Doris Day's hysteria scene - Midnight Lace (1960) Discussion

I so totally agree. I have never seen a better job of showing hysteria on film, than Doris did in that scene.

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[–] mizhu 17 years ago

I agree, but I've known a lot of people over the years who saw that scene as proof that Doris Day couldn't act. Comments like 'she should stick to comedies, where she doesn't have to'.

Midnight Lace has been a favorite film of mine since I was a kid, though, and I thought she did a great job in it. A good suspense film always reels me in.

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] tday-1 17 years ago

Hi,one can never be too rich or have too many friends. According to Miss Day's biography,she always conjured images from the past to help her with her acting. She dredged up some pretty disturbing stuff during the hysteria scene and couldn't stop. She was so upset filming had to be suspended for the day and Doris sent home to recuperate.

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[–] hillfox20 15 years ago

I find it incredible that any actor could claim to make themselves 'so hysterical' after filming a scene!!!. These people - Doris Day included....need to get a grip and 'act' their scenes instead of trying to convince some people that they are such fantastic actors that they 'live the part/scene' and have to be sent home for days to get over it....Bull***t.

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[–] Daisies5060 15 years ago

Oh really hillfox20?? I take it from your rather rude, ignorant, and uncultured comment that you know absolutely nothing about acting. Living in the part and the scene is part of acting and only the really good actors can do so convincingly. Have you ever taken an acting lesson? Maybe when you do, you can possibly begin to understand the acting profession and importance of committing oneself fully to the part. You're the one who needs to get a grip. Save your idiotic opinions and go teach acting to the morons on MTV who might actually believe you. Get a life.

"New York, this is your last chance."

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[–] 15 years ago

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[–] Daisies5060 15 years ago

First of all hillfox20, I was not the one who made the rude comment in the first place. YOU DID. If you didn't care, you wouldn't have commented back and taken the time to think of such lame, yet hilarious, insults. Secondly, I am NOT an actor, nor do I intend to be one. I just happen to appreciate great acting and great films. It is a shame that some people, like yourself, cannot find the beauty in some of the better films of our time. Despite what you may believe, I DO have a life. I am only 17 years old and I happen to lead an extremely fulfilling life, unlike yourself. You obviously have some deep emotional issues. I think you may be in need of professional help. I don't know why I'm even taking the time to write this comment, for it is obvious who is at fault here.

PS: It's shoppingaddicT. With a "t". If I am going to be insulted, I would at least appreciate it if you would spell my name correctly.

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[–] hillfox20 15 years ago

Even sadder that you say you are only 17. Obviosly anyone who thinks Midnight Lace is a great film wouldn't know a good film from a bad one. Anyway, how was your great, great, great grandndmother Doris when you last saw her?? Why would anyone - who claims to be 17 - even want to spend half their life on here - which you seem to do.....I have seen some of the other idiotic postings you have made... you really are very very sad....I feel quite sorry for you. By the way, I'm SO pleased you thought my comments were hilarious..... pity they weren't as funny as yours...or should that have been 'stupid' as yours?. Get a life.

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[–] Daisies5060 15 years ago

I won't respond to any more of your puerile comments. Why?, you ask. The reason is simple: A philosopher once said, "You can never win an argument with an ignorant person." And so, in my final reply to you, I shall bid you "adieu," you jerk. Go **** yourself, I'm sick of wasting my time with you.

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[–] hillfox20 15 years ago

Temper, temper Daisy. You almost lost the plot there ...and as for the 'go **** yourself' comment - well, tut tut !. Seen any 'fantastic' movies recently ?. Bet you have 'High School Musical' down as a classic don't you?.

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[–] Thor-Delta 13 years ago

To hillfox20: It seems you have been asleep for some time. Old things are in. At this point most fans of a movie like The Band Wagon weren't alive at the time, and their parents probably weren't either.

By expecting people to watch only films of their era, you are being rather old-fashioned.

Two Belding's in one building, one of whom is balding!

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[–] hillfox20 13 years ago

Just read your comment.....what on earth are you blabbering on about? and just who mentioned The Band Wagon?.

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[–] richard-III 14 years ago

I suppose Doris Day wasn't accustomed to do such scenes, although she did great.

