Rating: 
Summary: Barbara Stanwyck plays another vixen destroying lives
Review: If you check out the film noir classic "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers" because it is Kirk Douglas's first film, then you are going to be surprised that the character he plays is not a tough guy but a weakling who is dominated by his wife into becoming a criminal accomplice. Barbara Stanwyck plays the wife, the title character, in what is probably her most celebrated vixen this side of "Double Indemnity." As a teenager Martha had an innocent man sent to the gallows to cover up her accidentally killing her aunt (Judith Anderson), who was trying to stop young Martha from running away with Sam Masterson (Darryl Hickman). When Sam comes back to Iverstown years later (now played by Van Hefflin), Martha and her husband, Walter O'Neill (Douglas), assume it is to blackmail her for the murder. Ironically, Martha is wrong; Sam was not the one who witnessed the murder, it was really Walter. But in trying to "stop" Sam, the couple only succeed in destroying themselves. This is a tawdry little tale, with a neat sounding title that really does not mean anything vis-a-vis the actual story. Director Lewis Mileston, who won an Oscar for "All Quiet on the Western Front" in 1930, brings his sense of realism to this 1946 film. His use of a fluid camera style works effectively to depersonalize this nasty trio of characters. Stanwyck's performance is appropriately unsettling but it is fascinating to watch Douglas, who manages to make his unpleasant character somewhat sympathetic. No wonder he had a future in moving pictures.
Rating:
Summary: Barbara Stanwyck plays another vixen destroying lives
Review: If you check out the film noir classic "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers" because it is Kirk Douglas's first film, then you are going to be surprised that the character he plays is not a tough guy but a weakling who is dominated by his wife into becoming a criminal accomplice. Barbara Stanwyck plays the wife, the title character, in what is probably her most celebrated vixen this side of "Double Indemnity." As a teenager Martha had an innocent man sent to the gallows to cover up her accidentally killing her aunt (Judith Anderson), who was trying to stop young Martha from running away with Sam Masterson (Darryl Hickman). When Sam comes back to Iverstown years later (now played by Van Hefflin), Martha and her husband, Walter O'Neill (Douglas), assume it is to blackmail her for the murder. Ironically, Martha is wrong; Sam was not the one who witnessed the murder, it was really Walter. But in trying to "stop" Sam, the couple only succeed in destroying themselves. This is a tawdry little tale, with a neat sounding title that really does not mean anything vis-a-vis the actual story. Director Lewis Mileston, who won an Oscar for "All Quiet on the Western Front" in 1930, brings his sense of realism to this 1946 film. His use of a fluid camera style works effectively to depersonalize this nasty trio of characters. Stanwyck's performance is appropriately unsettling but it is fascinating to watch Douglas, who manages to make his unpleasant character somewhat sympathetic. No wonder he had a future in moving pictures.
Rating: 
Summary: Image Entertainment did a good job on this DVD
Review: In response to "Good movie yet awful copy" from "Noir": Your experience is common: videos and DVD's from Gotham, Dark City, and Alpha are very poor quality. I purchased the Image Entertainment DVD of Strange Love (ASIN: 6305944369) and can tell you it's probably the best print of the film you're going to find. Picture sharpness is good, sound is acceptable, and there are no missing frames to cause a "jumpy" picture. The brightness & contrast are normal for most of the film, except for a few early scenes where the picture looks washed out and grey. According to the research I've read, after this film dropped into the public domain, no one took the responsibility for preserving it, and as a result the best surviving print has suffered a lot of deterioration. However, I can easily recommend the Image Entertainment version of Strange Love Of Martha Ivers. Please note, that is NOT a blanket endorsement of all Image Entertainment DVD's -- for example, they did a TERRIBLE job on another Lizabeth Scott movie, Too Late For Tears -- it looks as bad as anything from Alpha or Gotham, yet Image charges a premium price for it. Skip Too Late For Tears, but definitely buy the Image/Hal Roach DVD of Strange Love. And while you're at it, why not write to Paramount Studios, 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, CA 90038, and ask them to give us a DVD of another Barbara Stanwyck film noir, The File On Thelma Jordan (Paramount owns the rights). Let's all let the studios know we will support film noir and other classic films!
Rating:
Summary: FINE MELODRAMTIC THRILLER
Review: It's a fine little race to watch, with everyone trying to stay one step ahead of each other in this malevolently decadent thriller about love, marriage,... and murder. Barbara Stanwyck is cunningly vicious in her role as a woman whose mysterious and intriguing past forced her to give up her childhood sweetheart, (Van Heflin, in a well-executed performance) bound her to marry a man she hated (Kirk Douglas, in an auspicious film debut)... and made hers one of the richest and most modern industries in America. But now her tightly knit secret is beginning to unravel... her husband is beginning to drink, her ex-flame is back... and he's trying to solve a famous crime committed in the town years and years ago. A remarkable film, with the suspense of a Hitchcock thriller, atmosphere of a Wilder noir, and the acting of a Wyler drama, come together to make this noir a chilling and memorable experience, ranking with "Double Indemnity" and "North By Northwest". A must-see for fans of film noir.
