), it is not officially available on DVD.

With a good cast led by Tony Curtis and the underrated Gilbert Roland, we find an interesting mystery about the killing of a local priest who was very popular with everyone in the neighborhood; even, most likely, by the person who murdered him. But what could possibly be the motive to kill this beloved priest? All will be revealed with an ending with a twist.

The Midnight Story is engaging, but also unevoking. So the nun says that the guilty party should be forgiven and Sylvio after knowing Joe lied the whole time, still wants him to head the family in his stead. Joe's actions still those of a hypocrite though. He's willing to let Silvio's name go untarnished, so that he himself has a family. The story ends here, but in all likelihood the department would put a damper on Joe's happy ever after. Reviewers say that Marisa Pavan's overacting here for the role. May be true, but the character's underwritten and herself underutilized, so I can't fault her. Tony Curtis is alright, nothing more. Gilbert Roland's pretty good.

A beloved parish priest is knifed in an alley in San Francisco. Motorcycle cop Tony Curtis asked to be transferred so he can investigate; the priest had been a tremendous influence on him at the orphanage. He's turned down. At the funeral he spots Gilbert Roland - harboring the unfortunate name of 'Malatesta' - and has a hunch. His superiors put him on leave, and he gets on Roland's good side, moves into his home, and falls in love with with Roland's cousin, Marisa Pavan, while trying to find some reason to confirm his suspicion. It's clearly a Tony Curtis vehicle, but as soon as Roland steps onto the screen, he pushes The star off. In fact, the only way for anyone else to get their time on. Screen is to have Roland someplace else. He's big, he's boisterous, he's good-hearted, and loves everyone, particularly the dead parish priest. What a mistake for any actor to agree to be in a movie with him! Besides Gilbert Roland, this movie features some nice location shooting in San Francisco, which is completely recognizable, despite never showing the Golden Gate Bridge, cablecars, Union Square or the Transamericabuilding (that last had not been built yet).