Madame X is a film best enjoyed by baby boomers and for those who can understand a mother's sacrificial love for her child and family. I am a romantic at heart and I always cry when I see this movie. This movie is not intended for children. I truly love this film. It is much, much better than the 1937 version of Madame X. The movie took a few minutes to draw me in. But I was hooked once bad things started to happen. I love the last scenes in the movie. This is where I always cry. Lana Turner was perfect in this role. Lana Turner's transformation was incredible. Beauty becomes a beast with a deep love hidden in her heart and then transforms into a paragon of motherhood. The director used his camera and lighting well. The musical background is perfect. This is a late night film or a rainy day film where you can blame your wet eyes at the end on the rain. No popcorn here. Just a glass of wine to enjoy this movie with.
66 Reviews
Powerful soap opera
dlbhina62218 April 2013
I admit that the first time I saw this film, I had gone through a box of Kleenex by the end. The second time around, it was a full-length soap opera, but a really good one. And the third time, I thought how silly it was. But all in all, I have to admit that Ms. Turner gave a beautiful and moving performance, and worked well with Ricardo Montalban. In fact, I would have liked to see them work together more.
As one reviewer said, Ms. Turner is supposed to be of the lower class, but that is hard to imagine. Perhaps if Shelly Winters played the role, yes. But Ms. Turner to me, rather then being of lower class, gives the impression of being too beautiful, too playful and too liberal to be part of what appears to be a powerfully conservative and old money family. And realizing this, she descends into that lower class,not because she is, but because her broken self-esteem tells her that is where she aught to be. This self-destruction is more of what makes this film interesting, and to me makes her reuniting with her son almost irrelevant. Overall, when I think of how unimportant this film is, there are certain moments that are hard to forget, and for this reason I give it a 6+.
As one reviewer said, Ms. Turner is supposed to be of the lower class, but that is hard to imagine. Perhaps if Shelly Winters played the role, yes. But Ms. Turner to me, rather then being of lower class, gives the impression of being too beautiful, too playful and too liberal to be part of what appears to be a powerfully conservative and old money family. And realizing this, she descends into that lower class,not because she is, but because her broken self-esteem tells her that is where she aught to be. This self-destruction is more of what makes this film interesting, and to me makes her reuniting with her son almost irrelevant. Overall, when I think of how unimportant this film is, there are certain moments that are hard to forget, and for this reason I give it a 6+.
Haul Out the Bathtowels
bkoganbing6 November 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Madame X is one of the great soap opera films of all time, popular back in the day, but by the sixties that genre had really run its course. But it is given one handsomely mounted production by Ross Hunter who was the last great Hollywood producer of such drama.
This film has a long pedigree. It is based on a play by Alexandre Bisson entitled La Femme X and in France it has been filmed quite a few times. In America Madame X was filmed twice. The original film was an early talkie and won an Oscar nomination for its star Ruth Chatterton. But that one was essentially a photographed stage play.
Come 1966 if nothing else Ross Hunter made this film move. All kinds of location shooting done here, from Fairfield County, Connecticut to Switzerland, to Mexico and back to New York. It's the 20 year saga of Holly Anderson who paid big time for a bad mistake.
Lana Turner played Anderson who when we meet here has just married Clayton Anderson from a very old line WASP family with a pedigree back to the pilgrims. John Forsythe is Clayton and in her last film, Constance Bennett is his mother Estelle. They have a son, but Forsythe's political career takes him away for long stretches and she begins an affair with playboy Ricardo Montalban. When Forsythe returns, Turner attempts to break it off with Montalban, but Montalban won't hear of it. During a struggle Montalban falls down a flight of stairs and is killed.
Bennett who's been keeping tabs on this whole business confronts Turner and tells her to fake her death and leave before scandal ruins the good Anderson name which now includes another generation. For the sake of her husband and son, Turner sacrifices and leaves.
The rest of the film is her wanderings until she gets involved with a petty crook played by Burgess Meredith and she kills him. She signs a written confession with an X hence the title.
I won't tell the rest but make sure the bathtowel is handy while watching this film. Lana Turner who knew plenty about scandal and sacrifice in her life, does pretty well by this role. The rest of the players are in support of her, almost in awe.
By this time soap opera had found its way on to the small screen, both in the afternoon and evening prime time. Films like Madame X just didn't do that well any more at the box office. A pity too, because you won't forget Turner's climatic scene with her grown son, played by Keir Dullea.
This film has a long pedigree. It is based on a play by Alexandre Bisson entitled La Femme X and in France it has been filmed quite a few times. In America Madame X was filmed twice. The original film was an early talkie and won an Oscar nomination for its star Ruth Chatterton. But that one was essentially a photographed stage play.
Come 1966 if nothing else Ross Hunter made this film move. All kinds of location shooting done here, from Fairfield County, Connecticut to Switzerland, to Mexico and back to New York. It's the 20 year saga of Holly Anderson who paid big time for a bad mistake.
Lana Turner played Anderson who when we meet here has just married Clayton Anderson from a very old line WASP family with a pedigree back to the pilgrims. John Forsythe is Clayton and in her last film, Constance Bennett is his mother Estelle. They have a son, but Forsythe's political career takes him away for long stretches and she begins an affair with playboy Ricardo Montalban. When Forsythe returns, Turner attempts to break it off with Montalban, but Montalban won't hear of it. During a struggle Montalban falls down a flight of stairs and is killed.
Bennett who's been keeping tabs on this whole business confronts Turner and tells her to fake her death and leave before scandal ruins the good Anderson name which now includes another generation. For the sake of her husband and son, Turner sacrifices and leaves.
The rest of the film is her wanderings until she gets involved with a petty crook played by Burgess Meredith and she kills him. She signs a written confession with an X hence the title.
I won't tell the rest but make sure the bathtowel is handy while watching this film. Lana Turner who knew plenty about scandal and sacrifice in her life, does pretty well by this role. The rest of the players are in support of her, almost in awe.
By this time soap opera had found its way on to the small screen, both in the afternoon and evening prime time. Films like Madame X just didn't do that well any more at the box office. A pity too, because you won't forget Turner's climatic scene with her grown son, played by Keir Dullea.
