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Night Song

Alternate Title: Memory of Love Director: John Cromwell (Dir) Release Date: 1948 Premiere Information: World premiere in San Francisco: 20 Jan 1948 Production Date: late Mar--mid-Jun 1947 Duration (in mins): 101-102 Duration (in feet): 9,194			Print this page Display Movie Summary

Cast:	Dana Andrews	(Dan [Evans])	By arrangement with Samuel Goldwyn
	Merle Oberon	(Cathy [Mallory, also known as Mary Willey])
	Ethel Barrymore	(Mrs. Willey)
	Hoagy Carmichael	(Chick [Morgan])
	Artur Rubinstein	(Artur Rubinstein)
	Eugene Ormandy	(Eugene Ormandy)
	Jacqueline White	(Connie)
	Donald Curtis	(George)
	Walter Reed	(Jimmy)
	Jane Jones	(Mamie)
	New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra
	Whit Bissell	(Ward Gates)
	Lennie Bremen	(Headwaiter at Chez Mamie)
	Jack Gargan	(Waiter)
	Alex Melish	(Waiter)
	Vic Romito	(Sailor)
	Charles Cirillo	(Sailor)
	Hercules Mendez	(Headwaiter)
	Harry Harvey	(Postman)
	Suzi Crandall	(Girl on street)
	George Cooper	(Bellboy)
	Luis Alberni	(Flower vendor)
	Howard Keiser	(Newsboy)
	Herbert Evans	(Butler)
	George Chandler	(Bartender)
	Antonio Filauri	(Chef)
	Hector Sarno	(Proprietor)
	Ervin Richardson	(Artist)
	Eva Mudge
	Angela Clarke

Summary:

While slumming with friends at Chez Mamie, a San Francisco nightclub, socialite Cathy Mallory becomes entranced by the original piano playing of Dan Evans. Assuming that Cathy feels only pity for him, the blind and bitter Dan drives her away with insults. Despite Dan's rebuff, Cathy's preoccupation with the musician grows, and she returns to Chez Mamie a few nights later, but learns from Chick Morgan, the club's band leader and Dan's best friend, that he has quit. Though sympathetic, Chick explains to Cathy that Dan, who has been blind for a year and a half, is not interested in romancing a rich, sighted woman. Determined to help and nurture Dan, the music-loving Cathy arranges to "bump" into him and Chick on the beach and pretends to be a blind woman named Mary Willey. As Mary, Cathy asks Dan to teach her how to play the piano and invites him to her home. Then on Chick's advice, Cathy rents a "clean but crummy" apartment with her longtime companion, Mrs. Willey, and pretends to be poor. Later, after Cathy, Mrs. Willey and Dan spend an enjoyable evening out, Dan invites them to his and Chick's apartment. There Dan begins to open up to Cathy and tells her that he became blind after a drunk driver crashed into the soda shop where he was eating and caused the window glass to cut his eyes. Touched by Cathy's gentleness, Dan finally finds the courage to resume work on the piano concerto he started composing before the accident. When Chick later tells Cathy that Dan's blindness might be cured by an operation performed by a New York specialist, but that he will never accept "charity," Cathy decides to sponsor a music writing contest with a $5,000 first prize, confident that Dan's concerto will win. As hoped, the contest inspires Dan to overcome all of his insecurities and complete his concerto. Dan, Cathy, Mrs. Willey and Chick then relax together at a lake resort, and Dan thanks Cathy for encouraging him. Later, on Christmas Eve, Cathy informs Dan that he has won the contest and that world famous pianist Artur Rubinstein, one of the judges, will be performing his concerto at Carnegie Hall in the spring. While Cathy anxiously waits in San Francisco, Dan goes to New York with Chick for his operation. The surgery is a success, but the seeing Dan has mixed feelings about the blind Cathy and refuses to write or talk to her. Concerned, Cathy goes to New York and decides to present herself to Dan as the contest's sponsor. Although the much-toasted Dan is soon entranced by the rich and sophisticated Cathy Mallory, he admits to her that he is still thinking about the blind woman he left in San Francisco. Hopeful that Dan will eventually recognize his love for "Mary," Cathy refuses to reveal her impersonation to him. Then, while listening to the first performance of his concerto, Dan finds himself recalling his days with "Mary" and tells Chick that they are taking the next train to San Francisco. Flying there, Cathy arrives at "Mary's" old apartment ahead of Dan, and greets the surprised and overjoyed composer with a kiss.