Rating:
Summary: Stanwyck in top form and the emergance of Kirk Douglas
Review: Nice little suspense film. Stanwyck doing her darker side ala "Double Indemnity", although a more sympathetic character. Good supporting cast and a decent transfer for a budget DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Deliciously Cynical Classic Film Noir.
Review: Sam Masterson left Iverstown with a traveling circus as a boy in 1928. 18 years later, having been everywhere and done his share of everything, including being a decorated war veteran, Sam (Van Heflin) finds himself back in Iverstown when he has car trouble as he is heading out West. He intends only to stay a day, and has the fortune to meet a young woman named Toni (Lizabeth Scott) whom he likes very much en route to his hotel. But when the town's first lady, Martha Ivers (Barbara Stanwyck) and her District Attorney husband, Walter (Kirk Douglas), who were childhood friends of Sam's, find out he is in town, they are immediately suspicious. Jealous over Martha's past affection for Sam and paranoid about his own political career, Walter assumes that Sam has come to stir up trouble concerning the untimely death of Martha's Aunt 18 years before. And Walter starts plotting against him.The film's title very nearly says it all. "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers" is about just that: the nature of the affection that Martha has had for Sam since she was a girl and how it influences her actions when she sees him again. The film was directed by Lewis Milestone on what looks like a substantial budget. "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers" is a slicker production than is often associated with film noir. It was written by Robert Rossen, who adapted the screenplay from John Patrick's short story "Love Lies Bleeding", as yet unpublished at the time the film was made. The incomparable Barbara Stanwyck once again proves herself to be the queen of noir. Martha Ivers is a complex, inscrutable, and ruthless character, whom Stanwyck plays to perfection. This is Kirk Douglas' first film role and one of his most memorable. Walter is alcoholic, racked with guilt, manipulative, ruthless, but very much in love with his domineering wife. Douglas' performance reveals Walter in all of his pathetic intricacy. Van Heflin is wonderful as the film's "everyman" fighting to survive in circumstances beyond his control. Sam reminds me of the protagonist in another wonderful classic film noir, "D.O.A.". Both characters are victims of circumstance. But in this case, the situation is beyond Sam's control because he isn't aware that there is a situation. It 's the things you don't know that hurt you. I found "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers" complex, sinister characters fascinating. It has just the right amount of gleeful cynicism. And I thoroughly enjoyed the film's unpredictability. It has become one of my favorite classic noirs, due in large part to its well-drawn villainous duo. I encourage fans of the genre to give it a try. The DVD (This refers to the Parade DVD only): Includes written bios of the cast, screenwriter, director, and composer of the film's score. Subtitles available in Japanese only.
Rating:
Summary: Good movie yet awful copy
Review: The Strange Love of Martha Ivers is a classic noir tale of murder and mayhem.I found the VHS copy distributed by Gotham to be poor. Has anyone had any luck with the DVD format of this movie? If so please let us all know the distrubutor.Its a shame such a great movie like this one is tainted by terrible audio and video guality
Rating:
Summary: A Fine Movie
Review: This is an absorbing drama with excellent performances by the cast including Stanwyck, Douglas, and Heflin. Barbara has the difficult task of making her flawed character tough, yet sympathetic. She pulls this off beautifully. Yes, her past does come back to haunt her, but I was routing for her because what happened in the past was an accident which came about because of the cruel actions of someone else. A fine and intense drama. Recommended!
Rating:
Summary: The Classic Story of "Love"
Review: This is my all-time favorite movie. Being a Barbara Stanwyck fan nearly all of my life, I of course had to see this movie. She turns in an excellent performance, as does Van Hefflen (and the quarter) and, in his movie debut, Kirk Douglas. Let's not forget Lizbeth either, never the "other woman" or a fling but instead a person that got caught up in another person while his past caught up with him. Steady pacing, past imperfect, future tense, and a shocking ending. You must see this film.
Rating:
Summary: a well spun fem-noir!
Review: This is one I keep coming back to whenever I need a fix of well made movie. For me, the only weak part of the whole thing is the end, though kind of hokey, it does give a real sense of closure. One of the things that strikes me about both Kirk Douglas and Lisbeth Scott here is how most of their'subsequent film personas parallels those found in S.L.O.M.I..
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