Lana Wuz Robbed !!!
fguerras2 October 2006
I couldn't agree more ! I have always thought this was Lana supreme --- even better than "Peyton Place." Hollywood OWED it to Lana to nominate her greatest performance --- a terrible oversight. It's like nominating Doris for "Pillow Talk" INSTEAD of "Love Me or Leave Me." I will never forget seeing this movie at Fort Hood, Texas when I was in basic training in 1966. I bought the soundtrack LP immediately, and played it to death. It has never come out on CD. HELLO, Universal Music ??? Nice to see her fans supporting her, though ! And the movie is a luscious "guilty pleasure." It looks like the cast enjoyed making this film. I know Constance Bennett must have loved to have one more juicy role ! If you like the splashy, technicolor "wimmen's pitchas", as my sister would say, don't miss this !
old melodrama gets gloss treatment at the hands of Ross Hunter
blanche-225 March 2006
The old chestnut "Madame X" has had something like 9 screen versions, not to mention a play and the book. There's an occasional change here and there but the plot remains basically the same: A young woman is thrown out of her home and separated from her child. She hits the skids, and 20 years later, the child defends her on a murder charge.
So goes this version of "Madame X" as well, with a nice roster of stars: Lana Turner, Keir Dullea, John Forsythe, Ricardo Montalban, Constance Bennett, and Burgess Meredith. Turner is the unfortunate woman, happily married to Clayton Anderson (John Forsythe) a man with a good political future, and she's the mother of a young son. But the marriage becomes strained when Clayton is away too much, and Holly starts fooling around. When her husband comes home and she realizes how much she loves him, she tries to break it off with a roué (Ricardo Montalban). During an argument, he falls down the stairs to his death. Holly's mother-in-law, played by Constance Bennett, arranges for her to disappear with a new identity. In Europe, Holly meets a wealthy musician who falls in love with her, but she runs out on him - a big mistake - and ends up turning to alcohol and easy sex. When she murders a blackmailer (Meredith) who is going to tell her son who she is, she ends up on trial - defended by her son.
Well, the pot doesn't boil any better than this, and Hunter gives it a big, expensive production and sets Lana Turner loose in what is probably her best performance. Although the age/dissipation makeup is a little over the top, Turner gives the degenerate Holly a great, hard edge and a lot of frailty. It's a nice juxtaposition to the earlier sweetness and buoyancy of her character. Turner was one of those movie stars whose beauty, glamor, and private life often had critics not paying much attention to her performances, but she gave some good ones nonetheless. The other standout in the cast is Bennett, who's as slender as she was in the '30s and a lot tougher. Her voice has dropped a couple of octaves and her hair is a strange brown (this was perhaps in deference to the blond Lana). Toward the end of the film, she gets white hair softly styled and looks beautiful - even with the age makeup that needed to be added to the 60-year-old. The role of Forsythe's manipulative, protective mother is perfect for her -- a fitting last film for one of the great and prolific stars of the 1930s. She died before the film was released. Keir Dullea is appealing as the son, and Forsythe is pleasant though he doesn't have a huge role.
Try as they might, Madame X is from another time and by 1966 just wasn't great movie material. It is however, entertaining and engrossing. The most jaded person can't help but to be moved by the ending, though you may hate yourself for it.
So goes this version of "Madame X" as well, with a nice roster of stars: Lana Turner, Keir Dullea, John Forsythe, Ricardo Montalban, Constance Bennett, and Burgess Meredith. Turner is the unfortunate woman, happily married to Clayton Anderson (John Forsythe) a man with a good political future, and she's the mother of a young son. But the marriage becomes strained when Clayton is away too much, and Holly starts fooling around. When her husband comes home and she realizes how much she loves him, she tries to break it off with a roué (Ricardo Montalban). During an argument, he falls down the stairs to his death. Holly's mother-in-law, played by Constance Bennett, arranges for her to disappear with a new identity. In Europe, Holly meets a wealthy musician who falls in love with her, but she runs out on him - a big mistake - and ends up turning to alcohol and easy sex. When she murders a blackmailer (Meredith) who is going to tell her son who she is, she ends up on trial - defended by her son.
Well, the pot doesn't boil any better than this, and Hunter gives it a big, expensive production and sets Lana Turner loose in what is probably her best performance. Although the age/dissipation makeup is a little over the top, Turner gives the degenerate Holly a great, hard edge and a lot of frailty. It's a nice juxtaposition to the earlier sweetness and buoyancy of her character. Turner was one of those movie stars whose beauty, glamor, and private life often had critics not paying much attention to her performances, but she gave some good ones nonetheless. The other standout in the cast is Bennett, who's as slender as she was in the '30s and a lot tougher. Her voice has dropped a couple of octaves and her hair is a strange brown (this was perhaps in deference to the blond Lana). Toward the end of the film, she gets white hair softly styled and looks beautiful - even with the age makeup that needed to be added to the 60-year-old. The role of Forsythe's manipulative, protective mother is perfect for her -- a fitting last film for one of the great and prolific stars of the 1930s. She died before the film was released. Keir Dullea is appealing as the son, and Forsythe is pleasant though he doesn't have a huge role.
Try as they might, Madame X is from another time and by 1966 just wasn't great movie material. It is however, entertaining and engrossing. The most jaded person can't help but to be moved by the ending, though you may hate yourself for it.
A throwback to the weepies of the '40s...gives the tear ducts a workout...
Doylenf9 May 2005
LANA TURNER knew a good part when she saw it. And there was even a courtroom scene that she could savor while she recalled her own real- life courtroom drama a decade earlier. She digs into the script with all of her being and gives one of the strongest performances of her career. Unfortunately, her co-star, John Forsythe, is all but invisible in a thankless role. But because the story was an old chestnut that had been done many times before, Hollywood seemed to turn its back on her work and she received not even a nomination for this, one of her best roles.
At 45, she was really too old for the early scenes depicting her as the young bride of a wealthy political candidate, but her make-up is expert and she looks radiant. She is soon to be undone by her mean mother-in-law, a youthful looking Constance Bennett (who, incidentally, just had a face lift before starting the film, much to Turner's distress). The plot has Turner getting involved with a playboy (Ricardo Montalban) who gets too serious before she decides to ditch him. She rejects him and an accidental fall down a steep stairway ends in his death and leads to the mother-in-law's scheme to get rid of the unwanted Turner by sending her into exile and making her give up custody of her young son.
The suds get thicker as Turner turns into a lonely woman who can never forget her past and the son she left behind. After an irrelevant episode with a concert pianist who wants to marry her (Curt Jurgens), she hits the skids and ends up boozing it up in Mexico with an unscrupulous Burgess Meredith. At this point in the film, Turner really does the kind of emoting that should have guaranteed at least an Oscar nomination. She pulls no punches in revealing with gut wrenching honesty what she has become under the influence of alcohol, bitter self-contempt and loneliness. It almost comes as a relief when she reaches for a gun and shoots Meredith when he plans to use her for his own ends.
