The Strange Love of Martha Ivers - 1946

It took me far too long to see this film. In part, it was because I was scared of Barbara Stanwyck. Ridiculous as it may be, she always seemed to be snarling at me.

http://www.paperdroids.com/2013/03/08/silver-screen-goddesses-with-gumption/

Was I nuts? Partially. I am so glad that I have rectified my mistake.
She had an incredibly hard start to life - orphaned at age 4 - in and out of foster homes - and managed with grim determination to get started on Broadway and thus Hollywood.One can only imagine the casting couches and Lotharios she had to negotiate around to get to where she got. She apparently did not approve of FDR and his government handouts - if she hadn't had any handouts. why should anyone else? One cannot necessarily blame her for snarling.

Despite the fact that she is the titular hero of the film - she doesn't feature in it all that much. Large swathes of the film are left to Van Heflin and Lizabeth Scott - and they do a wonderful job.

Lizabeth Scott seemed to the flame that the moth of Scandal was drawn to. Her relationship with Tallulah Bankhead during the run of the stage play "The Skin of Our Teeth' is  one of the possible contenders to the crown of the true 'All About Eve' inspiration.

http://theantiyale.blogspot.com.au/search?q=the+skin+of+our+teeth

By the way - anyone spot the earnest young man to the right of the picture? That's right - the very young and extraordinarily beautiful Montgomery Clift.

There we go again - just for good measure.

Lizabeth Scott also suffered the not-unique misfortune of being named in Confidential Magazine as a lesbian. She sued them - which led to an onslaught of various lawsuits from a number of irate actors. Lizabeth was not successful in her lawsuit, but the stuff that was coming out of the other lawsuits pushed her particular scandal to one side. I don't know for sure whether her dwindling success was as a result of the article (how horrendous that a magazine can just decide to do that to a person, I mean, it's their livelihood for crying out loud) or because she was increasingly disenchanted with The Acting Lark - but in any event she did not make all that many films. There are, however, an intriguing series of interviews with her on YouTube. Watch them in particular if you have a fascination with voices. I'm still trying to figure hers out.

It is reported that Kirk Douglas ended up taking the role of Walter O'Neil because his latest show on Broadway had finished and he had a family to look after. One member of this family was the very young Michael Douglas.

http://faustineisgone.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/this-is-what-i-like-7.html 

 You get to the end of the film and think "you poor screwed up people' - particularly about Martha and Walter. I mean, seriously. Imagine actually going through what they went through - it's a wonder that they aren't both in straight-jackets.

Far better not to take the film as seriously as that - sit back and marvel at the late night goings on in Iverstown and the spacious hotel rooms available to all and sundry.

And finally - a big Hip Hooray to Mr Kitty. He nearly kills himself every couple of weeks editing the B'Jiminy out of my constant ramblings on.

Here's to Mr Kitty. Get that man some home brew.