Many actors have to learn to cope with deep emotions, they usually pick up experience along the way. Ofcourse they have to act, but there are several acting techniques. Which one to choose has often to do with your cultural environment. Many American actors mostly used the method acting technique, based on Stanislavsky. Many European actors were accustomed to classical acting, with is great but has its barriers.

"When there is no more room in the Oven,
the Bread will walk the Earth."

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] MarkAnthony1990 14 years ago

I thought the bus scene was also overdone. The way she almost through herself into the road and screeched and the way the driver stopped. I couldn't stop laughing for about 10 minutes.
I class this film as a black comedy because i think even the creepy voice was funny "I could reach out and touch your... throat" or something like that and when she throws herself against the railings at the beginning.

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[–] InherentlyYours 7 years ago

I

find it incredible that any actor could claim to make themselves 'so hysterical' after filming a scene!!!. These people - Doris Day included....need to get a grip and 'act' their scenes instead of trying to convince some people that they are such fantastic actors that they 'live the part/scene' and have to be sent home for days to get over it....Bull***t.

I could not agree more. How pretentious of Day to claim she was not acting hysterical, she WAS hysterical for using her so-called memories of her husband to act the scene. Only in their delusional heads. So much for the Oscar nom she did not get for such a hospital-inducing stressful acting experience. But, you know how it is: you cannot hold Dy accountable for anything.

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[–] Xcalat3 14 years ago

that was a great scene

When there's no more room in hell, The dead will walk the earth...

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[–] TheLittleSongbird 14 years ago

It was indeed a great scene, come to think of it I am still scratching my head at the comments saying Doris Day overacted here. I thought her performance was brilliant, and as a film "Midnight Lace" has its problems, but it is perfectly watchable, stylishly filmed and entertaining.

"Life after death is as improbable as sex after marriage"- Madeleine Kahn(CLUE, 1985)

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[–] rodharding 14 years ago

Well I thought it stunk!

I adore Doris Day. I think she is one of the most talented and versatile performers of all time but this performance stunk. Horrible over-acting! Her squealing and grunting sounds like she's trying to pass a brick!

Although better known for being a great comedienne and singer, I think she excelled in Storm Warning and Julie much better than in this movie. It appears I'm in the minority in that opinion.

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[–] SarLei94 13 years ago

While I love her acting in the scene that's discussed here, I thought she totally over-acted in the scene where John Gavin saves her from the elevator. She really oerdid it there, but I love the scene on the stairs and Doris acting in general in "Midnight Lace". She definitely could do drama.

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[–] uhriaheap69 12 years ago

Midnight Lace, Storm Warning, and Julie will all be on tonight (4/4/2012)on
TCM. I will try to watch all three, as I have never seen anything but her comedies, that I do not care for.

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[–] brefane 12 years ago

Proof Day should have remained in comedic vehicles:her hysteria is paralyzingly funny!

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[–] MyMovieTVRomance 10 years ago

I adore Doris Day. I think she is one of the most talented and versatile performers of all time but this performance stunk. Horrible over-acting! Her squealing and grunting sounds like she's trying to pass a brick!

To me, the scene on the stairs was particularly painful to watch -- not because it was bad, but because it seemed so real, it was like nails on chalkboard to hear somebody crying in such anguish like that! It certainly gave me a newfound respect for the acting talents of Ms. Day, who is never really thought of as an Academy Award worthy actress, but she certainly is!

Now, about the scene in the elevator, that's another story! I have a problem with that scene, because although one could argue that she did play it convincingly, one could also argue that she over-did it. And, in this case, I would agree with the latter. Because the way she pants and squeals, etc. made it very uncomfortable to watch, due to the fact that it was almost like being witness to some kind of screwed up orgasm! Seriously, it seemed like an orgasm of sorts -- a rather painful one!

Please excuse typos/funny wording; I use speech-recognition that doesn't always recognize!

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[–] diva_k13 12 years ago

Just watched this movie...I love movies like this where there is a mystery--and I don't think I was anticipating what happened at the end--I love suspense!

Anyway....yes, Doris Day was great in that scene when she came down the stairs--I could see why she mentioned that she never made a dramatic movie of this kind again (This is also mentioned by Robert Osborne in his introduction tonight. If her method of acting required her to relive her abusive first marriage, for realism, that is really impressive)

Now a days, an actor would probably be told to be more "restrained" with a scene like this, to play it like she was subtely become paranoid. But Doris Day really played it as if she was distrubed from the first call onwards.

