The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946)

Calificación de los usuarios:

7.5/10   

Director:

Lewis Milestone

Escritores:

John Patrick (story)
Robert Rossen (screenplay)

Fecha de Lanzamiento:

24 julio 1946 (USA)

Género:

Drama | Cine Negro

Frase comercial:

Fate drew them together... and only murder could part them!

Plot:

A ruthless, domineering woman is married to an alcoholic D.A., a childhood companion and the only living witness to her murder of her rich aunt seventeen years earlier.

Plot Keywords:

Aunt | District Attorney | Heiress | Secret | Wealthy

Premios:

Nominated for Oscar.

Comentarios de los usuarios:

Hidden Dynamism

Reparto

Barbara Stanwyck	...	Martha Ivers
Van Heflin	...	Sam Masterson
Lizabeth Scott	...	Antonia 'Toni' Marachek
Kirk Douglas	...	Walter O'Neil
Judith Anderson	...	Mrs. Ivers
Roman Bohnen	...	Mr. O'Neil
Darryl Hickman	...	Sam Masterson as a boy
Janis Wilson	...	Martha Ivers as a girl
Ann Doran	...	Bobbi St. John
Frank Orth	...	Hotel clerk
James Flavin	...	Detective #1
Mickey Kuhn	...	Walter O'Neil as a boy
Charles D. Brown	...	McCarthy, Private Detective

También conocida como:

Love Lies Bleeding (USA) (working title)
Meaningful Glances (USA) (working title)
El extraño amor de Martha Ivers (Spain) [es]

Duración:

116 min

País:

USA

Idioma:

Inglés

Color:

Negro y Blanco

Relación de Aspecto:

1.37 : 1

Sonido:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Clasificación:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | USA:Unrated

Compañía:

Hal Wallis Productions

Trivialidades:

Kirk Douglas's debut.

Errores:

Continuidad: When Sam first meets Toni, she is holding a fairly new, lit cigarette, and then 2 seconds later, is not holding one, and asks for one.

Citas:

Martha Ivers: A sure thing is never a gamble.
Sam Masterson: No? What odds you give that that's a fact?

Conexiones de Película:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Magic Sword (#5.11)" (1992)

Banda de Sonido:

Strange Love

Hidden Dynamism

Martha Ivers, a young girl under the guardianship of her grandmother played by Judith Anderson, tries often to run away, but is brought back every time. Grandma is one powerful autocratic and twisted old woman. One night after Grandma kills the girl's cat, she kills her. Her tutor's son sees the deed and now has blackmail power. Young Martha also thinks someone else has seen the deed, young Sam Masterson who she has a yen for. He actually skedaddled before witnessing anything.

Flash forward several years. Now everyone is grown up. Barbara Stanwyck is Martha and she's married the tutor's son played by Kirk Douglas in his film debut. He's also the District Attorney. And the main action of the film begins as grown up Sam Masterson who is played by Van Heflin comes back to his home town. He's treated rather strangely and it takes him a while to figure out why.

Life has a funny way of working out and Stanwyck has essentially turned into Anderson. Heflin is no real hero here either, he's quite willing to engage in some blackmail. But he's redeemed somewhat by the love of another girl from the wrong side of the tracks, Lizabeth Scott.

The film is memorable for two reasons, the power packed performance of Barbara Stanwyck and the debut of Kirk Douglas. This is a choice Barbara Stanwyck role, a powerful ruthless woman who'll do anything to keep and protect what's hers.

It's odd that Kirk Douglas makes his debut as a weakling, but even stranger that the dynamism that is his screen trademark is so well hidden in this portrayal. This part isn't exactly Spartacus. But Kirk is one capable player.

Heflin and Scott do well in their respective parts, but even though she's only on the screen for the first 15 minutes the one you won't forget is Judith Anderson. Seeing Stanwyck with her machinations later on, you wonder what must have made Anderson such a twisted human being.

The Strange Loves of Martha Ivers is a well plotted melodrama that does credit to all involved.