Emotionally distraught, Betty Preisser, a 24-year-old receptionist for a New York City clothing manufacturer, leaves work early, taking some typing to finish at home.

Although they are professional, rather than personal, acquaintances, Betty ends up telling Jerry all about her loveless marriage to her musician ex-husband, George, who called her the previous night to say he wants to get back together.

Middle of the Night first appeared as an episode of The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse that aired on September 19, 1954, also written by Paddy Chayefsky and directed by Delbert Mann, but starring E. G. Marshall and Eva Marie Saint in the lead roles.

Edward G. Robinson and Gena Rowlands appeared in the lead roles during the play's initial run, which was successful and ran for over a year on Broadway.

Logan later criticized the film adaptation in his memoir Movie Stars, Real People, and Me (1978), writing that he felt Chayefsky, who he said "controlled everything", turned the story into a "goy play" for the screen, and saying that March and Novak were not as effective in their roles as Robinson and Rowlands had been.

[7] Although the leads were recast for the film, Martin Balsam, Lee Philips, Betty Walker, and Effie Afton reprised their stage roles on screen.

Mr. March is an excellent actor when it comes to showing joy and distress but he isn't successful at pretending to be a Jewish papa and business man.