GManfred By the sheer brilliance of his charismatic on screen presence, William Powell raises this picture out of the commonplace to something special. His grace and bearing made him the picture of dapper sophistication, and no one, save for Fred Astaire, looked better in white tie and tails than William Powell.Here he co-stars with Ginger Rogers, and speaking for myself, I did not miss Myrna Loy. Ginger Rogers was more attractive and energetic, and was a breath of fresh air. And he was not playing Nick Charles or Philo Vance. Your regard for Ms. Loy may be the key to your appreciation of "Star Of Midnight".It sounds like a rare jewel, but the Star of Midnight of the title is about the star of a Broadway show called "Midnight". She is missing, and in fact, never appears in the movie, despite a screen credit. The mystery is to find out who kidnapped her and who killed some of the guys looking for her. The plot is confusing, but if you are a William Powell fan, it won't matter; go with it.

vincentlynch-moonoi The ending of this film is very disappointing. Suddenly it seems as if they ran out of celluloid and we are cheated out of seeing the real ending.Before that, it's a fairly decent mystery. A mysterious actress/singer suddenly (and I do mean suddenly) disappears. So many people -- with varying motives -- are looking for her. But the one who is trying to solve the case is William Powell.If there's a real reason to watch this film, it's William Powell. There's something special about Powell in virtually every film he ever appeared in.Ginger Rogers is "okay" as the female lead, but she seriously pales in the shadow of Myrna Loy in the Thin Man series (which was filmed a year before this movie). It's just not a really good film match.Paul Kelly was somewhat interesting here as a high class gangster. Gene Lockhart had a disappointing role as the butler. You'll notice a few other recognizable character actors, including J. Farrell MacDonald as the Police Inspector.Again, the reason to watch this film is William Powell, though the basic story is decent. But, it's such a let down after "The Thin Man".

Bucs1960 I love this movie!!! Although it is a rip-off of the repartee between the main characters of "The Thin Man" (and even has William Powell in the lead), it is absolutely a delight. The title song,"Midnight in Manhattan" which is heard in bits and pieces throughout and in full toward the end of the film,seems to grow on you after a while (I found myself humming it and trying to remember the words). Some of the supporting actors are a little weak.....Leslie Fenton, who is not a particularly appealing actor to begin with (although he was effective as Nails Nathan in "Public Enemy")....nor did I appreciate the bumbling policeman of Robert Emmett O'Conner. J. Farrell MacDonald is a joy as the Inspector and Paul Kelly, surprisingly handsome in his early career, is good as the local crook. Ralph Morgan is what you would expect and good at it. The leads are great, of course. Nobody beats Powell as the suave lawyer and Ginger Rogers is a wonderful light comedienne. They play very well together. All in all, this is one super little film. Plus, Powell's apartment is an art deco dream and what about that bathroom!!!

John Seal No movie with William Powell can be a complete loss, but he really seems to be sleepwalking through this undernourished RKO mystery. The major problem is a poor screenplay--- apparently a collaborative effort---that never provides Powell with the witty repartee he could so joyfully dispense in better efforts. Even the supporting cast, excellent as they are, seem to be a bit embarrassed by the proceedings.