MovieChat Forums > Midnight Lace (1960) Discussion > Doris Day

Doris Day

posted 16 years ago by deadparrotsoc
17 replies | jump to latest

I adore Doris Day and even love her during those 'tantrum' scenes she was so famous for but her performance in Midnight Lace was probably her most annoying one. I couldn't stand her voice or her acting during the hysteria scenes!

I understand perfectly how she must be feeling - helpless, alienated and completely alone in dealing with this unknown assailant and she conveys this part very well (when she is not in hysterics) so I wouldn't say it's her worst performance.

I have around 20 minutes left to finish this movie but not sure how much more screaming Doris I can take! Thank god, she never did horrors!

[–] deadparrotsoc 16 years ago

Okie... I finished the movie and am extremely proud of Doris Day for not having a final hysteria scene. I think she conducted herself quite well towards the end... and the last shot has restored my faith in her abilities.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] scottstrades 13 years ago

I agree with deadparrotsoc. Though I like Doris Day, in Midnight Lace she does not present a character I sympathize all that much with. Her hysterical scenes are overdone and after awhile are just plain annoying. It does not help that the writers / director had her character do so many stupid things. I agree with the following sentiment written in a 1960 Time review of this movie (as I read on Wikipedia):

"Doris Day wears a lot of expensive clothes, and in attempting to portray the all-American missus behaves like such a silly, spoiled, hysterical, middle-aged Lolita that many customers may find themselves less in sympathy with her plight than with the villain's murderous intentions."

Still, it is a very enjoyable movie, especially when Kit Preston isn’t acting like a hysterical numbnut.

[–] PlatinumScreen 13 years ago

deadparrotsoc, agree, agree, agree! her hysterics began to get long in the tooth for me. i think of other similar movies such as dial m for murder, gaslight, and notorious. those movies prove that an actress doesn't have to resort to screaming, crying fits like a toddler to convey a feeling of terror and suspense to the viewer. i wonder if this was the director's or ms. day's idea.

[–] childers-3 13 years ago

I agree with you so much. I hated her tantrum/hysteria scenes. It reminded me of Polly Burgen's hysteria scene in Cape Fear. It almost sounded like they were having the big O! Quite annoying and over the top. Those 2 scenes almost ruined the movies for me. Except, Midnight Lace was a pile of crap in my opinion so DDs performance didn't ruin it - the writers/director did.

"Well, make something up!"/RG

[–] steve-thomas135 9 years ago

Big O. Haha
I totally agree. I have just been getting a shave in the bathroom while my wife watched it in the bedroom.
I thought she had accidentally surfed onto a porn channel. ?

[–] dakert-1 9 years ago

I have no idea what it is like for someone to say they are going to kill me. To then be terrorized I am giving Doris the benefit of a doubt as to her reaction.

[–] shadycady 8 years ago

I watched this last night with my mother and daughter, and we said that same thing. Too funny!

The Divine Genealogy Goddess

[–] davidm-14 10 years ago

This is one of my "so bad its good guilty pleasures" almost completely for her over the top performance. try listening to the scene with her stuck in the elevator with your eyes closed. it's either extreme fear or extreme pleasure....

[–] mathteachermike 10 years ago

Doris Day generally did comedies. I credit her for giving a drama a try! I think the public (including myself) always finds it interesting when a comedian tries a role reversal to what they typically do and vice versa! Yes she overacted a little in a couple scenes (honestly shouldn't the director have caught this?, but maybe this is what he wanted) but that is part of her charm! Overall she did a great job as always (even got a Golden Globe nom for this role). Doris Day . . . you always have been and always will be one of my favorites! Not to put the director of this movie down. He did a great job too. I love this movie and I know several others who do too and if this is the case, obviously the director did his job. Great movie with great performances overall!

[–] waldenpond88 8 years ago

"Midnight Lace" was not her first drama attempt. Think of "Love me or Leave me", "Julie", "The Man who knew too much" and "Storm Warning". So she had plenty of drama experience before "Midnight Lace", even though the directors later on wanted her in comedies all the time.

I prefer "Midnight Lace" any time compared with her worst comedies like "Billy Rose's Jumbo" and "The Ballad of Josie" which I both found very boring.

BTW DD was in good company. Movies like "Charade" and "Wait until Dark" (Audrey Hepburn) and "Five Miles to Midnight" (Sophia Loren and Anthony Perkins) were common way back in the 1960's. Many actors tried to do suspense for a change.

[–] shadycady 8 years ago

She was great in "Love Me or Leave Me"! I love that film.

The Divine Genealogy Goddess

[–] waldenpond88 8 years ago

My favorite is "Pillow Talk".

[–] jawebster2000 8 years ago

I agree with mathteachermike. Doris Day got it right. She played someone who was scared to death and for me, she was very convincing in the role.

[–] greenbudgie 9 years ago

I thought Doris Day was very good in the lift scene. I was convinced of her terror.

[–] sfwmson 8 years ago

Was just on TCM. Dana Delany said production was halted when miss day actually passed out start one scene of hysterics.

In her autobiography/memoire Doris stated she wasn't acting--she was reliving an episode of a bad marriage!

[–] liscarkat (18373) 6 years ago

Terror, or enjoying a really nice orgasm.