movie01.htm

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers,
USA 1946, black and white

Click on pictures to see full size

German title: Die seltsame Liebe der Martha Ivers

Distributed by: Paramount Pictures

Produced by: Hal B. Wallis

Genre / keyword: Drama / Film-Noir

Runtime: 117

Directed by: Lewis Milestone

Summary:

In his first film Kirk Douglas appeared as a weakling, a man dominated by a vicious woman and made a criminal accomplice by her. Despite the softness and unpleasantness of the part, Douglas made the man sympathetic. He gave his weakling a little humor and warmth, and the suggestion that under other circumstances he might have been a good and decent man. It was a remarkably effective performance and it assured Douglas his future in films.
This movie is a story about Martha Ivers, who sends an innocent man to the gallows to cover up her own accidental slaying of her aunt who had found the thirteen-year-old Martha about to run away with a young lad named Sam Masterson. The youth leaves Ivers- town and eventually becomes a gambler, returning seventeen years later. The strange love of the title is never quite clear. It can only refer to the love Martha feels for Sam when he returns to Ivers- town, but it´s a love more perverse than strange. Young Martha Ivers had assumed her boyfriend to be a witness to the killing of her aunt, whereas he had in fact not actually seen the crime. However, another youngster, Walter, did see Martha clobber her aunt with a heavy cane. To save this secret they both share they marry each other, but the marriage means nothing to Martha and she carries on various amorous affairs, while her husband drowns his sorrow in drink. It´s the return of Sam that sets off the chain of events that results in the collapse of the Ivers family. He falls in love with a girl named Tony who has recently been released from jail. Martha and Walter think that Sam has reappeared in order to blackmail them, and they devise maneuvers to ward him off, including having him beaten up. Only then are Sam´s doubts raised about the pair; he examines old newspapers and concludes that an innocent man was sent to the gallows on perjured evidence. Once he has pieced the mystery together, Sam is prepared to blackmail. Martha then tries to rekindle their old love and Sam falls for her. But he balks at the idea of the two of them teaming up to murder Walter. Sensing disaster the drunken Walter spills the truth to Sam who has little choice but to leave the wretched scene...

Cast (in credits order): Barbara Stanwyck ... as Martha Ivers

Van Heflin ... as Sam Masterson

Lizabeth Scott ... as Toni Marachek

Kirk Douglas ... as Walter O'Neil

Judith Anderson ... as Mrs. Ivers

Roman Bohnen ... as Mr. O'Neil

Darryl Hickman ... as Sam Masterson (as a boy)

Janis Wilson ... as Martha Ivers (as a girl)

Ann Doran ... as Secretary

Frank Orth ... as Hotel Clerk

James Flavin ... as Detective

Mickey Kuhn ... as Walter O'Neil (as a boy)

Chester D. Brown ... as Special Investigator

Written by: Robert Rossen (based on a story by Jack Patrick)

Photographed by: Victor Milner

Music by: Miklós Rózsa

Film Editing by: Archie Marshek

German title:	Die seltsame Liebe der Martha Ivers
Distributed by:	Paramount Pictures
Produced by:	Hal B. Wallis
Genre / keyword:	Drama / Film-Noir
Runtime:	117
Directed by:	Lewis Milestone
Summary:	In his first film Kirk Douglas appeared as a weakling, a man dominated by a vicious woman and made a criminal accomplice by her. Despite the softness and unpleasantness of the part, Douglas made the man sympathetic. He gave his weakling a little humor and warmth, and the suggestion that under other circumstances he might have been a good and decent man. It was a remarkably effective performance and it assured Douglas his future in films. This movie is a story about Martha Ivers, who sends an innocent man to the gallows to cover up her own accidental slaying of her aunt who had found the thirteen-year-old Martha about to run away with a young lad named Sam Masterson. The youth leaves Ivers- town and eventually becomes a gambler, returning seventeen years later. The strange love of the title is never quite clear. It can only refer to the love Martha feels for Sam when he returns to Ivers- town, but it´s a love more perverse than strange. Young Martha Ivers had assumed her boyfriend to be a witness to the killing of her aunt, whereas he had in fact not actually seen the crime. However, another youngster, Walter, did see Martha clobber her aunt with a heavy cane. To save this secret they both share they marry each other, but the marriage means nothing to Martha and she carries on various amorous affairs, while her husband drowns his sorrow in drink. It´s the return of Sam that sets off the chain of events that results in the collapse of the Ivers family. He falls in love with a girl named Tony who has recently been released from jail. Martha and Walter think that Sam has reappeared in order to blackmail them, and they devise maneuvers to ward him off, including having him beaten up. Only then are Sam´s doubts raised about the pair; he examines old newspapers and concludes that an innocent man was sent to the gallows on perjured evidence. Once he has pieced the mystery together, Sam is prepared to blackmail. Martha then tries to rekindle their old love and Sam falls for her. But he balks at the idea of the two of them teaming up to murder Walter. Sensing disaster the drunken Walter spills the truth to Sam who has little choice but to leave the wretched scene...
Cast (in credits order):	Barbara Stanwyck ... as Martha Ivers
	Van Heflin ... as Sam Masterson
	Lizabeth Scott ... as Toni Marachek
	Kirk Douglas ... as Walter O'Neil
	Judith Anderson ... as Mrs. Ivers
	Roman Bohnen ... as Mr. O'Neil
	Darryl Hickman ... as Sam Masterson (as a boy)
	Janis Wilson ... as Martha Ivers (as a girl)
	Ann Doran ... as Secretary
	Frank Orth ... as Hotel Clerk
	James Flavin ... as Detective
	Mickey Kuhn ... as Walter O'Neil (as a boy)
	Chester D. Brown ... as Special Investigator
Written by:	Robert Rossen (based on a story by Jack Patrick)
Photographed by:	Victor Milner
Music by:	Miklós Rózsa
Film Editing by:	Archie Marshek