Let's be realistic.

Great visuals, story delivers no surprises

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Whether or not you get a kick from champagne, you'll definitely get a kick out of "Night and Day", the dazzling 1946 biopic of Cole Porter.Portraying Cole Porter is Cary Grant, who not only charms us with his acting, but also shows a fairly pleasant singing voice. Cast as his wife is Alexis Smith, who, though good, could have been better in her role. But the score is great (featuring hits like the title tune, "You're the Top", "Begin the Beguine", "I've Got You Under My Skin" and many more) and there's a slew of stars singing a song or two like Monty Wooley, Ginny Simms and Eve Arden.Thought not a very accurate account of Cole Porter's life, I think it is better the way it is : a glorious celebration of Mr Porter's great music. A thoroughly enjoyable musical film, great for the whole family.

There are perhaps two things that set "Night and Day" apart from most musicals for me. One is the realistic way in which characters talk to and relate with one another; the writers have made their motivations very clear at all points. Then there is Michael Curtiz's sensitive and innovative camera-work. In my opinion, he brings out the story very strongly in appropriate and elaborate settings. Writing credit goes to Charles Hoffman, Leo Townsend, and William Bowers, who used material from the life of Cole Porter adapted by Jack Moffitt; the result is perhaps very poor biography but a very good thinking man's musical about an uncompromising composer. Jack Warner and line producer Arthur Schwarz deserve credit seeing the potential in this for this intelligent film. Difficult cinematography by Peverell Marley and William V. Skall, award level Art Direction by John Hughes, extraordinarily successful set decorations by Armor Marlowe and costume designs by Travilla and wardrobe by Milo Anderson only increase the believability and effectiveness of the film's colorful scenes. A comparison of this more realistic film to a similar "An American in Paris" is deserved and perhaps enlightening. "Boy strives for art career; boy avoids temptation of woman trying too hard to help; boy wins girl after professional success and some troubles"- -there's nothing new in this, perhaps, but the large and talented cast I say plays the story as if it had just been invented. Familiar faces such as Alan Hale, Tom D'Andrea, Selena Royle, Eve Arden, Henry Stephenson, Sig Ruman, Victor France, Paul Cavanagh, Herman Bing and Nick Stewart appear and disappear, but every one adds a jewel to the film's rich design in the form of a scene well-acted. Only Donald Woods and Dorothy Malone among the supporting players continue throughout the film. Monty Wooley has one of his best Hollywood parts here as himself; while Alexis Smith makes a marvel out of her part as the long suffering fiancée. Cary Grant tries hard and brings an earnestness to his Cole Porter that is finally surprisingly effective. Jane Wyman is very attractive and well-cast; Ginny Simms has four numbers, all inimitably sung, and shows talent as a romantic, comedic and character actress--none of capabilities which moguls ever let her do much of anywhere else. Mary Martin has single number, "My Heart Belongs to Daddy", and does well as both actress and singer. Other highlights of this long well-paced dramatic musical include Monty Wolley's "Miss Otis Regrets", "Begin the Beguine" presented as a tropical extravaganza, several fine versions of "Night and Day", and a dozen other songs that are familiar and given intelligent staging. Leroy Prinz's choreography is spot on as period work for the 1930s, featuring many arm movements, intricate turns. A scene in a New York music shop is for me one of the best scenes in the film, for dialogue, camera angles, acting and Ginny Simms' rendition of "What is This Thing Called Love". Other songs featured in the film include "In the Still of the Night", "Let's Do It", "You're the Top", "You Do Something to me', "I've Got You Under My Sin", "Don't Fence Me In", "Rosalie", "Anything Goes", "Just One of Those Things" and "I Get a Kick Out of You". This is a fine winter movie, one of the best musicals of all. ""

