Lady in the Dark *** (1944, Ginger Rogers, Ray Milland, Warner Baxter, Jon Hall, Barry Sullivan) – Classic Movie Review 8902

‘The minx in mink with a yen for men!’

Director Mitchell Leisen’s 1944 Lady in the Dark stars Ginger Rogers as a depressed magazine editor career woman Liza Elliott, who suffers endless headaches and daydreams, and turns to psychoanalysis from psychiatrist Dr Brooks (Barry Sullivan) in trying to decide between three suitors (Warner Baxter, Ray Milland, Jon Hall).

Director Leisen’s intriguing and entertaining version of a hit Moss Hart show is bizarrely minus most of the original Kurt Weill-Ira Gershwin songs, though some still remain. Mischa Auer takes over Danny Kaye’s Broadway role of the photographer Russell Paxton and the ‘Tchaikovsky (And Other Russians)’ number was dropped. There are new songs by Jimmy Van Heusen (music) and Johnny Burke (lyrics); Victor Schertzinger (music) and Clifford Grey (lyrics); and Buddy G DeSylva, Lew Brown and Ray Henderson (music and lyrics).

However, there is a top-notch cast, who kick up a storm, and money has clearly been lavished on Paramount Pictures’ superb Technicolor production, with beautiful cinematography, art direction and interior decoration. Though the unusual ingredients of psychoanalysis, fantasy and musical numbers never quite gel, all the film’s fun elements come shining through, and Rogers is on top form.

Lady in the Dark was triple Oscar nominated for Best Color Cinematography (Ray Rennahan), Best Color Art Direction-Interior Decoration (Hans Dreier, Raoul Pene Du Bois, Ray Moyer), and Best Scoring of a Musical Picture (Robert Emmett Dolan), but there were no wins.

Also in the cast are Mischa Auer, Mary Philips, Barry Sullivan, Gail Russell, Phyllis Brooks, Edward Fielding, Don Loper, Mary Parker, Catherine Craig, Marietta Canty, Virginia Farmer, Fay Helm, Marian Hall, Kay Linaker, Harvey Stephens, Billy Daniels, Charles Smith, Murray Alper, Hillary Brooke, Phyllis M Brooks, Rand Brooks, Kit Carson, Tristram Coffin, Lester Dorr, Dorothy Ford, Betty Hall, Louise La Planche, Paul McVey, Dennis Moore, Jack Mulhall, Grandon Rhodes and Emmett Vogan.

The  screenplay is by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett.

It is based on the 1941 Broadway musical Lady in the Dark, written by Kurt Weill (music), Ira Gershwin (lyrics), and Moss Hart (book and direction) but cuts most of the Kurt Weill-Ira Gershwin songs. However, ‘The Saga of Jenny’ and ‘Girl of the Moment’ remain, part of ‘This Is New” is played by a nightclub band and Rogers hums part of ‘My Ship’.

Nevertheless, perhaps surprisingly, the film was a critical and commercial success, after it was released on 10 February 1944, costing $2.6 million and earning $4.3 million.

Paramount outbid Columbia, Warner Bros and RKO for the screen rights to the musical in February 1941, intending it as a show to reunite Rogers with Fred Astaire, who declined. Paramount then cast Milland to star with Rogers after their success in Paramount’s The Major and the Minor.

It runs 100 minutes.

The cast are Ginger Rogers as Liza Elliott, Ray Milland as Charley Johnson, Warner Baxter as Kendall Nesbitt, Jon Hall as Randy Curtis, Barry Sullivan as Dr Brooks, Mischa Auer as Russell Paxton, Phyllis Brooks as Allison DuBois, Mary Philips as Maggie Grant, Edward Fielding as Dr Carlton, Don Loper as Adams, Mary Parker as Miss Parker, Catherine Craig as Miss Foster, Marietta Canty as Martha, Virginia Farmer as Miss Edwards, Fay Helm as Miss Bowers, Charles Smith as Ben, Gail Russell as Barbara, John T Bambury as Bunny the midget Marian Hall, Kay Linaker, Harvey Stephens, Billy Daniels, Charles Smith, Murray Alper, Hillary Brooke, Phyllis M Brooks, Rand Brooks, Kit Carson, Tristram Coffin, Lester Dorr, Dorothy Ford, Betty Hall, Louise La Planche, Paul McVey, Dennis Moore, Jack Mulhall, Grandon Rhodes and Emmett Vogan.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8902

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