User reviews

Allegedly, Susan Hayward got this breakthrough role because every other Hollywood actress turned it down, due to the fact that it is the story of Bing Crosby's wife, Dixie Lee. Whatever, it got Susan an Oscar nomination and put her on the road to meatier parts.

As other comments have pointed out, this was probably considered very hard-hitting back in the day. But while it's true that "The Lost Weekend" tackled alcoholism, this is the story of a woman alcoholic, and that carries a lot of baggage with it - baggage Hollywood probably wasn't ready to face in 1947. One of the stereotypes of female alcoholism is promiscuity, a subject not broached here. Also, rather than a slovenly, bedraggled appearance, Hayward looks gorgeous throughout. Had this subject been handled more brutally, it would have been groundbreaking. In 1947, alcoholics like Gail Russell hid out at home, leading miserable, lonely lives. Here, Hayward gives up her own successful singing career to be the stay at home wife of Lee Bowman, whose career takes off. (In Bowman's dubbing, they even give him those mellow, rounded Crosby-like tones.) Boredom, feeling left out, and jealousy lead her to consume more and more alcohol, although it's clear from the beginning of the film that she drinks for courage before performing.

Her downward cycle and the ending of the movie are all a little too pat, but Hayward does a good job with the material she's given. Lee Bowman is miscast as her successful husband - he lacks the charisma, breezy manner, and flirtatiousness one would associate with a successful pop singer of the era and displays none of the ambition one would suspect Crosby and Sinatra, for instance, possessed. He also lacks the self-involvement one would associate with a star of that magnitude, which would in turn drive his wife out of his life. This is more the fault of the script and the direction, however.

Eddie Albert is charming and gives an honest performance as partner and concerned friend.

Recommended if you want to see a young Susan Hayward in a meaty role.

A successful singer Angelica Evans (Susan Hayward) gives up her career and marries unsuccessful singer Ken Conway (Lee Bowman). She happily sacrifices for him and his partner (Eddie Albert). Eventually he DOES hit it big, she has a baby...but he never has time for her--his rising career comes first. She slowly drifts into alcoholism.

This was probably hard-hitting in 1947 (a female alcoholic) but it's not even remotely surprising today. It tiredly follows all the rules of a drama like this leading to a jaw-dropping happy ending that was TOTALLY unbelievable (but the Production Code demanded that). Also Bowman is pretty stiff as the husband and this looks pretty cheap (it WAS independently financed).

Still Hayward is so good all the shortcomings can be forgiven. She dives into the role full force and gives everything she has to it. This film (understandably) made her a star and earned her an Academy Award nomination. She's just incredible--it's worth sitting through just for her acting. Also Albert is very good in his supporting role.

So it is dated and really not that good--but worth seeing for Haywood's strong, impressive performance.

Smash Up (1947)

A moving, dramatic story of a singer and then wife and mother and her battle with alcohol. At first you don't know this is going to figure, and it seems to be about a female singer stepping aside to let her new husband's singing career rise. Which it does. And singing dominates the first half to the point of being a musical (and to the point that some viewers might give up on it).

But don't. It's a really good film, the voices are strong even if very old fashioned, and the leading woman's performance is all out, really terrific. She got an Oscar nomination for this role and it's no wonder.

The leading man was probably chosen for his silky rich voice, but Lee Bowman is a very natural actor, and he keeps up his end of the relationship. And this relationship suffers, thanks to career and to the sharp looking and devious Marsha Hunt playing a secretary who likes this singer too much. There are lots of great scenes of parties and night clubs, and even (by contrast) raising a baby. There are lots of movies with these kinds of themes, including a baby who has a brush with death (I give nothing more away), and everything is played out with elegance and smarts.

The elegance comes from great cinematographer Stanley Cortez ("Night of the Hunter") and the smarts come from director Stuart Heisler ("The Glass Key") who never quite rose to his potential in the industry, turning eventually to television. The supporting cast is terrific, including a very natural and likable Eddie Albert, but it's Hayward to eventually steals the show. See her!

Susan Hayward's fine performance, for which she is deservedly well-remembered, is easily the best reason to watch this feature. Overall it is not bad, but mostly unremarkable, and it is Hayward's ability to make her character interesting, believable, and sympathetic that makes the rest of it work.