Her acting is further strengthened by some courtroom scenes that show the ravages that her wasted life have done to her once lovely facade. And her expression in court, when she realizes that the young lawyer defending her is her own son, says more than a thousand words of script. There are moments throughout the film where she does some of her best acting since PEYTON PLACE.
She is wonderfully supported in the final scenes by some excellent work from Keir Dullea, who shows great sensitivity in his dealings with the woman he only knows as Madame X. His final line: "I loved her from the moment I first saw her" is guaranteed to make the eyes tear after Turner's emotional courtroom outburst. Constance Bennett is efficient and cold as her mother-in-law but John Forsythe has such an underwritten role as Turner's busy husband that his performance is as wooden as any he has ever given. Luckily for him, he found his niche on television.
By all means, if you're in the mood for a good tear-jerker and would like to see Lana at her best, this is one that you can't miss. The background score by Frank Skinner adds greatly to the story's effectiveness in wallowing in those soapy suds, reminding one of the days when Max Steiner would have been called upon to do exactly that for a Bette Davis film.
At 45, she was really too old for the early scenes depicting her as the young bride of a wealthy political candidate, but her make-up is expert and she looks radiant. She is soon to be undone by her mean mother-in-law, a youthful looking Constance Bennett (who, incidentally, just had a face lift before starting the film, much to Turner's distress). The plot has Turner getting involved with a playboy (Ricardo Montalban) who gets too serious before she decides to ditch him. She rejects him and an accidental fall down a steep stairway ends in his death and leads to the mother-in-law's scheme to get rid of the unwanted Turner by sending her into exile and making her give up custody of her young son.
The suds get thicker as Turner turns into a lonely woman who can never forget her past and the son she left behind. After an irrelevant episode with a concert pianist who wants to marry her (Curt Jurgens), she hits the skids and ends up boozing it up in Mexico with an unscrupulous Burgess Meredith. At this point in the film, Turner really does the kind of emoting that should have guaranteed at least an Oscar nomination. She pulls no punches in revealing with gut wrenching honesty what she has become under the influence of alcohol, bitter self-contempt and loneliness. It almost comes as a relief when she reaches for a gun and shoots Meredith when he plans to use her for his own ends.
Her acting is further strengthened by some courtroom scenes that show the ravages that her wasted life have done to her once lovely facade. And her expression in court, when she realizes that the young lawyer defending her is her own son, says more than a thousand words of script. There are moments throughout the film where she does some of her best acting since PEYTON PLACE.
She is wonderfully supported in the final scenes by some excellent work from Keir Dullea, who shows great sensitivity in his dealings with the woman he only knows as Madame X. His final line: "I loved her from the moment I first saw her" is guaranteed to make the eyes tear after Turner's emotional courtroom outburst. Constance Bennett is efficient and cold as her mother-in-law but John Forsythe has such an underwritten role as Turner's busy husband that his performance is as wooden as any he has ever given. Luckily for him, he found his niche on television.
By all means, if you're in the mood for a good tear-jerker and would like to see Lana at her best, this is one that you can't miss. The background score by Frank Skinner adds greatly to the story's effectiveness in wallowing in those soapy suds, reminding one of the days when Max Steiner would have been called upon to do exactly that for a Bette Davis film.
Lana Turner Deserved a Nomination
AndersonWhitbeck6 September 2007
Lana Turner, party gal supreme, was a fine actress whose personal life detracted from her fine on-camera work. "The Bad and The Beautiful" "Peyton Place" "Imitation Of Life" and this film "Madame X" are all examples of fine acting. Lana Turner after the Stopanato Murder was given a new lease on her career by Ross Hunter at Universal, and the result was "Imitation of Life" a huge success for Universal and Turner who had an ownership percentage in that hit. Hunter and Turner and Universal reprised in "Portrait In Black" and hit another great home run with a remake of "Madame X" also at Universal. Simply put Lana Turner is outstanding in this film and the last 30 minutes of Madame X has Lana Turner performing as only the best actresses could. Lana Turner should have been nominated, but I gather her party ways, the hangover of the Stompanto murder, etc..left a sour taste with some Academy voters. Fine support by Keir Dullea and terrific seeing Constance Bennett in the role of Lana's wicked Mother In Law. Ms Bennett died soon after filming.
This is a fine Film with Lana Turner robbed of a Nomination.
This is a fine Film with Lana Turner robbed of a Nomination.
Soap Opera Supreme!
Pat-5428 December 1998
Yes, this film is the "queen of all soap operas," but it has one thing going for it. And that's the acting of Lana Turner, who gives the performance of her career. If you don't shed a tear at the end of this film, you are made of stone!
Lana's best performance!
monikgwtw25 May 2012
"Madame X" is one of the best movies I have ever seen. I would recommend it to every movie goer, not just Lana's fans. She manages to portray to perfection a very, very complex character, and she certainly deserved an Oscar. I liked in particular her scenes with another fine actor, John Van Dreelen, who shared with Lana some very nice, romantic moments. The actor actually said in an interview that his chemistry with Lana was as good on-screen as it was off-screen, and this does a lot of good to the film. I also bought the magnificent book "Madame X", by Michael Avallone, which was published in 1966. I recommend it to everyone, because it was adapted after the original screenplay of Jean Holloway. Thanks to the book, I managed to discover the scenes that were cut from the film, such as the scene where Holly is trying to get a job at an expensive French shop, and also a scene where Christian, the pianist (Van Dreelen), is giving her a hint that they should marry, because the whole press was discussing about them during his concert tour. So, in order to avoid gossip and scandal, he thought they ought to marry. This was his first proposal to her, while they were driving an automobile - and that is why in one of the sequences with them in the car, Lana's character seems preoccupied about something. The novel reveals that she was very much in love with this artist, who became her God or guardian angel, but whom she had to leave, so that neither he, nor her first husband (played by John Forsythe) would find out who and where she really is. A great book and a great film! I bought the original DVD from France and it was an excellent purchase. The music is also superb, and the soundtrack was released separately in 1967. I only wish there were kept more scenes from "Madame X", because the film is much too short to understand the complexity of the plot. Still, I highly recommend it, even if it is a very sad film, a real tear-jerker.
