Midnight

1939 screwball comedy

Rating: 15/20

Plot: An out-of-work American showgirl meets a cab driver in Paris and then winds up entangled in a series of confusing romantic predicaments.

"Why else should his grandfather have sent me as an engagement present one roller skate covered in thousand island dressing?"

Man, people fell in love quickly in 1939. This is a charming romantic comedy with a very delightful Claudette Colbert being put in all these predicaments that she's forced to weave in and out of. Don Ameche's a suitable dance partner while a goofy John Barrymore helps her move the pieces around in this battle of witty falsifications. Seriously, almost all of these characters either have something to hide or are trying to pull something over the other characters. They probably don't deserve the happy ending that you know they'll get in a 1930's romantic comedy. In other hands, these characters, ones that characters can be dishonest regardless of their financial status or situation, might come across as really unlikable, but with Brackett and Wilder penning this thing, they manage to be downright lovable.

I had to forgive this movie for an early crack at Kokomo, Indiana, mostly because I don't really have any connection to Kokomo, Indiana.

A question: When was the first use of a montage showing marquee lights for nightclubs? I believe I remember seeing it in a silent movie or two, but I can't remember.

My favorite moment in this might be when John Barrymore and a dog exchange glances.