Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?

Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?
File:WhereWereYouWhentheLightsWentOutPoster.jpg Theatrical poster
Directed by	Hy Averback
Produced by	Everett Freeman Martin Melcher
Written by	Everett Freeman Karl Tunberg Original work: Claude Magnier
Starring	Doris Day Patrick O'Neal Robert Morse Terry-Thomas Lola Albright Jim Backus
Music by	Dave Grusin
Cinematography	Ellsworth Fredericks
Edited by	Rita Roland
Production company	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release dates	June 19, 1968 (1968-06-19)
Running time	89 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$7,988,000

Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? is a 1968 American comedy film with Doris Day, directed by Hy Averback. Although it is set in New York City during the infamous Northeast Blackout of 1965, in which 25 million people scattered throughout seven states lost electricity for several hours, the screenplay by Everett Freeman and Karl Tunberg is based on the earlier 1956 French play Monsieur Masure by Claude Magnier.

This was the penultimate film of Doris Day's long career, being released two months before her final screen appearance in 1968's With Six You Get Eggroll.

Synopsis

November 9, 1965: Margaret Garrison (Doris Day) is a stage actress who has spent her career starring in virginal roles, although she would relish the opportunity to play someone less savory, such as an Italian prostitute, at least once before she retires. When a blackout shutters her current Broadway play for the night, she returns home unexpectedly and discovers her architect husband Peter (Patrick O'Neal) being overly attentive to attractive reporter Roberta Lane (Lola Albright). Infuriated, she heads to the couple's weekend house in Connecticut and takes a concoction to fall asleep.

When corporate embezzler Waldo Zane (Robert Morse), fleeing New York with an attache case full of money, develops car trouble near Margaret's weekend house, he lets himself in and unwittingly takes some of the elixir himself, falling into a deep sleep beside her.

Peter shows up, sees the two together and assumes his wife has been unfaithful. Despite their claims of innocence and ignorance, Peter believes neither of them and heads back to Manhattan.

Margaret's agent Ladislaus Walichek (Terry-Thomas), anxious because she has announced her plan to retire, keeps her husband's jealousy burning in the hope their marriage will crumble and she'll be forced to continue working to support herself.

Margaret and Peter eventually reconcile, but new questions about what really happened when the lights went out arise when she gives birth exactly nine months after that fateful night.

Production notes

The film's title tune was written by Dave Grusin and Kelly Gordon and sung by The Lettermen. George W. Davis and Urie McCleary were the film's art directors, and costumes were designed by Glenn Connelly.

Morgan Freeman is seen briefly as a Grand Central Terminal commuter but does not receive on-screen credit.

The film was the fourteenth starring Doris Day to premiere at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan. The MGM release earned $7,988,000 at the box office in the US, making it the 16th highest grossing film of 1968.

Principal cast

• Doris Day as Margaret Garrison
• Patrick O'Neal as Peter Garrison
• Robert Morse as Waldo Zane
• Terry-Thomas as Ladislaus Walichek
• Lola Albright as Roberta Lane
• Steve Allen as Radio Announcer
• Jim Backus as Tru-Blue Lou
• Ben Blue as Man with a Razor
• Pat Paulsen as Conductor
• Dale Malone as Otis J. Hendershot, Jr.
• Robert Emhardt as Otis J. Hendershot, Sr.
• Harry Hickox as Detective Captain
• Parley Baer as Dr. Dudley Caldwell
• Randy Whipple as Marvin Reinholtz
• Earl Wilson as Himself
• Morgan Freeman as Grand Central Commuter (uncredited)

Critical reception

In her review in The New York Times, Renata Adler wrote, "a good part of the movie permits Miss Day to play an actress something like herself, and this might be fresh and almost poignant."

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times stated, "I don't find it funny at all."

Variety described it as "an okay Doris Day comedy, well cast with Robert Morse and Terry-Thomas . . . Averback's comedy direction lifts things a bit out of a well-plowed rut, making for an amusing, while never hilarious, film."

Time Out New York calls it "a sprightly comedy" and adds, "the performances are superb (Morse, O'Neal and Albright, especially), and Averback's comic timing is spot on."

TV Guide describes it as "a trifle that starts out funny enough but sinks into predictability, made somewhat better by the adroit acting that triumphs over the lackluster script."

See also

• List of American films of 1968

External links

• Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? at IMDb
• Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? at the TCM Movie Database