Cary Grant: Fully-formed, straight out of the gate...

Though he had considerable experience as a live performer (both in America and England) prior to making this, his feature film debut, it's almost inconceivable that Cary Grant had never appeared on film before this. To view his perfectly charming performance in This Is the Night is to witness the 28-year old actor already almost fully and perfectly formed. He had already, it seems, practically patented his alarmingly suave persona right from the proverbial get-go. And not to mention, his "look"--which remained basically the same throughout his 34-year film career. It's hard to think of any other major film star who so instantly "nailed" their unforgettably singular personal acting style better than Grant (who, just prior to this film, was still known by his unlikely real name, Archibald Leach). It's been said that he was heavily influenced by the styles of Noel Coward (British actor/playwright) and Ivor Novello (Welsh actor/singer/composer). But if one is familiar with the acting styles and "personae" of Coward and Novello, one notes that Grant merely culled bits here and there--though he was certainly "copying" neither of them. The fact that this film itself borrows very heavily from Coward's Private Lives, which was wildly popular just the year before This Is the Night was made. His style was utterly unique--and this film is mandatory viewing (along with another of his films that year, HOT SATURDAY) for any person who claims to be a true Cary Grant fan! It's a very short film...I highly suggest you commit to it--if only to be fortunate enough to see a performer of such nearly super-human charm emerge so completely--straight out of the gate.