Night Song (film)
| Night Song | |
|---|---|
 1948 half-height US Theatrical Poster | |
| Directed by | John Cromwell |
| Produced by | Harriet Parsons |
| Screenplay by |
Frank Fenton Dick Irving Hyland DeWitt Bodeen (adaptation) |
| Starring |
Dana Andrews Merle Oberon Ethel Barrymore |
| Music by | Leith Stevens |
| Cinematography | Lucien Ballard |
| Edited by | Harry Marker |
| Distributed by | RKO Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 102 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1.7 million (US rentals)[2] |
Night Song is a 1948 American drama film directed by John Cromwell and starring Dana Andrews, Merle Oberon and Ethel Barrymore.[3]
Plot
Wealthy San Francisco socialite Cathy Mallory (Oberon) is entranced by the music of nightclub pianist Dan Evans (Andrews), who is blind. He is bitter and resents a potential lady bountiful's attempt to become his patron saint.
Next time she's at the club, bandleader Chick Morgan (Hoagy Carmichael) informs her that Dan has quit. Cathy arranges to meet him on a public beach as if by coincidence and introduces herself as Mary Willey, a woman of limited means who is also blind. They strike up a relationship and Dan explains how he lost his sight from another driver's car crash.
Going to great lengths to continue the ruse, she and longtime companion Mrs. Willey rent an inexpensive apartment. Dan is persuaded to resume writing a piano concerto. Cathy sponsors a $5,000 prize for a contest without telling him, confident Dan's music will win. It does and will be performed at Carnegie Hall by the famed pianist Artur Rubinstein.
Dan uses the money to undergo an operation in New York that restores his vision. At the contest, he discovers Cathy provided the prize money but still has no idea that she is also Mary as well.
Cast
- Dana Andrews as Dan Evans
- Merle Oberon as Cathy Mallory / Mary Willey
- Ethel Barrymore as Mrs. Willey
- Hoagy Carmichael as Chick Morgan
- Arthur Rubinstein as Himself
- Eugene Ormandy as Himself
- Jacqueline White as Connie
- Donald Curtis as George
- Walter Reed as Jimmy
- Jane Jones as Mamie
Production
- The working titles of this film were Counterpoint and Memory of Love.
- RKO borrowed Dana Andrews from Samuel Goldwyn's company for the picture.
- Scenes were shot in San Francisco, Trancas Beach and Lake Arrowhead, CA, and in various locations in New York City.
- Andrews reprised his role in a May 29, 1950 Lux Radio Theatre broadcast, co-starring Joan Fontaine.
References
The film recorded a loss of $1,040,000.[4][5]
References
- ↑ "Night Song: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
- ↑ "Top Grossers of 1948", Variety 5 January 1949 p 46
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039659/
- ↑ Richard Jewel, 'RKO Film Grosses: 1931-1951', Historical Journal of Film Radio and Television, Vol 14 No 1, 1994 p46
- ↑ Richard B. Jewell, Slow Fade to Black: The Decline of RKO Radio Pictures, Uni of California, 2016