This is the Night (1932) on Jan. 9, 2010 on TCM

[moira finnie]

This is the Night (1932) is being broadcast right now on TCM. The first film of Cary Grant, it is set in Paris with Lili Damita, Thelma Todd, Charlie Ruggles and Irving Bacon, who has a sizable role for once. Grant first bounces into view carrying a large number of javelins and singing about a girl named Yvonne--though his saucy wife (Thelma Todd) is out with Roland Young (until she loses her dress, but that's another story).

A very naughty pre-code farce, the film is absolutely beautiful to look at, with shimmering blue light during the first stylized interval on a Paris street and subsequent scenes at night in Venice photographed by Victor Milner under the direction of Frank Tuttle---though the arresting visual quality of the film--with unusual framing, angles, wipes and miniature landscapes of the film were designed by a recent arrival from Europe, Jean Negulesco, whose work was noted by neophyte Cary Grant. Encouraging the recent immigrant and putting in a good word with his employers, Grant, according to Negulesco's autobiography, very kindly arranged to have Paramount hire the starving (literally) artist, who went on to design the more nightmarish and harrowing scenes in The Story of Temple Drake and eventually became an exceptionally good director (at least in my book).

Btw, Cary Grant is physically different at this early stage--large, almost fleshy (Katharine Hepburn always claimed he was a bit porky in the '30s) and not in as much control of every movement as he would become, his hair has a distinct wave and a widow's peak, with a raffishness that had some rough edges still, enabling him to appear potentially dangerous. His enormous, dimpled chin seems to be his most expressive feature at times, though he was still able to express longing, anger and desire with a minimum of gestures, even then. Did anyone ever stand with his hands in his pockets in quite the way that Grant did?

I haven't consciously seen too many Lili Damita films before (except for Friends and Lovers with Lili separating Laurence Olivier and Adolphe Menjou, which is being shown tonight as well), but she seems to be the tempestuous type, though I'm not sure if she evokes sympathy. The scene when Roland Young and Charlie Ruggles get drunk and say "I love you" to one another is very funny on way too many levels, including the moment when Charlie dubs Roland "the menace in Venice" even if he is "awfully doggish in the mangerish". I like Charlie's promise to get Thelma Todd "under his spell" as well. I am reminded again how deeply appealing Charlie Ruggles could be when he had something to do on screen.

I am most familiar with director Frank Tuttle's work with Alan Ladd in the extraordinary star turn he did in This Gun for Hire and Lucky Jordan, also with Ladd and the debut of Helen Walker. (Lucky Jordan debuts on TCM on Jan 26, at 8:00PM ET). I think that This is the Night could have used a Lubitsch more than a Tutttle at the wheel, but it has some charm.

[movieman1957]

I recorded this and hope to see it soon. I'm glad you wrote about it. This is one of the few Grant pictures I've never seen. Though some were so long ago it may not count anymore.

[Lzcutter]

M,

Watching the first few minutes, I was afraid the whole movie was going to be sung! Luckily, cooler heads prevailed.

I enjoyed the film, especially Cary Grant. I think Roland Young was miscast but Charles Ruggles stole this film from everyone. The whole drunk "I love you" scene made watching the film from beginning to end.

I've come to the conclusion about characters in classic films, a) back then none of us could have afforded to live in the swanky pads Hollywood film characters did (the square footage alone would have sidelined all of us) and b) how did they afford the dry cleaning and laundry bills for all those swell clothes?

But what digs and what wardrobes!

[Vecchiolarry]

Hi,

I watched all three Lily Damita films simply because I'd never seen one before.
I knew her vaguely in the 50's but she was more my grandmother's friend than mine; and they always spoke French, so I never quite 'got' what the conversations were about.

I noticed that her name is spelled both 'Lily' and 'Lili' and she didn't do much after Flynn came along.
I quite liked her and everybody really in "This is the Night", although I agree Roland Young wasn't right for the role. The film was very enjoyable, although unrealistic really!! But then, we're supposed to absent reality when watching a movie, aren't we???

Watched "Friends and Lovers", which I found boring mostly; except for an overacting Erich von Stroheim (although he was funny) and the host at the house party later (he had some good lines)....
Never could stand Laurence Olivier much and Adolphe Menjou always plays the same role evermore...
Didn't find Lily looked as good in this film as the other two...

I'm a great fan of Warren William, but he was such a dastard in "The Match King" that I was quite surprised by him... Fastenating that this was a true story.
Lily plays a Greta Garbo type here and looks beautiful, especially with her entrance into the nightclub all in white..... She looked like a real "movie star" - Lana would have been jealous!!

All in all, I'm glad I saw Lily's night......

Larry

[pvitari]

I *thoroughly* enjoyed this, though I couldn't fathom why Thelma Todd would be cheating on Cary Grant -- who even in his first film is already *Cary Grant* if you know what I mean -- with Roland Young, of all people. (Don't get me wrong, I like Roland Young a lot, but... come on!)

I was vastly amused that Stephen (Grant) was a javelin thrower (wink wink) and when Young finds Lily Damita alone in Grant's company, he says, "Another javelin lesson, I suppose?" Ha ha! ;) Movies were such fun in the pre-code days!

Charlie Ruggles always steals anything he's in. He is one of the greatest character actors ever, in my top five.

Whenever I see Irving Bacon, in my head he's still that (much younger) department store manager in the Chaplin silent The Floorwalker. ;)

[MichiganJ]

I really enjoyed the film, too. Thelma Todd can never seem to keep her clothes on. Not a bad thing, mind you, just an observation.

The print was gorgeous, and did you notice the tinting? Really great.