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That Midnight Kiss

That Midnight Kiss
That midnight kiss.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Norman Taurog
Produced by Joe Pasternak
Screenplay by Bruce Manning
Tamara Hovey
Starring Mario Lanza
Kathryn Grayson
Ethel Barrymore
José Iturbi
Music by Charles Previn (uncredited)
Conrad Salinger (uncredited)
Cinematography Robert L. Surtees
Edited by Gene Ruggiero
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • September 22, 1949 (1949-09-22) (United States)
Running time
96 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $1,701,000
Box office $3,177,000

That Midnight Kiss is a 1949 Technicolor American musical romance film also starring Mario Lanza (in his first leading role) and Kathryn Grayson. Among the supporting cast were Ethel Barrymore, conductor/pianist Jose Iturbi (playing himself), Keenan Wynn, J. Carrol Naish, and Jules Munshin. The commercially popular film was directed by Norman Taurog, who the following year would again direct Lanza and Grayson in the even more successful The Toast of New Orleans.

In Philadelphia, Abigail Trent Budell (Ethel Barrymore), a wealthy resident of Philadelphia and patron of the arts, supports her soprano granddaughter Prudence Budell (Kathryn Grayson) just returning from Europe after five years of vocal training. Her grandmother sponsors an opera company run by the famous maestro Jose Iturbi (himself) to give her chance to lead an opera. They hire the also famous tenor Guido Russino Betelli (Thomas Gomez), but Prudence does not feel comfortable with him on the stage. After Prudence accidentally sees an American-Italian truck driver Johnny Donnetti (Mario Lanza) singing opera, she is instrumental in bringing Johnny to public attention by insisting that he replace the opera troupe's defecting star tenor.

From here, Johnny becomes attracted to Prudence. Things get complicated when she encounters Mary, one of Johnny's colleagues, whom she assumes is in love with him.

According to MGM records the film earned $1,728,000 in the US and Canada and $1,449,000 overseas resulting in a profit of $173,000.


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