MovieChat Forums > Midnight Lace (1960) Discussion > MYSTERIOUS MAN AT TONY'S WORKPLACE

MYSTERIOUS MAN AT TONY'S WORKPLACE

posted 8 years ago by ajr01
6 replies | jump to latest

We know of course that by the end of the movie Tony Preston has been the villain all along.

But based on this revelation, I have always found a segment in the movie much closer to the beginning, difficult to understand.

When Kit goes to Tony's workplace to meet him for a luncheon engagement (which is later cancelled), as she walks into the office, there is a mysterious man on the steps reading a newspaper. As she goes through the front door, he puts down the newspaper and stares at her, with his back to the movie viewers, so we can't tell who he is.

Then shortly after, we see an aerial shot of Kit stepping into a taxi to leave the office, and after the car departs the same man steps on to the road, and stares at her again, with his identity hidden.

Coming on to the heels of the initial scene where Kit is frightened by an alleged predator, the viewer immediately thinks the two scenarios are related, and also by the music that accompanies this.

But who is he? He isn't Tony, as he was all the time in the office. And it is not the other sinister character Roy, as his infatuation is his wife Peggy's affair with Tony, not with Kit. It is just that because we see a lot of who we later learn is Roy staking out the building where both women live, the viewer at first thinks his interest is with Kit, because of her other dealings with the man threatening to kill her.

Perhaps I am missing something here, so I am interested to know what others think.

[–] purdyrn 8 years ago

It was Roy all along. Do you remember when she came out of the luggage shop, the camera showed him, more than once, lurking around?

[–] mdonln 8 years ago

ajr01 says > When Kit goes to Tony's workplace to meet him for a luncheon engagement (which is later cancelled), as she walks into the office, there is a mysterious man on the steps reading a newspaper. As she goes through the front door, he puts down the newspaper and stares at her, with his back to the movie viewers, so we can't tell who he is.

You may have missed it but Roy said he got suspicious by his wife numerous mailings. He returned to town secretly to spy on her. He obviously learned about her involvement with Preston and started keeping an eye of him.

When she arrived at Preston's office, he was probably waiting to follow him. Her arrival meant his own wife would probably not show up there that day. He ducked out of sight. Later, he decided to talk to Mrs. Preston; perhaps to let her know what was going on. She opened the door, saw him standing there and freaked out. He simply went home.

Later, he was probably sneaking in through the window to do away with Preston. The first time she spotted him then later he happened to show up the same night Preston had planned to kill her.

I enjoyed the movie especially because there weren’t any loose ends. By the end, they were all tied up neatly; leaving no questions unanswered.

Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]

[–] ajr01 8 years ago

I really appreciate you all trying to explain this to me.

So if I am to get this correctly, Roy was not only staking out the building where Kit & Tony lived, also trying to see what went on at his workplace, so as to keep an eye on him.

However, what is the explanation for the fact that all right that day Peggy didn't show up, it was his wife, but then when Kit gets into the taxi and departs, Roy steps on to the road watching it drive away, in a typical voyeuristic manner? The music that accompanies this scene, encourages the viewer to think this as well.

We know that Roy is not really that interested in Kit. I'm sure he knew that she would get home somehow.

[–] mdonln 8 years ago

ajr01 says > what is the explanation for the fact that all right that day Peggy didn't show up, it was his wife, but then when Kit gets into the taxi and departs, Roy steps on to the road watching it drive away, in a typical voyeuristic manner? The music that accompanies this scene, encourages the viewer to think this as well.

I'm not sure what you're asking or saying here but I think it has to do with when Kit almost got hit by the bus. We had seen Roy watching her from across the street. She was trying to hail a taxi then crossed towards where he was standing. He hid in the doorway. Moments later she was pushed in front of the bus.

It's easy to assume he did it but we learn later that it was Peggy. We can also then assume he was lurking around because he had been following Peggy. She was in the vicinity because she was following Kit and had planned to shove her into the street. Kit hadn't seen her until after she had fallen.

At that point, they both got into a taxi and returned home to the apartment. If Roy was watching the taxi drive off, it's because his wife was in it as well. Since she left with Kit Roy could assume Peggy was not going to be meeting with Preston. He didn't have to keep tailing her, he could just return to where he assumed they were going.

Naturally, throughout the movie we're led to believe the mysterious man who turns out to be Roy was stalking Kit. He turns up where she goes because she is friends with his wife and she is married to his wife's lover, Preston. Those happen to be the two people Roy was following, watching and wanted to retaliate against.

Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]

[–] ajr01 8 years ago

No, I am not talking about that scene later on, where Kit was nearly pushed under a bus

I am speaking about when Kit goes to have the aborted luncheon engagement with Tony, very near the start. I am referring to when the man is on the steps reading a newspaper, and then when she gets into the taxi, he steps on the road watching it disappear, as it drives away.

[–] tiburonbirdred 8 years ago

Basically Roy is staking out where Tony works. I'm working on the assumption Roy didn't know Mrs Preston would be showing up @ the office. He is staking out everyone it seems.

What I found curious is what type of $$ did Roy take to afford that flat for his wife or was Tony paying for that too??