The film was entered into the 1947 Cannes Film FestivalOn a rainy night in 1928 in a Pennsylvania factory town called Iverstown, Martha Ivers (Janis Wilson), a young girl yearning to escape from the guardianship of her wealthy, domineering aunt, is caught trying to run away with her friend, the street-smart, poor Sam Masterson (Darryl Hickman). van heflin (of shane) and lizabeth scott are superb and in some ways overshadow kirk douglas in his screen debut and stanwyck. Byron Haskin served as director during Milestone’s absence. With all of the schemes, intrigue, sexual undertones and murder this is a very rare and so incredibly original post-wartime movie. Lizabeth Scott looked like she was channeling Lauren Bacall, even up to the hair style. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers is Kirk Douglas first film and his performance as a corrupt alcoholic loser is great. She hates her aunt Mrs. Ivers (Judith Anderson) and while in her room with her tutor's son Walter O'Neil and Sam later, the power runs out and she asks Sam to bring her cat back to the room. Contrary to the opinions of some of the reviewers here on IMDb, Lizabeth Scott played the young, naive, but not exactly innocent Toni to the hilt, and was easily the most sympathetic character in the lot. Pervaded by his guilty-liberal fascination with power and money. The film also provides a believable depiction of small-town life; it's realistic, no Bedford Falls. He's a sensitive and caring fellow. In my opinion, she deserved to die. When Sam(played by Van Heflin) returns to town, he befriends a young woman(played by Lizabeth Scott) whom have mutual sympathy and attraction, but Sam gets mixed up with Martha and Walter, who have corrupt doings going on, and there still is that long ago murder... Good cast, but marginal film is ultimately too melodramatic and unrealistic to succeed, though young Martha had my sympathies for killing her cat-hating/murdering aunt, a truly loathsome character! However, when her childhood pal, Sam (Van Heflin), shows up, Martha knows her dark past may not stay a secret for long. But her fate is mild compared to the torments of two people—and a third they draw into their web—who can never stop looking back to something that happened when they were children. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) Reviews on Cinafilm.com - Young Martha inadvertently causes the death of her cruel, authoritarian aunt… His portrayal of the drifting, yet honest, gambler outshines by far even Douglas' complex performance as the corrupt, yet troubled, district attorney. Sam leaves town, but Martha and Walter remain. Barbara Stanwyck delivers one of her finest performances opposite Van Heflin ; newcomers Kirk Douglas (his film debut) and Lizabeth Scott (her … Barbara Stanwyck and Kirk Douglas got top billing on the VHS and DVD boxes I've seen but the real stars of this movie are Van Heflin and Lizabeth Scott, the likable albeit corrupt two of the foursome. Full Review Matt Brunson Creative Loafing Maybe he could have helped her be human had he been able to stay around early on. [on showing her childhood room to Sam]. Douglas uses a troubled woman Heflin has met, played by sultry Lizabeth Scott, to attempt to drive Heflin out of town. Douglas excelled at those parts, as he did with a very different type of part in this movie, but I can't help thinking that if Heflin had gotten more of those roles, he would have been just as big a star. When Walter sees Sam, he believes Sam wants to blackmail Martha and him, and his misunderstanding leads the former friends to tragic revelations about the fatal night and discloses dirty secrets about the couple Martha and Walter. | I'm not the biggest Barbara Stanwyck fan in the world, but she was well cast as the ruthless matriarch of a small town, and Douglas really pulled off an unusual role for him (basically a drunken wimp). Young Martha also thinks someone else has seen the deed, young Sam Masterson who she has a yen for. Sign up here. | Rating: 2.5/4 On the next morning, Antonia is arrested for violation of probation, and Sam decides to pay a visit to Walter O'Neil (Kirk Douglas), now a successful district attorney and married with the wealthy Martha Ivers (Barbara Stanwyck), to ask him to release Antonia. In fact, Lewis Milestone, the director, has mixed styles in the picture, but the end result makes a satisfying film to watch. This is probably one of the most "complex" story lines in all of Noir. that holds up decades later. It's a treat to watch this able quintet at work, making for an engrossing film experience. ", Whisper her name: Stanwyck as twisted steeltown autocrat, acting tour de force with great film noir plot, Van Heflin & Lizabeth Scott Were The Real Stars, A perfect high drama--tight, tragic, tender. 