Midnight Lace

Kit Preston seems to be living a polished, quiet life until a string of threatening phone calls shatters her routine with a stark warning that she is about to be killed. The messages arrive at odd hours, with no obvious source and a chilling insistence that danger is close at hand. Rather than panic, Kit tries to verify facts, consults those closest to her, and patches together small, unsettling clues that keep pointing in different directions. The tension grows as friends and neighbors become suspects or red herrings, and a web of secrets about the people around her emerges. The pressure to stay calm clashes with a growing conviction that something sinister is already inside her circle, and questions linger afterward.

Directed by David Miller, Midnight Lace is built from an original screenplay by Janet Green, Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts. The 1960 mystery stars Doris Day and Rex Harrison, anchored by a brisk suspenseful tone and crisp studio production values.

Midnight Lace earned about 7.4 million dollars at the worldwide box office. The film's earnings reflected solid late 1950s to early 1960s performance for a Doris Day mystery thriller, contributing to Day's versatility beyond light comedies in a crowded market.

Midnight Lace occupies a space in early 60s thrillers where a familiar female lead confronts danger from unseen sources. Day's turn from light comedy toward sharper suspense, paired with Harrison's urbane menace, gave the film a poised, stylish energy that still resonates with classic mystery enthusiasts among fans and collectors.

Critics welcomed Midnight Lace for its brisk pacing, clever use of a phone threat as a tension engine, and Day's capable performance. The movie wrestles with paranoia, the fragility of domestic security, and appearances versus reality, delivering a stylish formal thriller rather than blunt sensationalism that rewards viewers with nuance.