Main Cast: Kathryn Grayson, Mario Lanza, José Iturbi, Ethel Barrymore, Keenan Wynn
Release Year: 1949
Country: US
Run Time: 96 minutes
Plot
That Midnight Kiss served to introduce the film-going public to MGM's newest singing sensation, Mario Lanza. Just as he did with Deanna Durbin at Universal, producer Joe Pasternak removes the "stuffy" onus attached to classical music by presenting Lanza as a down-to-earth truck driver named Johnny Donetti. When it turns out that Johnny has a splendid singing voice, he gets a minor job at the Philadelphia opera company sponsored by aristocratic Abigail Trent Budell (Ethel Barrymore). Abigail's granddaughter Prudence (Kathryn Grayson) is instrumental in bringing Johnny to public attention by insisting that he replace the opera troupe's defecting star tenor. Featured in the cast are Keenan Wynn as Lanza's best pal, J. Carroll Naish as his "Whatsa matta you?" Italian father, and MGM's resident musical genius Jose Iturbi as himself. That Midnight Kiss served its purpose by transforming the relatively unknown Mario Lanza into a box-office champion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
That Midnight Kiss launched the film career of operatic tenor Mario Lanza in a big way, despite the fact that the plot, as flimsy as it is, is borrowed from dozens of other films. The most notable is Forty-Second Street, and that should tell any viewer familiar with the film all they need to know about the story and whether they are going to be able to sit through its trite predictability and unimaginative dialogue to enjoy the parade of musical numbers. Lanza is probably an acquired taste to modern audiences; if his acting is not quite as stiff as many other opera stars, it still is not as pliable as it needs to be to come across as an ordinary Joe who just happens to have a professionally trained voice. His singing is also a matter of taste, although it must be said that he is in perhaps his finest voice in Kiss. Kathryn Grayson also sounds quite good and she does the best she can with the schmaltzy script. The stars are given a sumptuous production, with lavish sets and costumes and musical arrangements that point out their assets very well. The supporting cast, with the likes of Ethel Barrymore and Keenan Wynn, are overqualified for their roles, but they don't let that stop them from turning in very fine performances. If That Midnight Kiss is less than a great musical, it does do a good job of giving "legit" lovers a chance to revel in some "grand" singing. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
"Aside from Jose Iturbi's music, virtually the only excuse for this one is Mario Lanza, a singer whose talents would be conspicuous even outside a film devoted to opera. He can act as well as sing. But his efforts in both directions are hampered by an inconsequential story which enmeshes him with Kathryn Grayson—a girl who neither sings nor acts in his league."
