The strange love of Martha Ivers
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The strange love of Martha Ivers |
| Original title | The Strange Love of Martha Ivers |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1946 |
| length | 116 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Lewis Milestone |
| script |
Robert Rossen John Patrick (Story) |
| production | Hal B. Wallis |
| music | Miklós Rózsa |
| camera | Victor Milner |
| cut | Archie Marshek |
| occupation | |
| |
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers is an American film noir from 1946 by Lewis Milestone. The leading roles are cast with Barbara Stanwyck , Van Heflin and Lizabeth Scott . Kirk Douglas can be seen in his first film role.
action
Iverstown, 1928: Martha was adopted by her aunt Mrs. Ivers and had to take her name. The entrepreneur Mrs. Ivers is the richest woman in the small town of Iverstown, but Martha can't stand the bossy old woman and keeps running away. Stray Sam Masterson helps her out and is her best friend. But the city's police officers can always bring them back home. There, on a rainy night, she is not only expecting her aunt, but also Mr. O'Neil and his son Walter. Young Walter is supposed to go to Harvard University one day, but his father lacks the money. So he sees a connection with Martha as his son's only chance. That night, however, there is a deadly conflict between Martha and her aunt. Martha pushes her aunt down the great stairs of the huge house. The aunt is fatally injured and Walter witnesses the crime. However, Martha claims that a tall, dark man came into the house during the thunderstorm and killed the aunt. Walter confirms it. Father O'Neil also covers the deed and can thus achieve that Martha will marry as the heir of her aunt Walter's property. Another man who is accused of the murder of Mrs. Ivers and is also identified by Martha as the perpetrator, is sentenced to death and hanged.
18 years later, Sam Masterson happens to come back to Iverstown town. He is passing through and had a minor car accident. While he is waiting for the car to be repaired and walking through the well-known city, he meets the penniless young Toni. They spend the evening together and finally spend the night in a hotel. The couple fall in love. Sam learns that Walter has become a successful lawyer and local politician and that Martha Ivers has become his wife. Martha has since expanded the company empire many times over and rules the city. Walter suffers from feelings of inferiority and is addicted to alcohol. His father, Mr. O'Neil, has since passed away. When Toni is suddenly arrested after the night in the hotel, Sam turns to Walter. This is also where Martha reunites, who still seems to have stronger feelings for Sam than for her husband. However, Martha and Walter fear that Sam might know about their murder at the time, since he was also present in the house shortly before the act, and that he could now plan blackmail. But Sam does not know anything about the incidents.
Martha arranges a meeting with Sam to see if she can bind him to her. She would drop Walter for it. It causes the auto repair shop to delay the repair. At the same time, Walter does everything to make Sam leave town as quickly as possible. He organized a group of thugs who beat up Sam and left him outside the city. But Sam comes back. In a final encounter in the Ivers house, Martha threatens Sam with the revolver, as she realizes that Sam will not love her because he recognizes her unscrupulousness. But she cannot shoot him. Sam disappears and in the distance hears two shots in quick succession. At first Walter pointed the revolver at his wife. But the drunk Walter was too weak and not brave enough to shoot his wife. Instead, she pulled the trigger herself. Shortly afterwards, Walter also shoots himself.
Sam then returns to Toni, who had already wanted to leave, and they leave town together with the plan to get married.
background
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers opened in US cinemas on July 24, 1946. In Germany it was not shown in cinemas, but was first shown on television on August 16, 1989.
The role of Walter O'Neil was the first film role for Kirk Douglas. He was brought to the attention of producer Hal B. Wallis through Lauren Bacall , who was in the same drama school as Kirk Douglas.
Award
The film was nominated for an Oscar in the category Best Original Story in 1947 . The basic story was written by John Patrick .
criticism
“A dark, fatalistic film noir that addresses mutual dependencies and psychological hopelessness and creates a morbid climate of oppressive intensity. Acting perfect. "
Web links
- The Strange Love of Martha Ivers in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Alain Silver, Elizabeth Ward (Ed.): Film Noir. An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style, Third Edition. Overlook / Duckworth, New York / Woodstock / London 1992, ISBN 978-0-87951-479-2 , pp. 266-268. In Germany it was not shown in cinemas, but was first shown on television on August 16, 1989.
- ↑ a b The Strange Love of Martha Ivers in the Lexicon of International Films .