In the third (Marty, Bachelor Party) and final writer director collaboration between Paddy Chayefsky and Delbert Mann we are treated to more of the pervasive melancholia that informs the two previous relationship driven stories. Featuring an outstanding late career performance by Fredric March it's stodgy pacing and inconsistent acting job from headliner Kim Novak blunt the film's power.
Garment district denizen and widower Jerry Kingsley distracts from his lonely personal life by immersing himself in his work and avoiding the advice of friends and family matchmakers. Unintentionally he finds himself falling for his receptionist/model 24 year old conflicted Betty Preisser (Novak), presently in the throes of trying to come to terms with re-uniting with an old beau. The relationship takes off but hurdles on both sides exist with the May December match and the link up remains in doubt.
Middle of the Night is a reheated teleplay stretched to feature length under the direction of Delbert Mann whose mise enscene wanders little from its stage though some long takes do an excellent job of fleshing out Kingsly. March delivers throughout as a weary widower with incredibly powerful moments with family, co-workers (Albert Dekker, Edith Meiser, Lee Grant) and a phone call where he summons the courage to request a date only to find out the woman is about to be married. He has additional powerful moments with Novak who however does not reciprocate with an erratic at times overwrought performance that forces Mann to rely more on editing than the more successful lengthier single take scenes where March stretches. Less abrasive than The Bachelor Party, Night like much of Mann's work has more than its share of slow sections but March's well measured performance is in the same league as Mann's Oscar winners Borgnine and Niven making it well worth the watch.
Garment district denizen and widower Jerry Kingsley distracts from his lonely personal life by immersing himself in his work and avoiding the advice of friends and family matchmakers. Unintentionally he finds himself falling for his receptionist/model 24 year old conflicted Betty Preisser (Novak), presently in the throes of trying to come to terms with re-uniting with an old beau. The relationship takes off but hurdles on both sides exist with the May December match and the link up remains in doubt.
Middle of the Night is a reheated teleplay stretched to feature length under the direction of Delbert Mann whose mise enscene wanders little from its stage though some long takes do an excellent job of fleshing out Kingsly. March delivers throughout as a weary widower with incredibly powerful moments with family, co-workers (Albert Dekker, Edith Meiser, Lee Grant) and a phone call where he summons the courage to request a date only to find out the woman is about to be married. He has additional powerful moments with Novak who however does not reciprocate with an erratic at times overwrought performance that forces Mann to rely more on editing than the more successful lengthier single take scenes where March stretches. Less abrasive than The Bachelor Party, Night like much of Mann's work has more than its share of slow sections but March's well measured performance is in the same league as Mann's Oscar winners Borgnine and Niven making it well worth the watch.