The Best Hitchcock Films Hitchcock Never Made Blogathon: Midnight Lace

I've always believed that Midnight Lace had the feel of an Alfred Hitchcock film. It is the tale of Kit Preston, a lovely newlywed who is being tormented by an unseen man threatening to murder her. This 1960 movie was in fact directed by David Miller who did not specialize in thrillers. However, Miller did direct the noir style thriller Sudden  Fear in 1952. That film also centered on a woman whose life was in danger. 

Midnight Lace looks like a Hitchcock film of that era. Perhaps, that is due to the fact this film was  produced by Ross Hunter. In my opinion, Ross Hunter shared a number of similar traits as a producer with Alfred Hitchcock. Both men spend money on first class sets and wardrobe. Therefore, their productions were polished.  In addition, just as Hitchcock used Bernard Hermann to score many of his movies, Hunter used Frank Skinner to score his films. Both Hermann and Skinner were well respected and known for adding atmosphere to any project on which they worked. The cinematography for Midnight Lace was done by Russell Metty who worked on numerous films for Hunter from 1951 to 1967. Metty was one of best in his field as was Robert Burks who worked for Hitchcock from 1951 through 1964. Therefore, from a production aspect, it is really not surprising that Midnight Lace seems like a Hitchcock film. It is the production of a man, who like Hitchcock, collaborated with the same experts who made his previous movies successful. Hunter and Hitchcock both understood that not only did the audience want a good story, but top notch production value.

From a casting standpoint, it certainly seems like a cast Hitchcock himself would have chosen. In the lead role of Kit Preston, we have Doris Day. Like so many of Hitchcock's leading ladies, Day portrays a beautiful blonde in peril. In fact, Doris Day had starred for Hitchcock in The Man Who Knew Too Much. 

Doris Day as Kit Preston, a Hitchcock style blonde in danger!

Next, we have John Gavin portraying Brian Younger, a handsome man who takes an interest in our damsel in distress. It just so happens that Gavin played Sam Loomis for Hitchcock that same year in Psycho. Loomis was the boyfriend of Marion Crane, another blonde who met with danger.

Kit Preston (Doris Day) seeks Brian Younger's (John Gavin) assistance.

Kit's husband Tony was played by Rex Harrison. Although Hitchcock never used Harrison in a film, he has that urbane manner that Hitchcock liked. In particular, Hitchcock used this type of actor to play characters, especially husbands, who may not be all they appear be. Rex Harrison displays some of the qualities shown by Ray Milland in Dial M for Murder and Cary Grant in Suspicion.

Suave Rex Harrison portrays Tony Preston. The concerned husband of Kit.

There is Inspector Byrnes of Scotland Yard who is investigating Kit Preston's claims of being terrorized by an unknown man. In this role, it is none other than John Williams. Hitchcock fans will recall that John Williams played a Scotland Yard Inspector in Dial M for Murder. 

Inspector Byrnes (John Williams) asks Kit Preston to listen to the voices of known stalkers.

Last, but not least, there is a mysterious man lurking in the shadows. Look closely, this man seems to have menaced a blonde once before in a movie. Yes, that is actor Anthony Dawson who attempted to kill another blonde (Grace Kelly) in Dial M for Murder.

Anthony Dawson readying to strangle Grace Kelly in Dial M for Murder

Anthony Dawson as he appeared in Midnight Lace.

I think I've made my point that by all accounts this is a film you might mistake for one of Hitchcock's. It has the basic plot theme, style, and cast you would expect to find in movie directed and produced by Hitchcock himself. Watch for yourself and decide.