Dimitra Arliss, born in 1932, was an American actress known for her compelling performances in the realm of cult cinema. In The Other Side of Midnight (1977), she plays a significant role that adds depth to the film's exploration of love and betrayal. Her work in this erotic thriller exemplifies the bold narratives of the 1970s, a decade that embraced the provocative and the unconventional. Arliss's contributions to this genre continue to resonate with fans of grindhouse and exploitation films.
The Other Side of Midnight
In France just before the outbreak of World War II, young Noelle Page falls in love with Larry Douglas, an American pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force stationed in France. The couple has a torrid love affair that ends abruptly when Larry receives orders to return to the United States. Larry promises to come back for Noelle and marry her. She later finds out that she is pregnant with his child. However, he never returns. Vowing revenge after a harrowing abortion, Noelle begins using men for their money and power. She seduces her way into becoming a famous European actress, then arranges to be the mistress of one of the world's wealthiest men, Greek tycoon Constantin Demeris, whom she does not love. During this time, Larry has met and married Catherine Alexander, a sweet and trusting young woman from Chicago. Larry meets her in Hollywood, where she has gone to produce a film promoting military enlistment. Larry is now a United States Army Air Forces fighter pilot. He seduces the virginal Catherine with some of the same lines he used with Noelle. After the war, Larry is employed by various civilian airlines. Noelle hires a detective to keep tabs on him, then sabotages any job Larry is able to find. Larry is in no position to refuse a job offer to come to Greece and be a private pilot, unaware that it is Noelle who is hiring him. Larry initially fails to recognize her. Noelle treats him rudely until Larry is not sure how much more he can take. When he is positive it is her, he bursts into Noelle's hotel suite, where they rekindle their romance. Larry claims he will keep his long-ago promise and stay with her, but when his wife refuses a request for a divorce, Larry and Noelle begin to plot Catherine’s murder. They carry out their plan, but things go wrong. Larry and Noelle ultimately are convicted of murder by a Greek court, which is under the influence of Constantin Demeris. They are executed by a firing squad. Catherine has miraculously survived. Suffering from shock, she ends up living in a convent, under the patronage of Demeris.
