Hollywood in the so-called "Golden Age" of the 1930's and 40's was "The Land of Let's Pretend," and few films were expected to deal with hard truths, most especially musicals. Assuming that no one in 1946 expected to see a film revealing details of Cole Porter's private life, it's difficult to ascertain why Night and Day has had a bad rap for many years--it's dazzlingly colorful, loaded with dozens of Cole Porter songs, many, like Mary Martin's "My Heart Belongs to Daddy," and Monty Wooley's "Miss Otis Regrets" near definitive, not too far removed from the Broadway versions.
Cole Porter himself, on whose life this lavish Warners musical has been very loosely based, was said to be, at least publicly, delighted, as not only were his compositions heard in lavish orchestrations, but he was played by Cary Grant--and what could be better? Even the recent Porter biopic De-Lovely only skirts the truth of Porter's problem life, and awkwardly updates arrangements for today's young film-goer, but this pleasantly-paced version is fun and well-paced.
Director Michael Curtiz (of Casablanca and Yankee Doodle Dandy fame) knows exactly how to keep the energy in a biopic alive--compare this zippy musical with MGM's elephantine Till The Clouds Roll By, made the same year, which tediously attempts to make Jerome Kern's life of some interest: the lavish musical numbers are fine, but the life story grim, Robert Walker in a weak-tea performance, barely of interest as Kern. In this one, Grant (even when at 40 he's playing a college student) is charmingly cool and magnetic. Here's to The Dream Factory--and to all those memorable tunes!
Cole Porter himself, on whose life this lavish Warners musical has been very loosely based, was said to be, at least publicly, delighted, as not only were his compositions heard in lavish orchestrations, but he was played by Cary Grant--and what could be better? Even the recent Porter biopic De-Lovely only skirts the truth of Porter's problem life, and awkwardly updates arrangements for today's young film-goer, but this pleasantly-paced version is fun and well-paced.
Director Michael Curtiz (of Casablanca and Yankee Doodle Dandy fame) knows exactly how to keep the energy in a biopic alive--compare this zippy musical with MGM's elephantine Till The Clouds Roll By, made the same year, which tediously attempts to make Jerome Kern's life of some interest: the lavish musical numbers are fine, but the life story grim, Robert Walker in a weak-tea performance, barely of interest as Kern. In this one, Grant (even when at 40 he's playing a college student) is charmingly cool and magnetic. Here's to The Dream Factory--and to all those memorable tunes!