Corny but not too bad
zetes10 April 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Corny melodrama starring Lana Turner, whom I generally don't like much. It has some good moments, though, and the final act is surprisingly touching, as silly as the twist is. Turner plays a woman of low class married into high society, her new husband a politician (John Forsythe). She's often left alone, though, and she soon attracts the unwanted attentions of Ricardo Montelban. He dies accidentally, but her mother-in-law assumes she murdered her lover and Turner gets banished. Later on, she hooks up with Burgess Meredith and has a drunken, semi-criminal relationship with him. He ends up dead, too, and then the son that she abandoned (now played by Keir Dullea) defends her in court, never knowing who she really is. The best scenes are the ones with Meredith. Yes, this is a movie where Lana Turner kills both Khan and the Penguin, but it's less campy than one might think (unlike Turner's following film, the hilarious acid trip movie The Big Cube). I think some just genuinely like the melodrama. I don't, but, in the end, it's not too bad a film.
worth seeing for Turner and Bennett
mukava99123 June 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Madame X is one of the perennial tearjerkers that has been revived again and again since its original incarnation as a play around 1910. The casting of John Forsythe in the pivotal role of the title character's husband is a big hint at what's in store in this shrink-wrapped Ross Hunter production. But it works chiefly due to a moving performance by Lana Turner which takes about thirty minutes to kick in.
*** THIS PARAGRAPH CONTAINS POSSIBLE SPOILERS*** Until then, Turner seems inappropriate as a young newlywed. Later, when her icy mother-in-law (Constance Bennett) forces her into lifelong, anonymous exile after a scandal involving a high society ladies man (Ricardo Montalban), she finds herself rejected and abandoned, whereupon Turner comes to life as a lost, desperate, aging, alcoholic wretch wandering the globe trying to forget her past, her husband and most of all her little son. Burgess Meredith is appropriately hissable as a con artist who meets her in a sleazy Mexican hotel, learns of her past, and schemes to make money from her tragedy by using her to blackmail her wealthy ex-husband.
Constance Bennett, who came out of retirement to play the nasty matriarch, contributes much-needed zing to the routine expository section. Gone is the slinky, throwaway charm of her youth; in its place is a lacquered reptile, all class and style, some slink, but no soul. It was her last film; she died shortly after this production wrapped. And it was Lana Turner's final bow as a serious leading lady; after this she did nothing of note. How sad that so many studio-era American movie stars had to call it quits in early middle-age, just when many of them were learning how to act! In any event, by 1966 Madame X was considered old fashioned and irrelevant, panned by critics and largely ignored by audiences. It works well on the small screen because production values, spectacle and visual artistry were never the essence of this story anyway. If by the last moments you haven't already dismissed it as contrived melodrama, the finale is heartrending.
*** THIS PARAGRAPH CONTAINS POSSIBLE SPOILERS*** Until then, Turner seems inappropriate as a young newlywed. Later, when her icy mother-in-law (Constance Bennett) forces her into lifelong, anonymous exile after a scandal involving a high society ladies man (Ricardo Montalban), she finds herself rejected and abandoned, whereupon Turner comes to life as a lost, desperate, aging, alcoholic wretch wandering the globe trying to forget her past, her husband and most of all her little son. Burgess Meredith is appropriately hissable as a con artist who meets her in a sleazy Mexican hotel, learns of her past, and schemes to make money from her tragedy by using her to blackmail her wealthy ex-husband.
Constance Bennett, who came out of retirement to play the nasty matriarch, contributes much-needed zing to the routine expository section. Gone is the slinky, throwaway charm of her youth; in its place is a lacquered reptile, all class and style, some slink, but no soul. It was her last film; she died shortly after this production wrapped. And it was Lana Turner's final bow as a serious leading lady; after this she did nothing of note. How sad that so many studio-era American movie stars had to call it quits in early middle-age, just when many of them were learning how to act! In any event, by 1966 Madame X was considered old fashioned and irrelevant, panned by critics and largely ignored by audiences. It works well on the small screen because production values, spectacle and visual artistry were never the essence of this story anyway. If by the last moments you haven't already dismissed it as contrived melodrama, the finale is heartrending.
Lana Turner's Greatest Movie Role?
ckpmjm6 June 2010
She may have excelled in many high profile Hollywood classics, too numerous to mention, but this (her last major film role) was Lana Turner's finest hour. One of the best movie melodramas ever made, this David Lowell Rich masterpiece from 1966 contains all the ingredients to hold the viewer's attention from beginning to end. While always competent,Turner like many screen beauties was often used for more decorative purposes by Directors dazzled by her obvious sex appeal. In this Role,Lana Turner proves that she was more than mere adornment and in fact was one of the best screen actresses of all time. Her performance veers from trophy wife to temptress, femme fatale through to wronged woman and Turner is magnificent throughout. Perhaps sensing that in her forties she would be unlikely to get another meaty leading role, Turner literally gives her all in the part of Holly Anderson. Her beauty for once merely compliments the role for which she is required to appear in the second half of the movie as a haggard, depressed drug addicted victim. The film brilliantly utilizes all possible directorial techniques to extract every semblance of emotion from both actress and viewer. Like Turner's most successful movie, Douglas Sirk's 1959 masterpiece, 'Imitation of Life' and Michael Gordon's 'Portrait in Black' co-starring a young and menacing Anthony Quinn (which it has been paired with on DVD release) this film is a masterpiece of melodrama. Lana Turner's performance cements her legendary status and is among those great screen performances where a best actress Oscar was merited. As Hollywood swan-songs go, this must rank as one of the best farewell performances ever by a major movie star.WARNING: Kleenex mandatory for female and yes even male viewers.
To die is to go away /Where?/in another land.....
dbdumonteil21 July 2007
The timing was not very good for "Madame X".It was the sixties and melodrama was not as popular as it was in the previous decade when Douglas Sirk dominated the genre.
David Lowell Rich seems to have studied Sirk's works ; by and large ,he is a good student.The Sirkesque cast and credits ,the huge desirable mansion where a distraught Turner runs after that fateful night ,the final trial -which is guaranteed to send the impressionable tearing through two entire boxes of Kleenex;Keir Dullea's speech for the defense when he praises the love a mother feels for her child and Turner herself crying "forgive me ,child, forgive me" make it the most tear-jerker trial in the whole history of cinema.
The well known story of Madame X (it's a remake) is some kind of adult fairy tale :there's the Prince Charming (John Forsythe), the marvelous child ,the cruel mother ("you're nothing but a shop girl!Should have stayed on the other side of the counter "): too bad Constance Benett's part is so underwritten;she is obviously an over possessive mother ,she seems to be in love with her son.Just see her look just after she's left the room after her first meeting with her new daughter-in-law.Overnight,the princess turns into "Cinderella" , "Donkey Skin" or "SnowWhite"
Lana Turner ,whose performance in "Imitation of life" (1959) was particularly good ,was certainly an underrated actress.Her best scenes are those when she plays opposite Constance Bennett then Keir Dullea.
Like this ?Try these....
