The Strange Love of Martha Ivers

Although this Lewis Milestone picture gets thrown in with the Film-Noire genre it is in fact more of a true drama. Yes, elements and stylings of the F.N. are certainly there but THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS hold truer to the crime romance more than anything else. A stunning cast with Barbara Stanwyck and Lizabeth Scott it also marks the film debut of the great Kirk Douglas who begins with on hell of a bang. Van Heflin is a true feature here even though I can't watch him in this film without thinking he's James Cagney and the lovely Ann Doran, even with little total screen time, upstages everybody in the beauty department. As with many of the older films the slowness of pacing may turn off younger and modern viewers but well worth the effort for the lighting and sets alone.