The story has many familiar elements, with Angie (Hayward's character) sacrificing her singing career for the sake of her husband's own singing career. Her ups-and-downs, her battle with alcoholism, and her fears about her relationships all provide good material for Hayward to work with.

As the husband, Lee Bowman is quite bland and one-dimensional, so much so that it almost looks deliberate. Eddie Albert helps out as the husband's partner, and Marsha Hunt gives a good performance as Angie's cold-blooded rival. Carl Esmond gets a couple of good moments as the caring doctor who tries to set things right.

While much of the story follows familiar formulas, it does bring out a few useful thoughts, and more than that it allows for a well-developed look at its main character. Its strengths as a character study and as an acting performance make it worthwhile, despite a few weaknesses elsewhere.

Anyone who passes up the chance to see Susan Hayward in "Smash-Up" because they've already seen her play a drunk in 1956's more popular "I'll Cry Tomorrow" are missing out on a great performance from the star. Hayward seems to relish her role in this extremely well-written melodrama deluxe involving a nightclub songbird who gives up her career to be a wife and mother. But when husband Lee Bowman's singing career takes off, she feels forgotten and falls back on her main weakness (always a little shy--maybe anti-social--she hits the sauce). John Howard Lawson wrote the screenplay from a treatment by Dorothy Parker (!) and Frank Cavett, and their dialogue has a canny ring of Hollywood-ized truth (meaning it's ripe with romanticized realizations). Far from camp, the movie shrewdly gives a woman who doesn't fall apart simply because of her husband's popularity--she had a streak of insecurity before they wed--and even a loyal friend of hers doesn't come racing to her rescue (she has to hit bottom, and even at the finale I wasn't totally sure she had embraced sobriety). Some odd moments: there's a quick scene with Hayward waking up in a stranger's house on Skid Row which isn't used for anything other than a bridge to the next scene, and the crucial last shot of Hayward and Bowman is muffed because Hayward has her back to the camera. Eddie Albert is very good as Bowman's accompanist (he helped Hayward out in "I'll Cry Tomorrow" too) and Marsha Hunt is fantastic as an executive with eyes for Bowman (her designs are subtle, but Susan catches them, leading to a great catfight). Glossy but not soft, "Smash-Up", which may have been loosely based on Bing Crosby's first marriage, was criticized at the time for being merely a distaff variation of "The Lost Weekend". However, it gives us a fine actress in her prime, and her strong performance here is well worth-seeing. *** from ****

Not to be outdone by Ray Milland, who had galvanized audiences two years earlier with his unprecedented depiction of alcoholism in "The Lost Weekend," Susan Hayward wanted to prove that women could be alcoholics too, and plays one in this melodrama that looks like a film noir but in every other respect is a straight up soap opera.

Hayward's performance isn't exactly subtle, but at least it's subtler than the one she'd give as another alcoholic several years later in "I'll Cry Tomorrow." It's probably not fair to laugh at these old movies and their representations of conditions that we've since learned so much more about, but it's hard not to. And I will give this movie credit for calling alcoholism a disease, something people today can't always even understand about it, and for outright saying that part of Hayward's character's problem is that she's too bored and has nothing to give her life meaning. Servants and services do everything for her; she doesn't even raise her own child. All she does is trail around basking in her husband's shadow. It wouldn't be until about 15 years later that "The Feminine Mystique" would suggest that dutiful housewife was not a role that necessarily every woman aspired to despite our culture's dogged determination to make it so, and here is this movie made immediately after WWII addressing that as a major theme. If anything makes this movie worth seeing now, it's that.

Hayward received the first of five career Oscar nominations for her performance in this, and Dorothy Parker and Frank Cavett were nominated for writing the original story on which the screenplay was based.

