This week’s mystery film was the 1957 Universal-International film The Midnight Story, with Tony Curtis, Marisa Pavan, Gilbert Roland, Jay C. Flippen, Argentina Brunetti, Ted de Corsia, Richard Monda, Kathleen Freeman, Herburt Vigran, Peggy June Maley, John Cliff, Russ Conway, Chico Vejar, Tito Vuolo, Helen Wallace and James Hyland.
Screenplay by John Robinson and Edwin Blum. Story by Edwin Blum.
Photographed by Russell Metty.
Art direction by Alexander Golitzen and Eric Orbom.
Set decoration by Russell A. Gausman and Ray Jeffers.
Sound by Leslie I. Carey and Frank H. Wilkinson.
Edited by Ted J. Kent.
Gowns by Bill Thomas. Hairstyles by Joan St. Oegger.
Makeup by Bud Westmore.
Assistant director Joseph E. Kenny.
Special photography by Clifford Stine.
Music supervision by Joseph Gershenson.
Produced by Robert Arthur.
Directed by Joseph Pevney.
Further information on The Midnight Story is available from the AFI Catalog.
The Midnight Story is available on DVD in a box set from Critics’ Choice Video.
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I picked The Midnight Story because it stars the twin sister of last week’s leading lady – and Daily Mirror time change mascot — Pier Angeli. It has a strong cast, good photography, excellent location scenes and the story isn’t bad.
I’m guessing Bosley will give it a fairly decent review – but with the usual Bosley quibbles.
A surprise! Reviewed by A.H. Weiler (The New York Times, July 5, 1957):
Although the troupe that fashioned The Midnight Story, which was unfolded at the Palace yesterday, is involved in a basically conventional whodunit, they spin their tale in taut, professional style.
The long arm of the law is used sensibly and without undue melodramatic effects in trapping the murderer of a San Francisco Roman Catholic priest. More important is the fact that The Midnight Story has the all-too-rare attribute of keeping the customers guessing almost up to the denouement. The producers obviously had no delusions of grandeur, but they have succeeded in telling an engrossing story.
For Monday, we have a mysterious fellow and Back of the Head Guy.
Update: This is Sammee Tong, left, and Jay C. Flippen as Back of the Head Guy.
For Tuesday, we have a mysterious woman.
Update: This is Peggy Maley.
Brain Trust roll call: Funky PhD (Monday’s Back of the Head Guy), Stacia (Monday’s Back of the Head Guy), Mat Berger (Monday’s Back of the Head Guy), Rascott (Monday’s Back of the Head Guy), Mary Mallory (mystery movie and Monday’s Back of the Head Guy), Greg (Monday’s Back of the Head Guy), Incredible Inman (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery guests), Suznchaz (Monday’s Back of the Head Guy), B.J. Merholz (Monday’s Back of the Head Guy), Benito (Monday’s Back of the Head Guy), Sarah (Monday’s Back of the Head Guy), Skredtvedt (Monday’s Back of the Head Guy), Sylvia (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery guests), Richard Wegescheide (Monday’s Back of the Head Guy), Bruce (Monday’s Back of the Head Guy) and Sheila (Monday’s Back of the Head Guy).
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a mysterious yet somehow familiar mystery couple.
Update: This is Herburt “Herb” Vigran and Kathleen Freeman.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Monday’s and Tuesday’s mysterious guests), Sarah (Tuesday’s mystery woman), L.C. (mystery movie and mysterious cast), Sylvia (Tuesday’s mysterious woman) and Sheila (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mysterious woman).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have a mysterious fellow and Back of the Head Guy.
Update: This is Gilbert Roland and Tony Curtis as Back of the Head Guy.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mysterious couple), Chrisbo (Wednesday’s mysterious woman), Megan and Thom (mystery movie, Monday’s Back of the Head Guy, Tuesday’s mystery woman and Wednesday’s mysterious fellow), Sylvia (Wednesday’s enigmatic couple), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and all mystery guests) and Suznchaz (mystery movie and all mysterious guests).
For Friday, we have three bonus mystery guests.
Update: The man in the center is Joe Turkel, or Eldon Tyrell in Blade Runner.
And our mysterious leading man and leading lady.
