Midnight Lace

In London, a recently-wed American woman's sanity comes into question after she claims to be the victim of a threatening stalker. American heiress Kit Preston (Doris Day) has been married for three months to a British executive, Anthony 'Tony' Preston (Sir Rex Harrison). During a foggy evening in London, she is walking across Hyde Park when she is threatened by a strange voice that tells her that she will be murdered soon. The next day, Kit receives a phone call from the stalker threatening to kill her in the next month. She and her husband go to Scotland Yard, but Inspector Byrnes (John Williams) believes that Kit is making up the story to get more attention from her husband. Kit's Aunt Bea (Myrna Loy) arrives, but only Kit receives the phone call, raising the question: is she losing her mind? —Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil American heiress Kit Preston (Doris Day) has lived in London for the past three months, ever since she married British financier and executive Anthony Preston (Sir Rex Harrison). One foggy day, a terrified Kit hears a high-pitched, sing-songy man's voice telling her that he will kill her soon. This threat is followed by more similar ones told to her over the telephone, including the threat of her death by the end of the month, with no one ever hearing the voice but her. Anthony wants to believe her and tries on several occasions to assist her in finding out who is making the threats. Scotland Yard also gets involved, but after hearing more and more about the calls, Inspector Byrnes (John Williams) believes that her stories stem from a neglected wife trying to get some attention. Both she and Anthony would admit to Anthony neglecting her, as he is kept preoccupied with work difficulties. Even Kit's visiting Aunt Bea (Myrna Loy) and the Prestons' neighbor Peggy (Natasha Parry) want to believe her, but their actions sometimes say otherwise. Could the caller be the seemingly-sympathetic Brian Younger (John Gavin), the foreman of the construction site next to the Prestons' flat, he who seems to know more about Kit than Kit has told him? Or could it be Malcolm Stanley (Roddy McDowall), the Prestons' housekeeper's parasite of a son? Kit must find someone who can help her before the caller carries out his threat, which is making Kit increasingly hysterical, as is her continued sighting of a man following her that she believes is the caller. —Huggo Kit Preston (Doris Day) is an American living in London with her husband of three months, Anthony (Sir Rex Harrison). One foggy night while walking home through a park alone, Kit hears an ominous voice that tells her she will be murdered soon. She tells Anthony, who chalks it up to a prankster. However, Kit soon begins receiving threatening phone calls from the anonymous stalker. She and Anthony inform the police, but they assume Kit is just a lonely wife in need of attention. Soon, even Kit's loved ones begin to doubt her sanity as she is seemingly hearing and seeing things that aren't there. Is Kit losing her mind, or is someone really targeting her? Kit (Doris Day) and Anthony Preston (Sir Rex Harrison) never had a real honeymoon, and the midnight-lace pajamas are for when they can finally get out of London on a trip to Venice. Anthony's business is very pressing these days. Then Kit is frightened one day in a London fog by a voice behind a statue. Next the telephone calls start. Then there is a new man on the block, the architect of a building going up next to the Prestons' vintage apartment. Could Kit merely have an overactive imagination? —Dale O'Connor <daleoc@interaccess.com>