Grade: B-

Popular nightclub entertainer Angie Evans marries struggling but adoring musician husband Ken Conway, and she retires to raise a family. His career soars, and he dotes on her with his new wealth. Still, she sinks into alcoholism. Despite a weak second half, and a pat, disappointing ending (I can't help but think the current ending was changed from the original script and reshot, as was "Magnificent Ambersons") there is much to recommend "Smash-Up". First is Eddie Albert's flawless work as the Conways' gumchewing family friend and songwriting partner. Secondly, there are three great songs by Harold Adamson and Jimmy McHugh. One of these, "Hushabye Mountain", sung in the Conway nursery, is sheer screen magic. And the "Life Can Be Beautiful" theme will keep you humming for weeks. Another big positive is the exceptional cinematography which jumps in and out of film noir, even in the nursery sequences, and not necessarily during only the "crisis" moments, which is refreshing. Lee Bowman, an underrated and talented actor, gives some depth to the part of the sainted husband, and his work will hold the interest of those who usually avoid this sort of thing. Susan Hayward does circumvent most (but not all) of her chances to chew the scenery as she self-medicates herself in an effort to control her personal demons. Still, this film is hers. It's worth your time.

Dorothy Parker was co-writer of the original story and you can just about make out her contribution in the character played by Susan Hayward, a singer who sacrifices her career for that of her husband, Lee Bowman, then hits the bottle as she plays second-fiddle losing him to vampish Marsha Hunt. This was a conventional woman's picture of the period but it gave Hayward a meaty role which she seized with both hands, earning an Oscar nomination into the bargain. Co-star Eddie Albert almost steals the show, however, in the role of the couple's best friend and Bowman's co-songwriter. The tear-stained ending doesn't do it any favours.

There is a lot to like about this film and it's sure a shame that it's not better-known. Unfortunately, Miss Hayward was later given an Oscar for her WAAAAAY over the top performance in I WANT TO LIVE, whereas she only was nominated for this film. Oddly, Loretta Young won for THE FARMER'S DAUGHTER, a kooky and not particularly deep film--in my opinion Hayward definitely deserved the award. Perhaps she lost since she was a relative newcomer.

The reason I liked the film so much was that it was an excellent study of alcoholism as well as the contribution an enabling spouse can have on the drinking. This aspect of alcoholism was not explored in the award-winning LOST WEEKEND, plus LOST WEEKEND ended on a very unrealistic and overly optimistic note that just didn't ring true. In most ways, SMASH-UP was a better film (though the scenes of Ray Milland having DTs were incredible).

By the way, if you liked this film and want to see an even better film on drinking and a destructive relationship, try DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES--perhaps the best study of alcoholism ever put on screen.

Beautiful alcoholic Susan Hayward (as Angelica "Angie" Evans) wakes up bandaged in a hospital bed, trying to recall what led to her "Smash-Up" - "The Story of a Woman" is told in flashback… A rising young singer, though lacking some confidence, Ms. Hayward gives up her career to serve as wife, mother, and party hostess to radio crooner Lee Bowman (as Ken Conway). He and his career take off, leading Hayward to fill her emptying life with alcohol. Hayward's boozing leaves Mr. Bowman vulnerable to secretary Marsha Hunt (as Martha Gray). Understanding Eddie Albert (as Steve Nelson) tries to help save his friend's marriage.

This is silly melodrama masquerading as social consciousness - and, it's capped by a cringing post-production ending, which squanders much of the fiery drama. Hayward never really messes her make-up, or crawls in the gutter, and photographer Stanley Cortez keeps everything beautiful in black-and-white. Still, there is more than one kind of alcoholic, Hayward does an excellent job with the role, and the message about this woman's need for her own career is clear. The "Academy Awards" provided Hayward with her first "Best Actress" nomination. And, Mrs. Crosby wasn't the only Hollywood woman too dependent on drink.

******* Smash-Up (3/47) Stuart Heisler ~ Susan Hayward, Lee Bowman, Marsha Hunt, Eddie Albert

The Plot.

Angie Evans, fast-rising nightclub singer, interrupts her career to marry struggling songwriter Ken Conway.

When Ken lucks into a career as chart-topping radio crooner, Angie is forced into idle luxury which proves her downfall.

Her potential alcoholism burgeons and Ken remains clueless concerning his responsibility for her problems.

First the disclaimer: The sound quality of the print I saw wasn't the best.

I could do without the singing.The plot was not so compelling.

The exposition is sort of slow. This is "the story of a woman," but you don't really ever get a good empathy going for her.

In all, it was a disappointment.

A radio singer's wife turns to self destruction through alcoholism when her husband's success interferes with their life. Although it looks dated now and obviously was not a big budget Hollywood film, but this was Hayward's breakthrough performance and deservedly earned her a first Oscar nomination.

