History Film / Midnight1939

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

--> '''Eve:''' I landed a lord, almost.
-->'''Tibor:''' Almost?
-->'''Eve:''' Well, the family came between us. His mother came to my hotel and offered me a bribe.
-->'''Tibor:''' You threw her out, I hope!

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar:
-->'''Georges:''' The ground has just opened under our feet.
-->'''Eve:''' Well... and me all set to jump for that tub of butter.
-->'''George:''' We've landed in something, all right, but it's not butter.

* YourCheatingHeart: Helene is cheating on Georges with Picot. In their first scene, Helene wipes away lipstick from his cheeks and lips.

* ZanyScheme: In order to find Eve, Tibor collects a pool of money from the taxi drivers as an incentive for them to find her. Whoever does, wins the pool.

* ComedyOfRemarriage: Eve and Tibor aren’t exactly married, but the audience wants them to get back together as a couple.

In 2013, this film was chosen for preservation in the NationalFilmRegistry.

* DivorceIsTemporary: Here’s where it gets screwbally: [[spoiler: Eve has led everyone to believe that she is Baroness Cznery. Since she’s “married” to “Baron” Tibor, she needs a divorce to marry Picot. The only problem is that Tibor and Eve aren’t even married. Somehow, they proceed with the divorce, fooling everyone, but Tibor manages to win Eve back. They then decide to get married, much to the bafflement of the judge that just divorced them. Screwball to the max, eh?]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tumblr_m1g7ltul431qlu7muo1_500.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Every Cinderella has her midnight."'']]

''Midnight'' boasts a screenplay by the writing team of Creator/BillyWilder and Charles Brackett, and was directed by Mitchell Leisen.

* RomanticFalseLead: Picot. Every screwball comedy needs one. This time he’s not a boring oaf. Just a cad.

* SnowballLie: Eve says she's a Baroness to cover the fact that she is an impostor at a swanky party, but the snowball gets huge quickly as soon as Georges finds her out: not only did Eve have to keep up the ruse, but Tibor shows up, pretending to be her husband. He tries to get Eve to leave by pretending they have a sick daughter, and then having to get a divorce for a marriage that doesn't exist. Oh, ''and'' Eve makes everyone believe Tibor is utterly insane.

* BrickJoke: Eve manages to get into a high society party, invitation only, with an old pawn card. The hostess, Stephanie, finds out there is an “Eve Peabody” that needs to be kicked out, and announces it to her guests. Eve, of course, doesn’t give in. Then comes this exchange:

* GambitPileup: Three parties scheme against another which leads to some screwbally moments. A BattleOfWits unfolds expecially between Eve/Georges and Tibor.

--->'''Georges:''' ''[Guests are filing out of Stephanie's musical soiree]'' Did you ever find that "Eve Peabody"?
--->'''Stephanie:''' Finally. I had her thrown out. She was a ''horrible'' old woman. Roger found her in the powder room. Imagine! You know, she claimed to be the Archduchess of Mendola.

--->'''Stephanie:''' ''[In a hat shop]'' Oh, dear! If ever a woman needed a new hat, it is I. I'm being SUED - for fifty thousand francs.
--->'''Helene:''' ''[Shocked]'' No!
--->'''Simone:''' By whom?
--->'''Stephanie:''' By the Archduchess of Mendola. You know that creature I had thrown out last night? And I thought it was that "Eve Peabody"? Ha! It really ''was'' the Archduchess of Mendola.

* DistinguishedGentlemansPipe: Jacques Picot smokes a pipe at several occasions.

* EmpathicEnvironment: Discussed by some lady at the music gathering early on: "It always rains when Stephanie gives one of her dull parties. Even nature weeps."

--->'''Georges''': ''[reading the accompanying card]'' "Hosannas to the high gods for bringing us together." Mmm... I rather resent that. To my wife he only said, "So glad to have met."

--->'''Georges:''' The ground has just opened under our feet.
--->'''Eve:''' Well... and me all set to jump for that tub of butter.
--->'''George:''' We've landed in something, all right, but it's not butter.