"Night and Day" is part of "Cary Grant: The Signature Collection," a five-DVD boxed set, the other four films being "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House" (1948), "The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer" (1947), "My Favorite Wife" (1940), and "Destination Tokyo" (1943). Given my musical background, I figured that "Night and Day" (a biographical film of one of the world's favorite composers/songwriters: Cole Porter) would be my personal favorite of the five; instead, it turned out to be the film I liked the least. True, it has the look of a multi-million-dollar Technicolor production, featuring many favorite Cole Porter standards such as "I Get a Kick Out of You," "What Is This Thing Called Love?", "Just One of Those Things," "I've Got You Under My Skin," and, of course, "Night and Day." But there are a few major flaws with this movie. Most notably, the various prolonged lavish production numbers cause this two-hour picture to drag considerably. Plus, it is my understanding that the events in this pictorial biography of Cole Porter could hardly be deemed accurate. To top it off, Cary Grant (one of my favorite actors) was a curious choice to play the role of the great composer. Question is, does he indeed FIT that role? Hard for me to tell, but he at least plays the part with his usual charm and suavity. The story of Cole Porter, as depicted in this movie, traces through his final year at Yale as he neglects his law studies, to the consternation of his grandfather; his early struggles as a composer, including a show that closed after one performance because of the sinking of the Lusitania; his getting wounded in action during the First World War while writing his popular "Begin the Beguine"; his writing of "Night and Day" in seclusion (influenced by rain and a grandfather clock) while being nursed by the woman who would eventually become his wife, Linda Lee (Alexis Smith); his eventual successes with show after show after show, to the detriment of his marriage; his losing the use of both legs from a fall off a horse; and his valedictory performance back at Yale.Despite the film's weaknesses, "Night and Day" contains quite a few memorable scenes, all of them musical. Cole's close friend, Yale law professor Monty Woolley (playing himself), summons Cole from playing piano in a theatrical show to rush back to the Yale campus and lead the singing of his "Bulldog Song" at a football rally. At a rehearsal hall owned by the pompous Wilowski (Sig Ruman), Cole and his friend Gracie (Jane Wyman) perform a swinging arrangement of Cole's "Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)". The French star Gabrielle (a flashy role for Eve Arden) sings Cole's "I'm Unlucky at Gambling"; not much of a hit, but *I* think it's a catchy tune. One of the more humorous scenes in the picture involves Monty singing/reciting Cole's "Miss Otis Regrets" for a couple of theatrical producers (one of them played by Alan Hale). At a sheet music store, Cole and his friend Carole (Ginny Simms) perform "What Is This Thing Called Love?", which generates quite an auspicious response from the customers. Cary Grant actually lends his own voice to Cole's singing/playing of his "You're the Top" with Carole. And finally, when Cole returns to Yale to perform a most beautiful rendition of "Night and Day" with an orchestra and a male choir, he is quite surprised to see Linda in the audience after a lengthy separation; Cary Grant again lends his own voice to the very soft "You, you, you" lyric during the introductory verse, and before the piece ends, Cole and Linda step outside and, without a word spoken, embrace.

I remember seeing this silly bio. of the great Cole Porter on our small black and white TV when I was a kid and not liking it much. Now years later a pristine DVD of the film is now available and I still do not like it. Actually I hated it. Of course the no.1 reason for my disliking it is the total fantasy that Warner Bros. came up with as "the life of Cole Porter." The cast tries hard but everything is so wrong about this film that I sat there shaking my head. Maybe in 1946 movie audiences were more accepting of this kind of crap, but come on Cary Grant as Cole Porter?? Of course all the gay stuff hangs over this movie big time. Porter was gay, Grant was gay Monty Wooley was gay, and from what I've heard Alexis Smith was a closet Lesbian. They must have had a hoot making this one. Needless to say the period costumes, decor etc are all wrong and Porter's great music deserved better singers than Ginny Simms or Jane Wyman. The only nice moment for me was Mary Martin (another closet Lesbian) doing My Heart Belongs To Daddy. This movie really needed Ethel Merman (another bi lady) to give this 500pd Easter Egg some life. Unfortunately the more recent movie bio De-Lovely or De Lousy isn't much better. A shame because Porter was one of the great composers of the Broadway Stage.