The film Smash - Up The Story of a Woman was controversial, particularly for its time as it contravened the then strict Hays Code (1930 - 1968), which acted as a censorship and as such a moral guidance. In this respect the Hays Code defined morality for the masses, which of course Smash Up defies.

Therefore, Smash-up is not merely a controversial subject matter, but a defiant, rebellious film. With this image, it is rumoured that major film actors of the day didn't want any part in it as it might compromise their carefully contrived film star image. This left a chasm in which a film role of an alcoholic mother, wife and homemaker needed filling.

The controversial nature of the role is ripe for a struggling actor, such as Susan Hayward. Consequently, Hayward seizes the opportunity to gain fame via notoriety, and controversy. Accordingly, notoriety is the agent of Hayward's fame, which inadvertently relegates her acting ability to a secondary position.

In this respect, it is the acquiring of a role for its controversial nature that portrays Hayward, (or at least her agent) as somewhat, calculating. This form of Machiavelianism has been seized upon by many public relations' agents subsequently, and none more so than today. Indeed, the popular press is full of controversial stories about contemporary celebrities, such as actors Agelina Jolie and Brad Pitt adopting children from developing counties. There are many other examples of today's celebrities courting fame via controversy. Smash-Up illustrates this well as in it acts as the agent of Hayward's fame.

Despite the speculative reasons why Hayward took on the controversial part, she's been short-changed as her role lacks flesh. In order comply with the then Hays Code, it is watered down, and too melodramatic. The subject matter of alcohol dependency is therefore undermined. This is exacerbated by Hayward's always glamorous presence on screen, in her role as Angel.

Of course her glamour is partly made by Angel's, middle-class lifestyle where she complies to the role of the dutifully wife, mother and home-maker, which as a former career woman she finds lacks fulfilment. Part of her trouble is that Western society doesn't value Motherhood, or home-making as it is not seen as directly contributing to the wealth of a nation. All Angel wants is to feel valued and worthy in her role at home.

This film has important issues which should not be dismissed just because it's melodramatic. At least it was a brave decision to produce it, which deserves credit alone, particularly during the Hays Code era. It is also particularly interesting as it illustrates how controversy serves as the agent of celebrity and fame. As an aside note, it was 19th Centuty, classic English novelist Charles Dickens who noted that controversy brought about celebrity. In this respect Dickens was referring to public hangings.

In this story a few of Hayward's performances resemble other story lines that she has performed. Same performance in I'll Cry Tomorrow; and the cat fight in the powder room the same as in Valley of The Dolls. Marsha Hunt was strictly wooden as the part of the secretary Martha; Lee Bowman was strictly unsympathetic as the long suffering husband who knew at the beginning that is wife was a lush. Only relief was Eddie Albert as his friend; he brought reasoning to both parties. With the interjection of Carl Esmond as Dr. Lorenz as the go between husband and wife to explain what we now know as alcoholism as a disease was ahead of it's time. I know at the end she had said she hit rock bottom; but did she?

Susan Hayward is front & center is this sex swap variation on A Star is Born from 1947. Hayward is a singer on the rise packing crowds in small clubs she's performs at but when her ne'er do well songwriting husband sweeps in from out of town & he hasn't even the price of cab fare, we know which direction this marriage slants. The hubby, played by Lee Bowman & his man on the piano, played by Eddie Albert, end up getting a gig on the radio playing Western tunes but when an opportunity arises during the birth of his daughter to play something more personal, he does, which strikes a chord w/the listening public which sends his career in the ascendant while Hayward, having to stay home & raise their child, begins hitting the bottle a little too heavily (her jealousy over her hubby's booking agent also plays into this uneasy mix). What follows is the standard 'how low will she go?' trajectory as the booze soon becomes a serious problem (she tends to pass out while smoking nearly causing a fire...more on that later!) but Hayward (in her first Oscar nomination & who would win in about a decade's time for her role in I Want to Live) ekes out a particular vulnerable protagonist which she always excelled at. My only gripe here is the low budget presentation maybe forced the filmmakers to speed things along to the point where they'd assume an audience's capacity for rapid story beats worked when a more leisurely paced effort would've been just fine.

One of my favorite actresses , Susan Hayward shines in this melodrama ,which sometimes looks like a blueprint for "I'll cry tomorrw" , for which she was awarded an AA nomination .

