edwagreen Fine acting by our future president and Viveca Lindfors adds to the drama of this 1949 film.This is one of Reagan's best performances, next to "King's Row," of 1942. As the scientist suffering with epilepsy, who meets a woman (Lindfors) who can't get over her husband's death in World War 11, Ronald Reagan gives a searing performance, as a man hesitant to fall in love with death hanging over his head. Lindfors pulls out all the stops as the grieving widow in this melodrama.In the year that he won the best actor Oscar for "All the King's Men," Broderick Crawford shows up in the film in a supporting role as an artist friendly with the Reagan character. He did not seem comfortable in the part due to his persona of playing tough, gritty individuals in films. His painter role with children married to Rosemary De Camp, just doesn't seem to fit the bill here.There is a terrific supporting performance by Osa Massey as Lindfor's brooding, drunk, and nasty sister. She will stop at nothing to hurt her sister and even say things that could lead to our scientist killing himself.The ending hurricane scene is appropriate for if we can come out of this fierce storm, we can conquer anything. A touching movie not letting a serious illness get in the way of finding true love.

bill-790 "Night Unto Night" is by no means outstanding, but is not the bottom of the barrel effort that some reviewers have claimed. It is a serious attempt to portray two serious personal problems.The first is the difficult task of coming to grips with the death of a spouse; the husband of Vivica Lindfors' character has been killed in the war (WWII). The second is having to face a serious medical condition; Reagan's character, a scientist, suffers from epilepsy.The pace of the film is, to say the least, leisurely. The climax, which comes during a Florida hurricane, finally provides a bit of action. The acting is good throughout. Reagan's performance is competent if not outstanding. Vivica Lindfors and Broderick Crawford are better.The attitude toward epilepsy was somewhat different in 1949 from what it is today, and one sees that portrayed in this film. (I believe that the symptoms displayed by Reagan's character are not accurate.) "Night Unto Night" was produced with the best of intentions, but the final product does not live up to expectations. It is, however, worth at least one viewing.

bkoganbing The best thing to come out of Night Unto Night, a rather dull melodrama that none of the cast can bring any life to is the fact that the director, Don Siegel married leading Viveca Lindfors and the two of them contributed Kristoffer Tabori for our entertainment pleasure a generation later. When a film is held up for two years before being released you know it has some problems.The story is about a reclusive and sensitive scientist who has developed epilepsy played by Ronald Reagan who rents a house on a then lonely stretch of Florida beach to be alone and do his research without people's gossip. He rents from Viveca Lindfors who is a widow and who's husband was lost at sea years ago. Being Swedish Lindfors had another Hollywood Scandinavian cast as her sister with Osa Massen. They are completely unalike, they remind me of the Sternwood sisters in The Big Sleep.Broderick Crawford is also around as an artist and neighbor and Reagan's doctors are played by Art Baker and Erskine Sanford. The film plods on and on without you developing any real interest in the story or the characters.Don Siegel had scored great success with the Warner Brothers B film, The Verdict and this was his second film. He left Warner Brothers for RKO after this where he went on to great acclaim and bigger budgets even at RKO. His wife had the good fortune to get two American films released including the Errol Flynn spectacular Adventures of Don Juan where Lindfors played Queen Margaret. If this had been released first poor Viveca might have caught the first plane back to Sweden.I don't think Reagan's biggest political and acting fans could sit through this one without falling asleep.

fimimix "Night Unto Night" - really don't understand what the title has to do with the plot, but it sounds nice. Director Siegel does what he can with a very weak script from Kathryn Scola...she must have a writer who helped doctor other scripts. The movie was not long enough to really get such a heavy plot off the ground. Yet, I enjoyed it, after watching "Kings Row" preceding it.......one of TCM's all-day-all-night "tributes" to Ronald Reagan ("John Galen"). "Kings Row" was far better, because Reagan was much younger for that role. Still handsome for "Night," the couple of scenes in which he had a happy demeanor were not strong enough to convince us that his helping a lovelorn lady back to happiness were enough.Viveca Lindfors ("Ann Gracy") was very good in the movie. None of the other commentors mentioned the age-old cure for ALL love-problems is that itself: love. She found it quickly for "Galen", but Reagan didn't have the ability to portray his morbidity and suicidal intentions, although he was in love with her. The house he rented - in which she heard her dead husband's voice, at the beginning - would make almost anyone with neurotic problems quickly descend into deep funk.It didn't help any with nasty vamp Osa Massen ("Lisa") throwing herself at "John", especially she being "Ann's" sister. I liked Broderick Crawford ("C Shawn") as a neighbor-painter; Rosemary DeCamp ("Thalia Shawn") was her usual, complete character. Art Baker ("Dr. Poole"), was on the scene to help "John" with his illness (epilepsy); his role was well-played.The moody cinematography was very appropriate for this intended-to-be dark story....the tale just didn't get dark enough. With what we know now about hurricanes (Southerners have known about them forever), they don't just blow-up all-of-a-sudden. With all the characters - even the kids - assembled for a dinner party, the storm battered the old house right on the seashore. It was also during the storm which "Ann" gives her life-saving love-plea, and "Night Unto Night" quickly ends with the lovers in each others arms. Both cured, I guess....not good, not bad.....gives an older person an indication of Reagan's descent from a robust President of The USA, in real life, into total dotage. Sad.....