The Other Side of Midnight
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OCLC 22474536 | | |
Followed by | Memories of Midnight |
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The Other Side of Midnight is a novel by American writer
It was made into a 1977 film, and followed by a sequel written by Sheldon titled Memories of Midnight.
Plot
Set in between the two World Wars, Noelle Page is born to a poor family in Marseille, France, though she is led to believe she is better than everyone else. She is initially devoted to her father, who capitalizes on her beauty when she comes of age and forces her to be the mistress of Auguste Lanchon, a well-off boutique owner. She comes to an epiphany that if she can control men, she can be powerful. She escapes to Paris, where she is enchanted by American pilot Lawrence "Larry" Douglas, who promises to marry her when he returns from London. When he does not return, she develops pneumonia, and is saved by Jewish medical intern Israel Katz, who selflessly helps her get back on her feet. Furious over Larry's betrayal, she aborts their unborn child in the most painful way and devotes the rest of her life planning revenge against him. Meanwhile, Larry returns to the United States and marries Catherine, though their relationship is strained after World War II, since Catherine feels like Larry returned as a different man.
Noelle uses the war to her advantage. She hires a private investigator and learns of Larry and Catherine's marriage. She seduces two men, actor-singer Philippe Sorel and director Armand Gautier, and becomes a popular name in theater and film. At one point, she risks her plan to help Israel — the only man who has treated her with kindness — escape to Africa from the
Catherine's claims against them cause Larry and Noelle to be put on trial for her murder. Demiris is noticeably absent, but visits Noelle in jail. He claims to still love her and offers to pay the judge off if she will stay with him forever. Towards the end of the trial, Demiris' lawyer, Napoleon Chotas, informs Larry, Noelle, and Larry's lawyer Stavros that Demiris made a deal with the judge: if they plead guilty, Larry will be banned from Greece and will serve a short sentence in America while Noelle's passport will be taken and she will stay with him forever. They both agree to the deal. However, after pleading guilty, they realize that there was never a deal made when the judge thanks them for having a conscience and admitting to the murder despite the lack of evidence against them. Chotas offers Stavros a position in his firm in exchange for his silence. They are sentenced to death, and Demiris, sitting in the courtroom, looks pleased. They are executed months later.
In the end, Demiris donates money to a convent near the sea, where a woman implied to be Catherine is kept, having been found on the shore.
Adaptations
Film and television
- The Other Side of Midnight (1977), directed by Charles Jarrott. The cast includes Marie-France Pisier, John Beck, Susan Sarandon, Christian Marquand and Josette Banzet.
- Oh Bewafa (India, 1980)[citation needed]
- In Japan, The Other Side of Midnight was adapted and broadcast as a television drama, starring Asaka Seto, Kōji Kikkawa, Koyuki, Toshiyuki Hosokawa, and Tetsuji Tamayama, with music by Miki Imai.
- In Turkey, it was adapted into a radio drama starring Olcay Poyraz as Catherine, Arsen Gürzap as Noelle Page, and Kerim Afşar as Larry Douglas.[1]
Sequel
In 1990, Sheldon released a sequel titled Memories of Midnight. It was adapted into a 1991 television mini-series starring Jane Seymour as Catherine Alexander.[1] In Japan, it was adapted and broadcast as a radio drama, with a soundtrack by Yoko Kanno and Maaya Sakamoto.
References
- ^ O'Connor, John J. (November 25, 1991). "A Sidney Sheldon Midnight Sequel". The New York Times. Retrieved August 18, 2015.