Star of Midnght (1935) Sleuths Powell & Rogers!

Star of Midnight (1935) / RKO Radio Pics.

Directed By: Stephen Roberts

Starring: William Powell, Ginger Rogers & Gene Lockhart

Gowns by: Bernard Nweman

Taglines: The titian-haired star of "Gay Divorcee" and "Roberta" joins hands with the master of all screen sleuths in a sparkling, mystery drama breathless with thrills...


Plot:

Clay 'Dal' Dalzell (Powell) is a successful lawyer and on the side plays detective and is very good at it. Clay is able to get his muderer and is asked by a friend Tim Winthrop to work for him on a case. The case involves a missing girl from a year ago with no trace and this girl Alice is esepcially close to Tim since it is his girl. Clay of course loving to solve a good mystery takes this on.

On Clay's arm is the beautiful socialite Donna Mantin (Rogers). Donna is drapped in the most beautiful gowns and diamonds fitting for the most stylish 1930's styles of the day. Donna asks for Dal to stop a story to stop occurring on notes a gentleman she was seeing and of course with some choice words our man steps up and gets the notes back and saves the young lady from a harmful story being printed. The gossip columnist Tommy Tennant goes to see "Dal" in his art deco lavish apartment and during the visit is shot dead by someone outside. The police arrive a believe that Dal shot Tennant due to a story that he was going to publish and confirm. In order to shut Tennant up the thought goes that Dal shot him dead and in accident shot himself and grazed his head as well. This leaves no option since now Dal is prime suspect in the murder of Tennant to take on the case. Donna heads up and meets with Dal and obtains the notes and now finds out the letters written were not from her but from her from married friend that she was saving.

Donna and Dal are smitten with one another and together arm in arm (a beautiful couple at that) go to solve the dissappearance of this lady going missing and to clear Dal's name and to find the true killer of Tennant and what happened to Alica the veiled stage performer.


Note from the classic movie gentleman:

~ Ginger Rogers at this time just starred in her huges successful Astaire/Rogers musicals for RKO and became for her studio: RKO box office bonanza! At this same time the "Thin Man" film from MGM Studios were released starring William Powell & Myrna Loy and were as well HUGE box office success. The thought of course for many studios was to duplicate the success of the husand and wife mysteries such as RKO borrowing William Powell and pairing him up with their queen Ginger Rogers in a high class murder mystery. This film did not have sequels and Powell & Rogers sadly never made another motion picture again and seeing them together they were actually very good together. RKO used their lavish sets in this film to show Dal's apartment in the city and the fancy clubs then showing there beautifu leading lady in aptly designed gowns. A very nice team in this classic gem!!