MIDNIGHT Wit from Billy Wilder

For lovers of movies made during Hollywood's Golden Age, it's often been said and written that 1939 was one of the greatest years in Hollywood history for quality films. In those days, there were 10 Oscar nominees for Best Picture. For 1939, there could have been more than 10. Easily. That's how bountiful the new release table was. The Best Picture Oscar nominees were GONE WITH THE WIND (winner), THE WIZARD OF OZ, WUTHERING HEIGHTS, MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON, STAGECOACH, LOVE AFFAIR, OF MICE AND MEN, DARK VICTORY, NINOTCHKA (co-written by Billy Wilder) and GOODBYE, MR.CHIPS. Ten other fine films of 1939 were THE PRIVATE LIVES OF ELIZABETH AND ESSEX, GOLDEN BOY, THE WOMEN, THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS, YOUNG MR. LINCOLN, INTERMEZZO, THE ROARING TWENTIES, DESTRY RIDES AGAIN and MIDNIGHT, a deluxe comedy with a screenplay by Billy Wilder.  Claudette Colbert won her Best Actress Oscar for Frank Capra's 1934 screwball comedy, IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT. She's even better in MIDNIGHT yet IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT was the only comedy that earned Colbert one of her three Oscar nominations. For the MIDNIGHT screenplay, Billy Wilder wrote a hip twist on the Cinderella story. This time Cinderella is a broke American in Paris one rainy night in a chic evening gown. A handsome taxi driver with a bit of a temper drives her around to a few nightspots where she tries to get work as a chanteuse. Don Ameche hits the spot as the cabbie.

John Barrymore is a hoot as the "fairy godmother" to the Cinderella known as Eve Peabody.

 Mary Astor and Francis Lederer add snap and sophistication in supporting roles.

This rich comedy was directed by Mitchell Leisen. Wilder co-wrote the script with Charles Brackett. If you're a Billy Wilder fan and you've never seen MIDNIGHT, listen to me tell you more about it in this 2-minute archive podcast cut. Just click onto the link:

www.podomatic.com/podcasts/bobbyrivers/episodes/2011-03-12T19_45_16-08_00.

About Hollywood 1939 -- that was an astounding year for the release of exceptional films now considered to be classics in terms of quality and not just age. Most of those movies were in production the previous year. So, with that in mind, I'd love to know what was in the 1938 Hollywood water that gave actors, screenwriters, directors and producers such an mega-jolt of creativity when preparing films for release in 1939.

Whatever it was, I want some.