If you are American.... Only Yesterday John Stahl 1933
If you are Italian.... Vedi Napoli e poi muori Riccardo Freda 1952
If you are English.... Waterloo bridge Mervyn Le Roy 1939
If you are French..... L'Entraineuse Albert Valentin 1938
David Lowell Rich seems to have studied Sirk's works ; by and large ,he is a good student.The Sirkesque cast and credits ,the huge desirable mansion where a distraught Turner runs after that fateful night ,the final trial -which is guaranteed to send the impressionable tearing through two entire boxes of Kleenex;Keir Dullea's speech for the defense when he praises the love a mother feels for her child and Turner herself crying "forgive me ,child, forgive me" make it the most tear-jerker trial in the whole history of cinema.
The well known story of Madame X (it's a remake) is some kind of adult fairy tale :there's the Prince Charming (John Forsythe), the marvelous child ,the cruel mother ("you're nothing but a shop girl!Should have stayed on the other side of the counter "): too bad Constance Benett's part is so underwritten;she is obviously an over possessive mother ,she seems to be in love with her son.Just see her look just after she's left the room after her first meeting with her new daughter-in-law.Overnight,the princess turns into "Cinderella" , "Donkey Skin" or "SnowWhite"
Lana Turner ,whose performance in "Imitation of life" (1959) was particularly good ,was certainly an underrated actress.Her best scenes are those when she plays opposite Constance Bennett then Keir Dullea.
Like this ?Try these....
If you are American.... Only Yesterday John Stahl 1933
If you are Italian.... Vedi Napoli e poi muori Riccardo Freda 1952
If you are English.... Waterloo bridge Mervyn Le Roy 1939
If you are French..... L'Entraineuse Albert Valentin 1938
Sirk - Lite
spookyrat117 February 2019
By 1965 - 66 when this film was made, Douglas Sirk, director of arguably the best 1950's Hollywood melodramas, had made his final (and many would claim his masterpiece) feature Imitation of Life which starred Lana Turner. He returned to Europe, retiring from full - time movie-making. However his frequent Hollywood producing partner Ross Hunter was still in a mid-career stage. Madame X represents an attempt by both Hunter and Turner to replicate the Sirk magic, creating a sumptuous melodrama, that employed many of Sirk's regular hall marks; predominantly bright colours, elaborate costumes, thoughtful lighting, a generous budget which all serve to embellish a love story fraught with all manner of problems. The big difference though with Madame X and Sirk's work, is that the man himself wasn't there to apply his distinctive and sophisticated directorial approach to this remake of earlier film adaptions of a French play. Journeyman film and TV director David Lowell Rich took up the reins with very ordinary results.
Lana Turner fans will claim the lead title role, as one of her greatest performances. She does dominate the screen, perhaps because she is in 95% of all the scenes. The best I can say is that she brings an extreme theatrical perspective to the part. It is interesting seeing a young- looking Keir Dullea taking a fairly substantial support role as Turner's adult lawyer son.
The main problem with the film is the largely unbelievable plot-line combined with some, at times. dialogue that can only be described as risible and support characters which are simply caricatures of real people. With the greatest respect to both Turner and co-star John Forsythe, both look too old for their respective characters. He, ostensibly as a young, up and coming diplomat/politician and she, supposedly eager to start a family (but looking all of her 45 years of age). The narrative involves adultery, calculating, manipulative mothers-in-law, accidental and faked deaths, shootings, court room dramas and the like, all very much filled with melodramatic overtones. But missing is the underlying, inferred social criticisms and quietly raising of social justice issues, which always occurred in the best of Sirk's films.
Nevertheless fans of Turner's (and there are plenty) and soap operas in general, will undoubtedly still find plenty to keep themselves entertained and the odd opportunity to break out the tissues, in this fairly low-brow and somewhat dated offering.
Lana Turner fans will claim the lead title role, as one of her greatest performances. She does dominate the screen, perhaps because she is in 95% of all the scenes. The best I can say is that she brings an extreme theatrical perspective to the part. It is interesting seeing a young- looking Keir Dullea taking a fairly substantial support role as Turner's adult lawyer son.
The main problem with the film is the largely unbelievable plot-line combined with some, at times. dialogue that can only be described as risible and support characters which are simply caricatures of real people. With the greatest respect to both Turner and co-star John Forsythe, both look too old for their respective characters. He, ostensibly as a young, up and coming diplomat/politician and she, supposedly eager to start a family (but looking all of her 45 years of age). The narrative involves adultery, calculating, manipulative mothers-in-law, accidental and faked deaths, shootings, court room dramas and the like, all very much filled with melodramatic overtones. But missing is the underlying, inferred social criticisms and quietly raising of social justice issues, which always occurred in the best of Sirk's films.
Nevertheless fans of Turner's (and there are plenty) and soap operas in general, will undoubtedly still find plenty to keep themselves entertained and the odd opportunity to break out the tissues, in this fairly low-brow and somewhat dated offering.
The mother of all soap operas!
Poseidon-38 February 2002
Warning: Spoilers
Coming in pretty late in the "women's picture" cycle, which had it's peak in the '40's and a resurgence in the late '50's and early '60's, is this Lana Turner tour de force. Very few people in 1966 were willing to allow themselves to be swept away by such a romantic, sentimental and at times preposterous storyline, but if taken as a fable of mother love, the film delivers in spades. Turner (at 45, a touch old for the earliest scenes, but still very effective) marries a wealthy politician (Forsythe) with designs on the White House. She is immediately disdained by his socially prominent mother who lays in wait for her to make a mistake which will give her the ability to offload Turner for good. The time finally comes and Turner is forced to leave her husband and small boy without even a goodbye. This is only the beginning of the story as Turner endures a lifetime of depression and oppression along with unwanted affection. The whole thing culminates years later in what is, for some, one of the ultimate tear-jerking moments in film. For the cynical...it's all just sappy soap opera. It is overwrought and overdone at times, but is extremely plush and grand and has a familiar cast which does an excellent job throughout. It's amusing to see Turner become involved with "Blake Carrington", "Mr. Rourke" and "The Penguin" as she goes along, but each actor compliments her in some way. She goes from ingenue to feeble, sickly old woman in what many consider to be her finest film work ever. Dullea was never more appealing...his blue eyes searing the screen. Threatening at all times to steal the show is brittle Bennett in her last film role. Rail thin and sporting a hilarious, red, Mary Tyler Moore-style wig, she is a fire-breathing, raspy-voiced, condor. She is denied a chance to shine at the end, but lingers in the memory as a venomous villain. The over-the-top musical score by Frank Skinner only adds to the fun and all the hallmarks (Jean Louis gowns, fine jewels, furs...) of a great women's picture are in place. Curl up and have laugh or two and then a good cry.
the melodrama
SnoopyStyle4 April 2020
Holly Parker (Lana Turner) marries to the politically ambitious Clay Anderson (John Forsythe). He is often away leaving behind his wife and their young son. She has an affair with playboy Phil Benton (Ricardo Montalban). She goes to break up with him. He accidentally falls down the stairs and dies. She leaves behind a scarf but her disapproving mother-in-law Estelle is able to retrieve it. Estelle blackmails her into running away without her family and sets her up in Switzerland with a yearly payment. In despair, she collapses onto a snowbank where she is rescued by musician Christian Torben who falls in love with her. She runs away once again and falls into drunken poverty with Dan Sullivan (Burgess Meredith) who intends to use her for blackmail.