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[–] Cyberella 12 years ago

Doris Day is the best cryer the movies have ever known- bar none.

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[–] franzkabuki 12 years ago

She wasn´t bad although, yes, the elevator scene is somewhat on the silly side; way overacted. Fortunately, Frau Day wasn´t allowed to moo in this movie the way she did in The Mang Who Knew Too Much, so for once her presence is more or less tolerable.

"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

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[–] robfwoods 11 years ago

Sure was hysterical - as wacky as almost of the other 'hysterical' scenes in movies - thank goodness for the FF button!

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[–] MammothPicturesReturns 11 years ago

From all of that screaming and squealing and flopping around on the stairs it seemed like she was giving birth.

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

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[–] robfwoods 11 years ago

Could be - think of the poor kid and what they'd be getting into.

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[–] avenuesf 10 years ago

I saw this movie as a kid a couple of times on t.v. and couldn't help cracking up over the scene in the elevator. Talk about overwrought...

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[–] robfwoods 10 years ago

How about overwritten and overacted?

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[–] ellisisle 10 years ago

11/09/2013 6:33am Midnight Lace
avenuesf:
I didn't like seeing Doris Day playing a victim in this film or being victimized.
I will comment on the film as it actually is, her character was being systematically tortured, emotionally and mentally and it took it's toll on her physically. The scene in the elevator grew in intensity because she was trapped in a very small space, I felt like she was being smothered, suffocated. She knew someone wanted to harm her and she became unhinged. The fact no believed her, not even Auntie Myrna Loy, when Auntie Myrna repeated the idiotic comment that Doris HAD called the creep. Mindless. The title of the film should be called, 'And No One Believed Her.'
How would you react to being attacked and most everyone thought YOU were crazy and they felt it was amusing.
Doris' breakdown on the stairs while trying to seek help from her own husband and Aunt, culminating in her stifling her own anger and fear, she was choking back on her own words and that they came out in screeches and her voice was so constricted she couldn't breathe and was unable to get any air, she then collapses on the stairs. Very real, truthful and believable.
Amidst all this torment, Doris Day looked so great in the most elaborate wardrobe she ever wore, especially, the silver/white two-piece beaded gown.

ellisisle

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[–] 10 years ago

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[–] MammothPicturesReturns 10 years ago

And Doris didn't even get an Oscar nomination for her legendary performance in the film. Imagine, nominating nobodys like Elizabeth Taylor, Deborah Kerr, Shirley MacLaine, and Melina Mercouri, and ignoring Doris! Shame on the Academy! At least they had the good sense to nominate Greer Garson for Sunrise Gallop at Campobello.

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

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[–] waldenpond88 10 years ago

Yes, Doris Day is a very good actress.
Try to catch "Julie" on TCM. It's as good as this one.
I checked her filmography on the imdb. Doris Day made only 4 serious movies and all 4 of them are good (the other two are "The Man who knew too much" by Hitchcock and "Storm Warning" (with Ginger Rogers, about the Ku Klux Klan).
We just received and watched our DVD which arrived from the UK today. My husband never watched it before (I used to watch it often on German TV and was wondering why TCM is not airing it) and he liked it, too.

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[–] Forlorn_Rage 7 years ago

I'd hardly call "Love Me or Leave Me" a musical comedy. Make that at least 5 serious movies.

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[–] waldenpond88 7 years ago

You are right, "Love me or Leave me" is a drama and very serious.

BTW after all these years "Midnight Lace" was finally scheduled on TCM for early January, but I guess due to Debbie Reynolds' death TCM changed their schedule and now it's not playing :(.

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[–] Forlorn_Rage 7 years ago

BTW after all these years "Midnight Lace" was finally scheduled on TCM for early January, but I guess due to Debbie Reynolds' death TCM changed their schedule and now it's not playing :(.

What does Debbie Reynolds' death have to do with it? Myrna was the star of the month. Her movies were shown every Friday. She's in Midnight Lace, that's why they played it on the 30th this past month.

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[–] waldenpond88 7 years ago

Mea culpa :(. Sorry, I mixed it up.
Thought it was scheduled for early January.
Happy New Year!

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[–] Forlorn_Rage 7 years ago

No worries. Happy New Year.

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