The Midnight Story (1957, Tony Curtis, Marisa Pavan, Gilbert Roland) – Classic Movie Review 8911

Director Joseph Pevney’s unfairly completely forgotten 1957 Universal International Pictures Pictures CinemaScope black and white film noir crime thriller film The Midnight Story is one of Tony Curtis’s most obscure movies. In an unusual project for him at the time, it stars Tony Curtis as Joe Martini, Marisa Pavan as Anna Malatesta, and Gilbert Roland as as Sylvio Malatesta. The screenplay is by John Robinson and Edwin Blum, based on a story by Edwin Blum. There’s a good cast, a good story and good handling by Pevney.

It also features Jay C Flippen as Sergeant Jack Gillen, Argentina Brunetti as Mama Malatesta, Ted de Corsia as Lieutenant Kilrain, Richard Monda as Peanuts Malatesta, Kathleen Freeman as Rosa Cuneo, Herb Vigran as Charlie Cuneo, Peggy Maley as Veda Pinelli, John Cliff as Father Giuseppe, Russ Conway as Detective Sergeant Sommers, Chico Vejar as Frankie Pellatrini, Tito Vuolo as the grocer, Helen Wallace as Mother Catherine and James Hyland as Frank Wilkins.

San Francisco traffic cop Joe Martini (Tony Curtis) asks to assist homicide Lieutenant Kilrain (Ted de Corsia) in his investigation into the alleyway stabbing killing of priest Father Tomasino, whom Joe regarded as a father. When Joe is turned down, he quits the force, and investigates privately. He thinks restaurant owner Sylvio Malatesta (Gilbert Roland) could be involved and infiltrates himself into Sylvio’s friendly family, and falls in love with a cousin, Anna (Marisa Pavan).

It was originally to be titled The Eyes of Father Tomasino, after the 1955 Lux Video Theatre TV episode on which it is based. The film was shot on location in San Francisco in August 1956.

Tony Curtis was a powerful, important star at the time. At his request, the shoot followed a so-called French shooting schedule, where filming began at noon and ran without a break till 1900 hours.

Bizarrely, in August 1957, this film was showing in a double bill with the very different Tammy and the Bachelor (1957).

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8911

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