18 years earlier, he ran away from home the night his friend Martha's aunt was murdered while Martha, her friend Walter, and Walter's father were in the Ivers house. By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie. The always-great Barbara Stanwyck is at her sultriest as Martha, and Van Heflin is incredibly sexy and masculine as Sam. An odd film from director Lewis Milestone, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) starts off in full-blown gothic-thriller style with a prologue set in 1928 that lasts more than 10 minutes. Awesome movie! | Rating: 4/5, December 10, 2004 Martha lives in a huge mansion with her DA husband, … Odd title to this movie. This is just a few hues short of an unsung masterpiece in my view. Your Ticket Confirmation # is located under the header in your email that reads "Your Ticket Reservation Details". Get the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to your inbox! Eighteen years later, Sam (Van Heflin) is driving in the road nearby Iverstown, but he does not pay attention in a curve and hits his car in a post. Please click the link below to receive your verification email. All four leads in this sordid tale are excellent. A tale of greed, lust, revenge and psychopathic murder, it is – in the words of Noël Simsolo – “worthy of the worst libretto in Italian opera”. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) This Lewis Milestone film is one of the most superbly realized of the big budget noirs. Overview of The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, 1946, directed by Lewis Milestone, with Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin, Lizabeth Scott, at Turner Classic Movies Eventually, they wed out of convenience; the meek Walter is genuinely in love, and Martha thinks that her secret is safe since she has married the one witness to her aunt's death. Barbara Stanwyck as Martha Ivers gives a chillingly superb performance. "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers" is an amazing underrated film-noir. And perfectly capturing every mood, every character and every situation is the classic score by Miklós Rózsa.. Famed director Lewis Milestone offered this twisted bit of noir melodrama. But it also felt the story was a little too intricate for them to handle optimally. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers is melodrama with all the stops pulled out. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers is similarly unexceptional, with endless scenes framed in medium shots, with two characters shouting at each other from their half of the frame. T he Strange Love of Martha Ivers is one of the more compelling films noirs of the 1940s, an intense romantic melodrama intelligently scripted by Robert Rossen and directed with flair by Lewis Milestone. Most of it felt inspired. See reviews & details on a wide selection of Blu-ray & DVDs, both new & used. An engrossing and creative film-noir, "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers" offers an interesting and unpredictable story with quite a bit of commentary about its characters. Although it is, at times, more of a melodrama than noir, there is still merit in Robert Rossen’s script. It has a love story or two, drama and mystery. An engrossing film noir, all the better for being presented by Lewis Milestone (“All Quiet On The Western Front”) as a sordid romantic melodrama. Just leave us a message here and we will work on getting you verified. The moral ambiguity makes it impossible to determine how you want the characters lives to turn out. One of the most effective and underrated noirs of that classic era. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for The Strange Love of Martha Ivers - Barbara Stanwyck [DVD] [1946] at Amazon.com. Typical film noir fare, with everybody chain smoking, drinking, wisecracking, and being vague. Grandma is one powerful autocratic and twisted old woman. "It's what people want, and how hard they want it, and how hard it is for them to get it. This interesting Film-Noir is rated a solid 7.5 on iMDB.com.On rottentomatoes.com has this movie at 100 percent on the Tomatometer and 73 percent audience approval.. An anonymous New York Times film critic said on July 25, 1946: There was a lot to love about The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946). THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS, screen play by Robert Rossen, based on a story by Jack Patrick; directed by Lewis Milestone; a Hal B. Wallis production; released by Paramount Pictures. Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz. and the Terms and Policies, Your AMC Ticket Confirmation# can be found in your order confirmation email. [on being shown the house of Martha]. Sidney Poitier’s 7 Most Memorable Performances, All Harry Potter Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer. | Rating: B Highly recommended. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers Paramount 1946 / B&W / 1:37 flat full frame / 116 min. When it does not falter with didacticism, the film has a certain twisted, deep … Rarely has a film about deep-rooted psychosis been presented with such an even-handed touch. |, June 19, 2012 Buscando ecoar o infinitamente superior Pacto de Sangue (tambm com Stanwyck), o filme desperta interesse por sua moral ambgua, mas se enfraquece em funo do final implausvel. You only get to actual love with Sam and Toni, or especially Sam for Toni. Now he returns to find Walter (Kirk Douglas) is the drunken district attorney and married to Martha (Barbara Stanwyck), the richest woman in town - Iverstown is, after all, named after her family. The flawless story is excellent, disclosed in an adequate pace and developing perfectly the despicable characters. By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy They won't be able to see your review if you only submit your