This movie is one tragic melodrama after another. It's reductive to say that it's over-the-top. It's a drama worthy of a romance novel. It's based on an old play. Her marriage is never that compelling to me. It would be better if Clay is abusive. Instead, this is bland and her affair never takes off. This lack of investment early on leaves the later melodrama with a deficit. It does tie back to something more compelling and that melodramatic turn is intriguing. Overall, Lana Turner gets a juicy role and the endless melodramatic turns eventually lands on something compelling.
This movie is one tragic melodrama after another. It's reductive to say that it's over-the-top. It's a drama worthy of a romance novel. It's based on an old play. Her marriage is never that compelling to me. It would be better if Clay is abusive. Instead, this is bland and her affair never takes off. This lack of investment early on leaves the later melodrama with a deficit. It does tie back to something more compelling and that melodramatic turn is intriguing. Overall, Lana Turner gets a juicy role and the endless melodramatic turns eventually lands on something compelling.
The most sudsy of Lana's soap operas.
ags12331 May 2009
This time, in addition to being a glamour puss, Lana gets to deconstruct her image and replace it with a different artifice, which is a lot more fascinating than what's going on with the story. Though the ending is pure tearjerker, it doesn't compare to the waterworks at the finale of "Imitation of Life." And for a juicy wallow in unintentional humor, you can't beat "Portrait In Black" (Navigating the coast highway without ever having driven a car!). But there's enough here to feast your eyes on while plausibility is being stretched to its limit. Though the film purports to cover about twenty years, Miss Turner (and everyone else) looks pure 1966 in every shot. But that's the point of watching this film – endearingly entertaining for all the wrong reasons.
Madam X - a Lana Turner masterpiece
abfab5012 November 2006
That Lana Turner played her beauty down so much in this movie, that she acted like a dream - this is the real Lana Turner. She was marvelous. This movie is a heart breaker. That darling son that defends her, not knowing she was his mother, and yet, had an instinct? This is Hollywood and Lana Turner at their finest. If you want true soap opera and none of the tripe, go for this. John Forsythe, Constance Bennett? Even they are tearing up at Lana's performance. Marvelous is all I can say. Marvelous!!!! I loved Lana Turner when she was younger, but her later movies such as this and Peyton Place? She was and will always be fantastic.
Very good movie-caught me off guard!
mavvymoo15 August 2020
Madam X
monakayk8 May 2005
Madam X is the film which should have given Lana Turner an Oscar! This is her best film that she had made and if you watch this film you will know why. She expresses so much emotion without any words just by the looks she gives in the court room scene alone. Lana ages from a young women to an older women so believably. It is not only the makeup she wears to show her aging...it is her performance. The rest of the cast did a very good job...but this is Lana's film and she holds it on her own by herself. If you enjoy tear-jerker's...this will deliver the tears because this movie will move you to those emotions. Madam X is a good film on it's own, but Lana's performance made it a wonderful film.
A nice farewell to the old fashioned woman's picture and two of its brightest stars.
mark.waltz31 March 2015
Warning: Spoilers
The often filmed Alexandre Bisson play had been through various variations (including two talking pictures) when Ross Hunter pulled this rabbit out of his tear stained hat for Lana Turner's final "A" picture before she moved down, down, down the ladder of movie stardom. Having already had her pull a Fanny Hurst (with "Imitation of Life"), Hunter went way out of his way for a lavish treat that reeks of the later prime-time soaps where faded movie stars (such as Turner and her leading man John Forsythe) made tremendous come-backs.
Forsythe is a blue-blooded Bridgeport Connecticut diplomat, returning from his honeymoon with his beautiful bride (Turner), graciously greeted by his elegant mother (the still gorgeous Constance Bennett) who immediately throws them a huge society gala since she was unable to plan the lavish wedding she had wanted for her only child. It is at this party where the audience first glimpses Bennett's antipathy towards her new daughter-in-law, looking on in concern as Turner is swept away by the romantic Latin Lothario Phil Benton (Ricardo Montalban) who is notorious amongst lonely society ladies and begins to squire Turner around while Forsythe is away on diplomatic business. It explodes when Turner tries to break off with the future Mr. Rourke, finding no Fantasy Island with his possessiveness. An accidental fall down the stairs results in a broken neck and a tongue-lashing from the mother-in-law who had seemed so Brooke Astor before being revealed to be more like Rose Kennedy. Banishment follows with Turner being presumed dead, and even with an annual allowance from Bennett, Turner sinks into degradation, desperately missing her young son.
After breaking the heart of a renowned musician (John Van Dreelen), Turner ends up in Mexico where now a drunk Turner (with caterpillar like eyebrows) is rescued from whiskey withdrawal and an angry landlord by the opportunistic Burgess Meredith. He discovers her secret past and arranges for them to go to New York where Turner turns to murder to keep her secrets and to protect her son. On trial for killing the sleazy Penguin, it is none other than her own son (Keir Dullea in a heart-felt performance) who defends her, and when a gray haired Forsythe and white haired Bennett show up in court, the truth is threatened to be revealed.
Dramatic music by Frank Skinner highlights the emotions of this weeper where unless your nickname is Scrooge, you are destined to start balling. Fascinating silent reactions in court by Forsythe and Bennett add to the dramatic tension, as does Dullea's emotional involvement in the case. No expense seems to be spared in the elegant settings, and everything is appropriately lush and dramatic. Turner's performance goes from slightly insecure bride to lonely wife to lost soul, and when she turns up in Mexico looking even older than a blowzy Joan Blondell or Ann Sothern, the effect is shocking. Her drunk scenes are fascinating, and she will wow you in the emotional court scenes. Montalban and Meredith are appropriately sleazy, and Forsythe is as elegant (if not as hot tempered) as he was as Blake on "Dynasty". Frank Maxwell, best remembered for his role as the compassionate hospital administrator for years on "General Hospital", is very good as the New York doctor (presumably at the Tombs) who treats Turner and stands by her throughout the trial.
