Where were you when the lights went out?
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | When the light went out (alternative title: Where were you when the light went out?) |
| Original title | Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1968 |
| length | 89 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Hy Averback |
| script | Claude Magnier |
| production |
Everett Freeman Martin Melcher |
| music | Dave Grusin |
| camera | Ellsworth Fredericks |
| cut | Rita Roland |
| occupation | |
| |
When the lights went out (alternative title: Where were you when the lights went out ?; original English title: Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?) Was the penultimate film by Doris Day . It appeared in 1968; The director was Hy Averback .
action
There is a major power outage in New York that affects around 30 million people. One of them is Waldo Zirrer, who is about to steal a bag with two million dollars in cash from his company.
The famous stage actress Maggie Garrison (Doris Day) had to break off her evening performance because of the power failure and - when she came home early because of this - caught her husband Peter with another woman, the reporter Roberta Lane. Angry, Maggie leaves the apartment and makes her way through the traffic chaos to her country house in Connecticut .
By chance, Waldo Zirrer, the fugitive thief, finds refuge here. He accidentally drinks a sleeping draft prepared by the already drunk Maggie who wants to forget her husband's adultery. This causes both Waldo and Maggie to fall into deep sleep.
Repentance grabs husband Peter and he follows Maggie to Connecticut to apologize to her. Here, however, he has to discover that his wife is lying on the sofa with a man he does not know, and since neither of them can of course explain why this is the case, the relationship chaos is complete.
Ladislaus Walichek, Maggie's manager, who also arrives at the country house the next morning, tries to break up the Garrisons in order to be able to persuade Maggie to sign a new contract with Hollywood. Walichek forces Zirrer to help him convince Maggie that she has committed adultery with Zirrer.
Reception history
In the specialist literature, Doris Day's penultimate feature film is considered to be their worst. In particular, the sexual allusions in the script are hardly perceived as being appropriate to their age at the time. A year later, the actress finally withdrew from the screen.
Reviews
"Somewhat worn out, light comedy entertainment with a few original gags that embed the original material, a French play from the 1950s, in the great power failure that struck New York in November 1965."
background
The background to the plot is the New York Blackout , a power failure that darkened parts of New York and the American Northeast in 1965.
Web links
- Where were you when the lights went out? in the online film database
- Where were you when the lights went out? in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Reviews of Where were you when the lights went out? on Rotten Tomatoes
- Movie description (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Where were you when the lights went out? In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed October 22, 2016 .