rating. The film has received acclaim from modern critics. It is directing great Lewis Milestone's only film noir. Her dye is already cast by the time the old boyhood friend shows up again. This one is overrated, and it's hard to understand the high review scores. Watch The Strange Love Of Martha Ivers movie trailer and get the latest cast info, photos, movie review and more on TVGuide.com. Van Heflin's engaging performance proves what great potential he had to be one of the biggies. It is a real potboiler of a story, that involves greed, jealousy, hatred and obsession. That tension gives the film its life and strange vibrancy, and gives snap to even mundane scenes. Her tutor's son sees the deed and now has blackmail power. Please enter your email address and we will email you a new password. Ivers is a remarkably tense film, although it's a tension that tends to linger beneath the surface; this is appropriate, as it reflects the turmoil and anxiety that lies under the calm surface of Ivers' and O'Neil's lives. Mas Douglas impressiona j em sua estria. | Fresh (10). Copyright © Fandango. |. lizabeth smolders and pouts her way to perfection, what a babe!!. Multi-dimensional characters, a dark story and various mind games. The story is multilayered and truths reveal themselves slowly though the pace moves briskly. Coming Soon. Martha lies to the cops, and Walter (Kirk Douglas), who saw the crime, corroborates the girl's story. Later that night, Sam comes for her, but hides when her aunt hears Martha's beloved cat wandering on the staircase. Starring: Lizabeth Scott, Van Heflin, Barbara Stanwyck. |, January 1, 2000 For once the femme fatale seems realistic, she has motives and emotions besides the obvious. lizabeth should have been a huge star especially in the film noir genre. Knowing absolutely NOTHING about this movie (apart from it being the screen debut of Kirk Douglas) I thought it was going to be a potboiler, but I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. Stanwyck was amazing. FAQ But the looming fear of blackmail was pointless... a guy was set up, tried, and executed for the murder years ago. | Short Story: John Patrick (”Love Lies Bleeding”). |, July 2, 2012 The film exudes star power - featuring the legendary Barbara Stanwyck, the chronically under-appreciated Lizabeth Scott, veteran Van Heflin and a very young Kirk Douglas. both van heflin and lizabeth scott are massively underrated and typically not remembered. Kind of disappointing after all the good things I heard about the film. Though Martha has never fallen out of love with Heflin, her husband thinks he's there to blackmail them because, though a man was hung for killing her aunt, it was Martha who did so while her aunt (Judith Anderson) was beating Martha's cat. The childhood scene that opens the movie at first seemed unnecessary but serves to anchor the characters, making them people you can care about. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your email. Today’s movie is The Strange Love of Martha Ivers 1946. D.A. Just below that it reads "Ticket Confirmation#:" followed by a 10-digit number. Flash forward 17-18 years, and Van Heflin (the boy who ran away on his own) returns to find the other two (Stanwyck and Douglas) married and in positions of great power in the town. When Sam is trying to catch the cat in the dark, her aunt comes to the staircase and Sam hides himself. Douglas' role - that of an alcoholic coward - is a little bit of a stretch for him and he sometimes over-does it. The viewer is pulled in so many directions and because of the moral complexity I found myself pulling for the corrupt characters despite their flaws. A very good feature that seems to be a soap-opera with touches of film-noir. Van Heflin as a man who causes women to swoon at eye contact was a bit hard to swallow. Still, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers is brimming with some engaging performances. Cinemark Lewis Milestone directed this melodrama that stars Barbara Stanwyck as Martha Ivers, who, as young girl, killed her evil aunt(played by Judith Anderson) and involves her two boyfriends Walter O'Neil and Sam Masterson. Dark and shadly with depressing atmosphere this is a great movie. In The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, relationships formed in childhood lead to murder and obsessive love. Awards And the talent is generally well used. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers was quite a film with Kirk Douglas' first appearance in film and a very young Barbara Stanwick, whose fear and greed really drive the film. Coming Soon, Regal that is a shame since they both were fine actors, that is the present generations loss. Great movie. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers. |, April 5, 2006 The wealthy Martha Ivers (Barbara Stanwyck) is the prime mover of the small Pennsylvania town of Iverston. It begins as a rainy Gothic tale set in a big mansion in the 20's, about a young girl living with an overbearing rich aunt who does not approve of the boy she loves, then shifts into modern noir with the participants grown up, some of them dead. Van Heflin ('Shane') plays the "hero" and holds his own against those two, and I also really liked Lizabeth Scott, an actress I'm not familiar with, who plays Heflin's love interest (sorta).