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If you can forgive the sad fact that the movie bears very little in common with the accurate life story of Cole Porter, then NIGHT AND DAY (1946) can be enjoyed for it's treasure trove of musical performances; but as a genuine screen biography of the composer, it falls decidedly flat.
Cary Grant stars as the tunesmith who gave us such standards as "I Get a Kick Out of You", "Anything Goes", "Begin the Beguine" and "Let's Do It", in this most loose recreation of Cole Porter's early career, leading up to the horse-riding accident which left him crippled. Porter's devoted wife Linda is played with charm and poise by Alexis Smith, who comes off quite well.
In reality, Porter was bisexual and his marriage to Linda (a divorceé who had endured abuse in her previous relationship) was a mutually supportive "arrangement", although they did love each other very much. This of course couldn't be depicted on-screen in 1946 because of the strict censorship laws.
Adding flash to the musical portions are Ginny Simms (who somehow manages to make us forget the non-presence of Ethel Merman in the "Anything Goes" sequences); and Mary Martin recreating her star-making turn ("My Heart Belongs to Daddy") from "Leave It to Me". Jane Wyman is a sparky chorus girl, and Monty Woolley plays himself. Eve Arden has a small but enjoyable bit as a French music-hall singer. Unlike MGM, Warners didn't have the largest pool of musical talents from which to pick and choose, but I think they did a good job with the casting in NIGHT AND DAY. In hindsight, it might have been more appropriate to have been filmed in B&W, but the Technicolor photography definitely enhances the charm of the musical numbers.
Warner's DVD features a nice print (if a trifle washed-out in places); along with some choice shorts from the era ("Musical Movieland", "Desi Arnaz & His Orchestra"), and the Looney Tunes cartoon "The Big Snooze". Also available as part of The Cary Grant Signature Collection (Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House / Destination Tokyo / The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer / My Favorite Wife / Night and Day).
Night and Day Feature
- Swellegant and elegant. Deluxe and delovely. Cole Porter was the most sophisticated name in 20th-century songwriting. And to play him on screen, Hollywood chose debonair icon Cary Grant. Grant stars for the first time in color in this fanciful biopic. Alexis Smith plays Linda, whose serendipitous meetings with Cole lead to a meeting at the altar. More than 20 Porter songs grace this tale of triump
Night and Day Overview
With Michael Curtiz (Casablanca) as director, Cary Grant in the lead, and wall-to-wall songs by Cole Porter, how could Night and Day lose? Why, by taking broad liberties with the composer's life story and failing to live up to expectations. If you can overlook such shortcomings, however, it's lively entertainment that doesn't completely deserve the scorn it has elicited. Grant is good as a bon vivant who had a way with words but lacked the discipline to pursue a career in law. As a singer, on the other hand, he's merely adequate. Curtiz wisely has the fine supporting actresses (Jane Wyman, Ginny Simms, etc.) handle the big numbers such as "You're the Top." Also, Porter's story was meant for black and white. The Technicolor process adds an unfortunate garishness to the tale of a man whose very name has become a synonym for elegance. With Mary Martin and Monty Woolley as themselves. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
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