---> '''Eve:''' I landed a lord, almost.
--->'''Tibor:''' Almost?
--->'''Eve:''' Well, the family came between us. His mother came to my hotel and offered me a bribe.
--->'''Tibor:''' You threw her out, I hope!
--->'''Eve:''' How could I, with my hands full of money?

--->'''Eve:''' Listen. Back in New York, whenever I managed to crash a party full of luscious big-hearted millionaires, there was always sure to be some snub-faced kid in the orchestra playing traps. And so at four in the morning, when the wise girls were skipping off to Connecticut to marry those millionaires, I'd be with him in some nightspot learning tricks on the kettledrum. And he always had a nose like yours.

--->'''Eve:''' When I married, I didn't realize that in the Czerny family there was a streak of... shall we say, eccentricity? And yet, I had warning. Why else should his grandfather have sent me, as an engagement present, one roller skate - covered with Thousand Island dressing?
--->'''Jacques Picot:''' ''[Shocked]'' What?
---> '''Georges''': ''[who knows that this is all a lie]'' Of course, of course I'd forgotten! The Czerny's are all like that. You know, I met an old aunt - the Countess Antonia. I thought she was an Indian. It turned out, that she used paprika instead of face powder.

* LoveAtFirstSight: Both Eve and Tibor experience this when they meet each other.

* GambitPileup: Three parties scheme against another which leads to some screwbally moments. A BattleOfWits unfolds expecially between Eve/Geroge and Tibor.

* LineOfSightName: Eve's assumed surname Czerny was a line-of-subconscious-name as Tibor points out.

* GayOldTime: Eve is mentioned to be "such a gay wife".

* MistakenFromBehind: Tibor spots a girl in the street wearing a shiny dress like Eve's. He pulls over and runs after her shouting Eve's name, but When pullin her around the girl turns out to be someon else.

* DoubleTake: The judge does a big one [[spoiler: when he hears that the "married" couple who were refused a divorce are going to get married.]]

-->'''Eve''': Every Cinderella has her midnight.

[[caption-width-right:350:"Every Cinderella has her midnight."]]

* WhenTheClockStrikesTwelve: True to the film's ''Cinderella'' story; at the Flammarion estate, Helene has found out Eve's true identity--and is about to reveal it--- when Tibor shows up masquerading as ''Baron'' Tibor Czerny, right around the fabled time.

--->'''Georges''': ''[reading the accompanying card]'' "Hosannas to the high gods for bringing us together". Mmm... I rather resent that. To my wife he only said, "So glad to have met".

* FlowersOfRomance: The morning after meeting Eve, Picot sends her a bouquet of hosannas. Georges is there when she receives them and quibs:

** It’s implied that Picot is a gold digger for Helene’s money. Could explain how he easily forgets/ignores her when Eve appears.

[[caption-width-right:350:"Every Cinderella has her midnight..."]]

* WhenTheClockStrikesTwelve: True to the film's ''Cinderella'' story; at the Flammarion estate, Helen has found out Eve's true identity--and is about to reveal it--- when Tibor shows up masquerading as ''Baron'' Tibor Czerny, right around the fabled time.

The film begins with Eve meeting cab driver Tibor Cznery (Creator/DonAmeche); they both feel a spark, but Eve runs away, afraid of what this connection might bring. She sneaks herself into high society by way of a fancy musical soiree, meeting Georges Flammarion (Creator/JohnBarrymore) who easily spots her as an imposter. This gives him the opportunity to use Eve for a silly plot: get rid of Jacques Picot (Creator/FrancesLederer), the man his wife, Helen (Creator/MaryAstor), is falling in love with. Acting like a wonderful fairy godmother, he gives Eve lavish amenities and money as long as she does her job. Meanwhile, Tibor is searching all of Paris for his potential girlfriend, using all the cab drivers in Paris as lookouts.

** It’s implied that Picot is a gold digger for Helen’s money. Could explain how he easily forgets/ignores her when Eve appears.

* YourCheatingHeart: Helen is cheating on Georges with Picot. In their first scene, Helen wipes away lipstick from his cheeks and lips.