History Is Made at Night (1937)
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- Synopsis:
Suffused with intoxicating romanticism, 'History Is Made at Night' is a sublime paean to love from Frank Borzage, classic Hollywood's supreme poet of carnal and spiritual desire. On the run through Europe from her wealthy, cruelly possessive husband, an American (Jean Arthur) is thrown together by fate with a suave stranger (Charles Boyer) - and soon the two are bound in a consuming, seemingly impossible affair that stretches across continents and brings them to the very edge of catastrophe. Lent a palpable erotic charge by the chemistry between its leads, this delirious vision of lovers beset by the world passes through a dizzying array of tonal shifts - from melodrama to romantic comedy to noir to disaster thriller - smoothly guided by Borzage's unwavering allegiance to the power of love. - Actors:
- Charles Boyer, Jean Arthur, Leo Carrillo, Colin Clive, Ivan Lebedeff, George Meeker, Lucien Prival, George Davis, Bobby Barber, Phyllis Barry, Joseph E. Bernard, Jeanne Blanche, Barlowe Borland, Harvey Clark, Dora Clement, Adrienne D'Ambricourt, Harry Depp, Edward Earle, Gloria Eaton, Franklyn Farnum
- Directors:
- Frank Borzage
- Producers:
- Walter Wanger
- Writers:
- Gene Towne, C. Graham Baker, Vincent Lawrence
- Studio:
- The Criterion Collection
- Genres:
- Classics, Comedy, Drama, Romance
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Reviews (1) of History Is Made at Night
Great Company, Terrible Destination - History Is Made at Night review by griggs
Some films win you over so completely that you're prepared to overlook a wobble or two. History Is Made at Night tests that goodwill like it's trying to get a refund.
Charles Boyer and Jean Arthur have genuine spark, which is handy because the plot is often cheerfully daft. They make it feel like a feature rather than a problem. Colin Clive skulks about as the villain and does a surprising amount of damage without much screen time to work with.
For most of it, I was having a lovely time. Then the final ten minutes arrive with a plot contrivance so needless it feels personally insulting. It takes a film that was breezing along beautifully and parks it straight in a ditch.
What a frustrating near-miss. Great company; terrible destination.