Update: This is Tony Curtis and Marisa Pavan, observing the dying Gilbert Roland.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery guest and Back of the Head Guy), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie), Chrisbo (mystery movie, Thursday’s mysterious guest and Back of the Head Guy), Sylvia (Thursday’s mystery guest and Back of the Head Guy) and Dan Nather (Thursday’s mysterious guest).
ladailymirror.com 
The Chinese gentleman is Keys Luke.
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Jay C. Flippen on the right.
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Jay C. Flippen on the right.
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Back of Head Guy is Jay C. Flippen! I cannot even guess what this movie is yet but I’ll stay tuned.
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Is that Jay C. Flippen?
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Back of Head Guy is Jay C. Flippen.
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back of the head guy looks like Jay C. Flippen.
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Back of the Head guy is Jay C. Flippen.
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Jay C. Flippen is our back of the head guy. Could the other man be Sammee Tong? And could the film be “The Midnight Story”?
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Jay C. Flippen is the Back of the Head Guy….the other guy is Philip Ahn ?…the TV show or movie is from the 1960s and I cannot find any matches…
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J. C. Flippen eating alone at Ah Fong’s.
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Jay C Flippin today?
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BOTH guy is J C Flippen.
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Looks like Keye Luke and Jay C. Flippen.
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Looks like Keye Luke and Jay C. Flippen.
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The Midnight Story 1957
Mon – Sammee Tong (pre-Bachelor Father – or maybe during?) and J.C. Flippen
(am guessing that you picked this one because of the leading lady’s connection to last week’s leading lady)
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It’s been awhile, but that is Philip Ahn and Jay Flippen (back of head guy). My guess would be ‘Intrigue’ with George Raft.
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MIDNIGHT STORY. Owen Song on the left and Jay C. Flippen as BOTH.
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Monday looks like Jay C. Flippen, but he probably isn’t a Monday guy.
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Jay C. Flippen as back-of-head guy?
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Sammee Tong on Monday and Peggy Maley today. The sly connection with last week. I saw this at the Film Noir Fest I believe right before the pandemic. Roland was still hot. Lots of real SF locations.
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It’s Peggy Maley.
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Midnight Story (1957) w/Tony Curtis, Gilbert Roland, Jay C. Flippen, Peggy Maley, Marisa Pavan, Ted de Corsia, Kathleen Freeman, Argentina Brunetti, Sammee Tong…
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Is that Marilyn Maxwell with a black eye? Could be East of Sumatra.
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Tue – Peggy Maley (with a black eye) ‘fessin” up to an OS Tony Curtis, Russ Conway and former mystery movie ‘shadowy-criminal-type’ now playing a policeman, Ted de Corsia.
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Peggy Maley, ‘The Midnight Story’?
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Herb Vignan and Kathleen Freeman.
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Kathleen Freeman Wednesday?
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I forgot to put in yesterday’s guest: Peggy Maley.
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Wed – Kathleen Freeman and Herb Vigran
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The Midnight Story (1957) with Sammee Tong and Jay C. Flippen, Peggy Maley, and Herb Vigran and Kathleen Freeman
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Wednesday: Herb Vigran and Kathleen Freeman. “The Midnight Story” (1957), with Peggy Maley (Tuesday’s blonde) and Sammee Tong as Monday’s Chinese restaurant guy with Jay C. Flippen.
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Our movie is The Midnight Story. Our guest from Monday is Jay C. Flippen, and today’s is Herb Vigran.
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Gilbert Roland and BOTH guy Tony Curtis. Roland still hot more than20 years after becoming an actorvin Hollywood. Some nice SF locations in this.
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I have a midnight appointment with a shadow (not HRH) to sort this out.
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Is that Gilbert Roland and the back of Tony Curtis’ head in The Midnight Story?
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Thu – Gilbert Roland and BOTHG Tony Curtis
Friday will bring Marisa Pavan and the full reveal of Mr Curtis
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I know that’s Gilbert Roland today, but otherwise, I’m drawing a blank . . .
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Tony Curtis and Marisa Pavan.
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Tony Curtis and Marisa Pavan in bottom image.
In the upper image the only one I’m sure about is Chico Vejar on screen right. Will await your ID on the other two.
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Sorry that I missed the day with Herb Vigran and Kathleen Freeman, as they are two of my favorite supporting actors. Herb was a very prolific radio actor as well, and even starred in a radio comedy, “Sad Sack,” based on the wartime cartoon character.
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Kathleen Freeman looks fantastic in this movie, wow
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