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The Midnight Story
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Wikipedia article
'The Midnight Story' is a 1957 American CinemaScope film noir crime film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Tony Curtis, Marisa Pavan and Gilbert Roland. The film was originally slated to be titled 'The Eyes of Father Tomasino', after the 1955 'Lux Video Theatre' TV episode it was based on.
Plot
Father Tomasino is stabbed to death. San Francisco traffic cop Joe Martini felt the priest was like an actual father to him. He asks to assist homicide Lieutenant Kilrain in his investigation, but after being rejected, Joe quits the force.
He has a hunch restaurant owner Sylvio Malatesta could be involved. Joe is warmly welcomed by Sylvio's family, however, and falls in love with a cousin, Anna. He hides his past identity as a cop from her.
Something is troubling Sylvio, but the family believes he still misses a sweetheart killed in Italy during the war. Sylvio also has an alibi for the night of the priest's murder, but Sergeant Gillen gets word to Joe that the alibi is a fake.
In a ploy to encourage Sylvio to confide in him, Joe pretends to be a murder suspect himself. Sylvio breaks down and admits to having killed his own sweetheart, then the priest as well after confiding to him about the murder in confession. Sylvio runs into the street and is struck by a moving vehicle. Dying, he begs for Joe's forgiveness.
Cast
* Tony Curtis as Joe Martini
* Marisa Pavan as Anna Malatesta
* Gilbert Roland as Sylvio Malatesta
* Jay C. Flippen as Sergeant Jack Gillen
* Argentina Brunetti as Mama Malatesta
* Ted de Corsia as Lieutenant Kilrain
* Richard Monda as "Peanuts" Malatesta
* Kathleen Freeman as Rosa Cuneo
* Herb Vigran as Charlie Cuneo (as Herburt Vigran)
* Peggy Maley as Veda Pinelli
* John Cliff as Father Giuseppe
* Russ Conway as Det. Sgt. Sommers
* Chico Vejar as Frankie Pellatrini
* Tito Vuolo as Grocer
* Helen Wallace as Mother Catherine
* James Hyland as Frank Wilkins
Production
The film was shot on location in San Francisco in August 1956. At Tony Curtis's request, the shoot following a "French" shooting schedule, whereby filming would begin at noon and run continuously until 7 p.m.
See also
* List of American films of 1957
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