The Other Side of Midnight (film)

Infobox Film
name= The Other Side of Midnight


caption= "The Other Side of Midnight" DVD cover
writer=Sidney Sheldon (novel)
Herman Raucher (screenplay)
starring= Marie-France Pisier
John Beck
Susan Sarandon
Michael Lerner
director= Charles Jarrott
cinematography=Fred J. Koenekamp
music=Michel Legrand
distributor=20th Century Fox
released=June 8, 1977
runtime=165 min.
country=United States
language=English
movie_series=
awards=
budget=
gross=$24,652,021 (domestic)
producer=Frank Yablans
Howard W. Koch
Hawk Koch
followed_by=
website=
imdb_id= 0076507
amg_id=1:36716

"The Other Side of Midnight" is a 1977 American film directed by Charles Jarrott and starring Marie-France Pisier, John Beck and Susan Sarandon. Herman Raucher wrote the screenplay for the film based on Sidney Sheldon’s 1973 novel of the same name.

Plot

In World War II France, Noelle Page (Marie-France Pisier), a young and attractive French woman, falls in love with Larry Douglas (John Beck), an American pilot stationed in France. The couple has a torrid love affair that ends abruptly when Larry receives orders to return to the United States. Larry promises Noelle that he will come back for her and marry her. He never does come back and Noelle becomes very bitter. Vowing revenge, Noelle is determined to become rich and famous by using men for their money and power. She becomes a famous actress and marries Greek multi-millionaire Constantin Demeris (Raf Vallone) whom she does not love. In the meantime, Larry is married to Catherine Alexander Douglas (Susan Sarandon), a beautiful and very trusting young woman from Chicago.

Noelle and Larry’s paths cross again. Noelle hires Larry as a pilot for her private jet but he does not recognize her, not even after they rekindle their romance and begin a love affair. Once it becomes clear to him who she is, he informs her that he intends to keep his previous promise and stay with her and leave Catherine. But when Catherine refuses Larry’s request for a divorce, Larry and Noelle plan Catherine’s murder.

Cast and characters

* Marie-France Pisier - Noelle Page
* John Beck - Larry Douglas
* Susan Sarandon - Catherine Alexander Douglas
* Raf Vallone - Constantin Demeris
* Clu Gulager - Bill Fraser
* Christian Marquand - Armand Gautier
* Michael Lerner - Barbet
* Sorrell Booke - Lanchon
* Antony Ponzini - Paul Metaxas
* Louis Zorich - Demonides
* Charles Cioffi - Chotas
* Dimitra Arliss - Sister Theresa

The "Star Wars" Connection

According to the Star Wars documentary "Empire of Dreams", since the book was very successful, anticipation was that the film would translate to success at the box office and it resulted in 20th Century Fox promoting the film heaviliy. Another film the studio was promoting at the same time was "", a film that was considered controversial within the studio for its growing expense. Fearing that "Star Wars" would be a flop, the studio made a preemptory decision to grant prints of "The Other Side of Midnight" only to those theaters that agreed to book "Star Wars" as well.

Ultimately, in spite of the former's massive critical acclaim, it was "The Other Side of Midnight" that proved to be the box office failure. Despite the controversy surrounding the huge expense involved in the making of "Star Wars", the latter ultimately grossed a then-record $237m in North America in its first run and would eventually spawn a multi-media franchise that continues to this day.

External links

*imdb title|0076507
*amg title|1:36716
*mojo title|id=othersideofmidnight|title=The Other Side of Midnight