Production Company:	RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Production Text:	A John Cromwell Production
Distribution Company:	RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Director:	John Cromwell	(Dir)
	Maxwell Henry	(Asst dir)
Producer:	Harriet Parsons	(Prod)
	Jack J. Gross	(Exec prod)
Writer:	Frank Fenton	(Scr)
	Dick Irving Hyland	(Scr)
	Dick Irving Hyland	(Story)
	DeWitt Bodeen	(Adpt)
Photography:	Lucien Ballard	(Dir of photog)
Art Direction:	Albert S. D'Agostino	(Art dir)
	Jack Okey	(Art dir)
Film Editor:	Harry Marker	(Film ed)
Set Decoration:	Darrell Silvera	(Set dec)
	Joseph Kish	(Set dec)
Costumes:	Orry Kelly	(Miss Oberon's gowns by)
Music:	C. Bakaleinikoff	(Mus dir)
	Leith Stevens	(Mus dir)
Sound:	John Tribby	(Sd)
	Clem Portman	(Sd)
	Earl Mounce	(Mus rec)
	John O. Aalberg	(Mus rec)
	Steve Dunn	(Asst mus rec)
Special Effects:	Russell A. Cully	(Spec eff)
Stand In:	Neely Plumb	(Clarinet double for Hoagy Carmichael)
	Max Rabinowitsch	(Piano double for Dana Andrews and Merle Oberon)
Country:	United States

Music:	Piano Concerto in C Minor by Leith Stevens, performed by Artur Rubinstein and the New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Eugene Ormandy; selections from Carnaval by Robert Schumann.
Songs:	"Who Killed 'Er," words and music by Hoagy Carmichael, Fred Spielman and Janice Torre.
Composer:	Hoagy Carmichael
	Robert Schumann
	Fred Spielman
	Leith Stevens
	Janice Torre

Copyright Claimant	Copyright Date	Copyright Number
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.	28/12/1947 dd/mm/yyyy	LP1412

PCA NO:	12375
Physical Properties:	b&w:
	Sd:	RCA Sound System


Genre:	Romance

Subjects (Major):	Blindness
	Composers
	Disillusionment
	Impersonation and imposture
	Romance
	Socialites

Subjects (Minor):	Band leaders
	Class distinction
	Contests
	New York City
	Pianists
	San Francisco (CA)

Note:	The working titles of this film were Counterpoint and Memory of Love . RKO borrowed Dana Andrews from Samuel Goldwyn's company for the picture. Contemporary news items add the following information about the production: Composer Leith Stevens wrote his Concerto in C Minor especially for the film. Artur Rubinstein reportedly added the concerto to his concert repertoire months before the film's release. For Rubinstein's tour, Stevens lengthened the concerto by eight minutes. To enhance his performance, Andrews wore specially designed opaque contact lenses, which rendered him sightless, during his "blind" scenes. Although producer Harriet Parsons took a crew, including RKO sound department head John Aalberg, Aalberg's assistant, Steve Dunn, and sound engineer Earl Mounce, to New York to record the concerto at Carnegie Hall, NYT reported that because of difficulties in moving sound equipment in and out of the hall between concerts, the entire concerto scene was finally shot on a replica set in Los Angeles. Other scenes in the film were shot in San Francisco, Trancas Beach and Lake Arrowhead, CA, and in various locations in New York City. Modern sources note that the picture lost $1,040,000 at the box office. Andrews reprised his role in a 29 May 1950 Lux Radio Theatre broadcast, co-starring Joan Fontaine.

Bibliographic Sources:	Date	Page
Box Office	15 Nov 1947.
Cleveland Plain Dealer	4 Jan 48	p. 10.
Daily Variety	11 Nov 1947.
Film Daily	19 Nov 47	p. 6.
Hollywood Reporter	28 Mar 47	p. 16.
Hollywood Reporter	31 Mar 47	p. 12.
Hollywood Reporter	3 Apr 47	p. 12.
Hollywood Reporter	8 Apr 47	p. 10.
Hollywood Reporter	11 Nov 47	p. 3.
Hollywood Reporter	2 Feb 48	p. 6, 11
Motion Picture Herald Product Digest	15 Nov 1947.
New York Times	22 Jun 1947.
San Francisco Chronicle	20 Jan 48	p. 9.
Variety	12 Nov 47	p. 8.

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The American Film Institute is grateful to Sir Paul Getty KBE and the Sir Paul Getty KBE Estate for their dedication to the art of the moving image and their support for the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and without whose support AFI would not have been able to achieve this historical landmark in this epic scholarly endeavor.



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