However, the acting honors to to the understated Constance Bennett who appears almost to be Turner's contemporary in the first half hour. While I would have loved to have seen Hunter's first choice (Kay Francis) in this part, I was very impressed with Ms. Bennett. Sadly her swansong (as she passed away prior to the premiere), Bennett makes a lasting impression that you'll never forget. While there are many elements in the film that could be considered preposterous or melodramatic, there are many that are satisfying and emotional moments that make this a must-see, a repeat viewer and ultimately, one of the classic cult films to come out of the 1960's.
Forsythe is a blue-blooded Bridgeport Connecticut diplomat, returning from his honeymoon with his beautiful bride (Turner), graciously greeted by his elegant mother (the still gorgeous Constance Bennett) who immediately throws them a huge society gala since she was unable to plan the lavish wedding she had wanted for her only child. It is at this party where the audience first glimpses Bennett's antipathy towards her new daughter-in-law, looking on in concern as Turner is swept away by the romantic Latin Lothario Phil Benton (Ricardo Montalban) who is notorious amongst lonely society ladies and begins to squire Turner around while Forsythe is away on diplomatic business. It explodes when Turner tries to break off with the future Mr. Rourke, finding no Fantasy Island with his possessiveness. An accidental fall down the stairs results in a broken neck and a tongue-lashing from the mother-in-law who had seemed so Brooke Astor before being revealed to be more like Rose Kennedy. Banishment follows with Turner being presumed dead, and even with an annual allowance from Bennett, Turner sinks into degradation, desperately missing her young son.
After breaking the heart of a renowned musician (John Van Dreelen), Turner ends up in Mexico where now a drunk Turner (with caterpillar like eyebrows) is rescued from whiskey withdrawal and an angry landlord by the opportunistic Burgess Meredith. He discovers her secret past and arranges for them to go to New York where Turner turns to murder to keep her secrets and to protect her son. On trial for killing the sleazy Penguin, it is none other than her own son (Keir Dullea in a heart-felt performance) who defends her, and when a gray haired Forsythe and white haired Bennett show up in court, the truth is threatened to be revealed.
Dramatic music by Frank Skinner highlights the emotions of this weeper where unless your nickname is Scrooge, you are destined to start balling. Fascinating silent reactions in court by Forsythe and Bennett add to the dramatic tension, as does Dullea's emotional involvement in the case. No expense seems to be spared in the elegant settings, and everything is appropriately lush and dramatic. Turner's performance goes from slightly insecure bride to lonely wife to lost soul, and when she turns up in Mexico looking even older than a blowzy Joan Blondell or Ann Sothern, the effect is shocking. Her drunk scenes are fascinating, and she will wow you in the emotional court scenes. Montalban and Meredith are appropriately sleazy, and Forsythe is as elegant (if not as hot tempered) as he was as Blake on "Dynasty". Frank Maxwell, best remembered for his role as the compassionate hospital administrator for years on "General Hospital", is very good as the New York doctor (presumably at the Tombs) who treats Turner and stands by her throughout the trial.
However, the acting honors to to the understated Constance Bennett who appears almost to be Turner's contemporary in the first half hour. While I would have loved to have seen Hunter's first choice (Kay Francis) in this part, I was very impressed with Ms. Bennett. Sadly her swansong (as she passed away prior to the premiere), Bennett makes a lasting impression that you'll never forget. While there are many elements in the film that could be considered preposterous or melodramatic, there are many that are satisfying and emotional moments that make this a must-see, a repeat viewer and ultimately, one of the classic cult films to come out of the 1960's.
Over-the-top melodrama needed Douglas Sirk's touch
a_chinn2 January 2018
Lana Turner is accused of murder when her lover, Ricardo Montalban, falls down a flight of stairs during a fight. The drama doesn't stop their because her attorney doesn't realized that he's actually her son! At another point, she also tries to fake her own death, if you didn't realize you were in one of producer Ross Hunter's lushly produced melodramas. What I found most interesting watching this film is comparing it to the Douglas Sirk directed Ross Hunter productions (i.e. "All that Heaven Allows," "Imitation fo Life," "There's Always Tomorrow," etc.), which gave me a much greater appreciation for what Sirk brought to his films. Sirks' films and "Madame X" are equally soapy of material, but Sirk's use of lighting, staging, and camera movement are so much better than what director David Lowell Rich does behind the camera here. Rich was primarily a TV director and the blandness of his direction is plainly on display with unoriginal montages, weak use of dramatic zooms, and most importantly a lack of any meaningful subtext. Sirks' film always had something to say, but "Madame X" seemed purely surface level. Overall, this is only worth watching for the lush production values and for the cast, which besides Turner and Montalban includes John Forsythe and Burgess Meredith.
Lana Turner's finest screen moments...
Nazi_Fighter_David26 January 2000
Warning: Spoilers
Holly Anderson (Lana Turner) is the young wife of a rich diplomat(John Forsythe).
Neglected by her husband, she is driven in boredom into the arms of Phil Benton, a playboy (Richardo Montalban).
When he is killed in a bad fall during one night of their encounter, she appeals to her matriarchal mother-in-law for help... But the aristocratic woman (Constance Bennett) who has always considered her an embarrassment to her family, convinces her the indiscretion will cost her husband his career and wreck their young son's life...
Over the years, she slowly drifts into a life of alcoholism and prostitution, sinking lower and lower until. in a Mexican hotel she meets Dan Sullivan (Burgess Meredith) a smooth-talking con-man, and agrees to join him in a blackmail scheme...
When she discovers too late that the intended victim is her husband, she shoots the ugly blackmailer and goes on trial for murder signing her confession as the mysterious Madame X...
Unaware of her true identity, the young lawyer assigned to defend her is her own son Clay Anderson Jr (Keir Dullea), now grown to manhood...
No one will be able to watch "Madame X" (filmed six times) without a strange feeling in the throat... So if you haven't cried so much in years, this is your opportunity to see the mother-love and self-sacrifice in specially in the famous courtroom scenes... She's truly very moving...
Constance Bennett, one of the most glamorous stars of the 1930s returned to the screen after a twelve-year absence... Sadly, the film was Bennett's last; she died shortly before it was released...
Neglected by her husband, she is driven in boredom into the arms of Phil Benton, a playboy (Richardo Montalban).
When he is killed in a bad fall during one night of their encounter, she appeals to her matriarchal mother-in-law for help... But the aristocratic woman (Constance Bennett) who has always considered her an embarrassment to her family, convinces her the indiscretion will cost her husband his career and wreck their young son's life...
