Tonight's Movie: Everything Happens at Night (1939)

EVERYTHING HAPPENS AT NIGHT stars Ray Milland and Robert Cummings as journalists in Europe battling for a big scoop and the affections of Sonja Henie.

The film is a curious mixture: it's a romantic comedy, a WWII-era espionage thriller, and a Henie ice skating movie all rolled up in one. With only 77 minutes of running time, the movie doesn't spend very long on any one angle; indeed, Henie only has one skating number, though it's delightful.

It's fairly lightweight, but fun viewing for fans of the three leads. I particularly enjoy the young Ray Milland, who has a nice combination of elegance and good humor. It's hard for me to believe Henie was 27 when this was made; her persona is so sweetly childlike she almost seems too young for her leading men, who were just a handful of years older.

The supporting cast includes Leonid Kinskey and Fritz Feld. The movie was directed by Irving Cummings. It was filmed in black and white.

15 years later, Milland and Cummings would be memorably reunited by Alfred Hitchcock as the stars of DIAL M FOR MURDER, also starring Grace Kelly.

EVERYTHING HAPPENS AT NIGHT can be seen on VHS.