Reportedly based on a famous singer's wife 's story, "smash-up " tells the tale of a woman who sacrifices her career -and looks like some kind of "a star is born" in reverse ,victim of her husband's selfishness and ungratefulness: the turning point is the phone call when the hubby -star is having a party ,then when he accuses her of neglecting her sick daughter whereas she spent hours and hours of distress at her bedside .

Her chronic alcoholism makes sense in this context ;besides,the presence of coy Martha (good support by Marsha Hunt ) does not help .

Not only alcoholism but also custody of children are contemporary problems .

In the Citadel Film Series, The Films of Susan Hayward, the authors put forward the proposition that if The Lost Weekend had not come out the year before and carried all the awards it won, Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman might have garnered a lot more acclaim and maybe an Oscar for Susan Hayward.

As it is the film got two Oscar nominations for Best Story by Dorothy Parker and Frank Cavett and for Best Actress for Susan Hayward. It was Hayward's first of five nominations and she lost to Loretta Young for The Farmer's Daughter. That in itself was an upset because odds-makers had Rosalind Russell the favorite for Mourning Becomes Electra. Rounding out the field were Dorothy McGuire for Gentleman's Agreement and Joan Crawford for Possessed.

At the time Smash-Up came out there were hushed rumors going around that this film was based on the troubled marriage of Bing Crosby and Dixie Lee. Having just read a biography of Gene Autry that came out last year an equally good case can be made for it being modeled on his first marriage to Ina Mae Spivey. Especially since Lee Bowman's character starts out as a cowboy singer and branches out as Autry was doing right about that time.

In any event the story has Susan Hayward as a lounge singer who falls in love with another singer Lee Bowman and marries him and they have a daughter. Bowman's career surges ahead of her's and she's left at home bored and raising the daughter they both love. She turns to drink and with that come all the attending problems. How they're resolved you'll have to see Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman to find out.

The musical score was written mostly by Jimmy McHugh and Harold Adamson and two songs really stand out. The theme song Life Can Be Beautiful and another terrific ballad I Miss That Feeling. The latter was recorded by Tony Martin for Mercury Records, I've not heard a commercial recording of the former.

Bowman and Hayward were dubbed by vocalists Hal Derwin and Peg LaCentra respectively. The voices perfectly suit the players.

In the supporting cast Marsha Hunt should be singled out as the agent's secretary carrying the Olympic torch for Bowman. Even though he doesn't notice her, she sure gets Hayward's back up and they have one outstanding chick fight in a powder room.

Still the film belongs to Susan Hayward as the girl from Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn was taken seriously as an actress for the first time in her career. After Smash-Up no one took Susan Hayward any other way.

Nightclub singer Angie Evans (Susan Hayward) wakes up in the hospital with her head bandaged. She recounts her story. She fell for singer Ken Conway (Lee Bowman). Her agent gets Ken and piano player friend Steve Anderson (Eddie Albert) on the radio. Angie becomes a stay-at-home wife and grows suspicious of secretary Martha Gray (Marsha Hunt).

Susan Hayward and the writing both got nominated for Oscars. She definitely is doing a showy performance. I'm not sure that the writing is that good. One never knows about the competition for any one year. It's still a good watch especially for Hayward fans.

Whoever thought it was a good idea to pair an emotional Susan Hayward with a stoic Lee Bowman? In fact, Bowman is terrible, and I had no idea why she would even look at her when the always gallant Eddie Albert was gaga over her. Other than that, it's old-fashioned look at alcoholism was dated even in 1947, and the movie has little else to see.

A sort of role-reversal of "A Star is Born" as Susan Hayward portrays a successful nightclub singer who marries a struggling lyricist - Lee Bowman. When his career takes off, she becomes disheartened and turns to the bottle - putting herself and her young daughter at risk. Hayward is rather good in this - she is convincing as both a singer (thanks, largely, to the tones of Peg La Centra) and a drunk; and does engender a feeling of sympathy. Regrettably, the rest of the cast are unremarkable and the ending reduces her performance to little more than that of a pathetic failure. It's worth a watch, but only because you can see the star quality in Hayward's performance rather than anything peculiar to this story.

To see how Susan Hayward could have such a prig as husband. I´d go alcoholic too. And the baby was so annoying, was a bit disappointed did not die the obnoxious little nuisance,