Over the years, she slowly drifts into a life of alcoholism and prostitution, sinking lower and lower until. in a Mexican hotel she meets Dan Sullivan (Burgess Meredith) a smooth-talking con-man, and agrees to join him in a blackmail scheme...
When she discovers too late that the intended victim is her husband, she shoots the ugly blackmailer and goes on trial for murder signing her confession as the mysterious Madame X...
Unaware of her true identity, the young lawyer assigned to defend her is her own son Clay Anderson Jr (Keir Dullea), now grown to manhood...
No one will be able to watch "Madame X" (filmed six times) without a strange feeling in the throat... So if you haven't cried so much in years, this is your opportunity to see the mother-love and self-sacrifice in specially in the famous courtroom scenes... She's truly very moving...
Constance Bennett, one of the most glamorous stars of the 1930s returned to the screen after a twelve-year absence... Sadly, the film was Bennett's last; she died shortly before it was released...
Missing mother
jotix10016 January 2008
Holly Parker, a beautiful woman, is married to an up and coming politician with a bright future ahead of him. Holly, who is bored with her husband being away from home so much, becomes the lover of Phil Benton, a playboy, who wants her for himself. Holly, realizes her error and goes to break up with Phil, but a terrible accident happens where he ends falling to his own death in his apartment. Thanks to her conniving mother-in-law, who realizes she's a liability for her son's political career, Holly is given a choice she can't refuse, a new identity and money, in exchange for her supposed death by drowning.
What follows is Holly's adventure as a single woman who misses her son terribly, but one that knows she can't go back to her old life. An aristocratic pianist, Christian Torben, wants Holly, but she can't commit to his life style, and what follows is her own descent to hell when she drowns her sorrows in absinthe, a potent drink she loves. She ends up in Mexico where the scheming Don Sullivan discovers who she really is; he tries to blackmail her, but she is determined not to have her identity revealed to her former husband, or the son she loved more than anything else.
The final section of the movie is a court trial in which, her own son, Clayton Anderson Jr., is an assistant D.A. assigned to defend her. During the trial Clayton Anderson Sr. and his mother come to see the young man in action, but they can't connect this defeated woman to Holly. Holly gets to know the identity of her young lawyer at the end.
This melodrama was a vehicle for Lana Turner, who saw in it a great opportunity in which to excel. Directed by David Lowell Rich, it follows the star from a glamorous beginning to a tragic end. The only problem was that Ms. Turner's co-star, Constance Bennett, looked as young as her own daughter-in-law in the early scenes. As Neil Doyle has pointed out in his commentary, Ms. Bennett, a veteran actress, had undergone plastic surgery herself, making her look better than the star.
The other major flaw of this version is one of credibility. Even though Holly is supposed to have aged with her heavy drinking, she looks about the same, so it's a surprise when the old Mrs. Anderson herself, who is in court all the time can't even recognize Holly, or for that matter, Old Clayton himself doesn't seem to know this woman was his beloved wife. But that's the stuff that makes this type of story what they are. "Madame X" is what it is: a tear jerker at its best. They don't come any better than this, so don't see it without the tissues!
What follows is Holly's adventure as a single woman who misses her son terribly, but one that knows she can't go back to her old life. An aristocratic pianist, Christian Torben, wants Holly, but she can't commit to his life style, and what follows is her own descent to hell when she drowns her sorrows in absinthe, a potent drink she loves. She ends up in Mexico where the scheming Don Sullivan discovers who she really is; he tries to blackmail her, but she is determined not to have her identity revealed to her former husband, or the son she loved more than anything else.
The final section of the movie is a court trial in which, her own son, Clayton Anderson Jr., is an assistant D.A. assigned to defend her. During the trial Clayton Anderson Sr. and his mother come to see the young man in action, but they can't connect this defeated woman to Holly. Holly gets to know the identity of her young lawyer at the end.
This melodrama was a vehicle for Lana Turner, who saw in it a great opportunity in which to excel. Directed by David Lowell Rich, it follows the star from a glamorous beginning to a tragic end. The only problem was that Ms. Turner's co-star, Constance Bennett, looked as young as her own daughter-in-law in the early scenes. As Neil Doyle has pointed out in his commentary, Ms. Bennett, a veteran actress, had undergone plastic surgery herself, making her look better than the star.
The other major flaw of this version is one of credibility. Even though Holly is supposed to have aged with her heavy drinking, she looks about the same, so it's a surprise when the old Mrs. Anderson herself, who is in court all the time can't even recognize Holly, or for that matter, Old Clayton himself doesn't seem to know this woman was his beloved wife. But that's the stuff that makes this type of story what they are. "Madame X" is what it is: a tear jerker at its best. They don't come any better than this, so don't see it without the tissues!
Am I the only one who thought this was a comedy?!
planktonrules20 March 2013
As I read through all the reviews for this film, I was shocked by two things--that people thought it was a good film and that they thought it was a drama. Considering how over the top melodramatic it is, I really thought it was a comedy--albeit an unintentional one! The film starts with Holly (Lana Turner--who was too old for the part) marrying John--a very wealthy man who has ambitions to go into politics. At first, they are happy but after a while John's ambitions take him away from home--a lot. In the meantime, she spends time with another man (Ricardo Montalban) but their relationship is quite chaste. However, when he slips and falls down some stairs to his death, Holly's mother-in-law (Constance Bennett) blackmails her into running off and faking her death, as the mother-in-law THINKS Holly killed her lover! I have no idea why, but Holly agrees--and most of the rest of the film is spent watching Turner show a wide variety of pained looks--ones that look like she's dealing with a bad case of the cramps. All the while, you CONSTANTLY hear the most ridiculously overbearing and ridiculous music. In fact, clearly the music is the worst thing about the film. But you also can't ignore the last half hour--one of the most ridiculously sentimental and stupid half hours in film history (you've just gotta hear Keir Dullea's speech to believe it)! Overall, this is a glossy and beautiful looking bad movie...in a kitschy sort of way. I frankly found much of it laugh out loud funny because the film took itself so seriously but was so seriously bad in the process.
By the way, the doctor's comments about absinthe, though believed at the time, are utter nonsense. In fact, the wine industry created all these rumors about absinthe causing brain abnormalities and death! In recent years, it's once again been legalized because it's a potent yet harmless liquor.
By the way, the doctor's comments about absinthe, though believed at the time, are utter nonsense. In fact, the wine industry created all these rumors about absinthe causing brain abnormalities and death! In recent years, it's once again been legalized because it's a potent yet harmless liquor.
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