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• one more thing

  • kevin sellers
  • 4/28/17

  Another reason not to give this film an A is that one of the three stories, (the one about the hubby who has PTSD) is wrapped up too neatly and undramatically (i.e. offscreen).

• the man i love

  • kevin sellers
  • 4/28/17

  Definitely the best film ever set in Long Beach California, this is a moody, jazzy, noirish look at three women in love with difficult men (thus the title). One relationship ends well, another badly, and the third concludes ambiguously. Tying all three women (and stories) together is the sleazy nightclub owner Nicky Toresca, played perfectly by Robert Alda (Alan's dad) with whom all three gals are in various degrees involved. Keeping this multi story contraption afloat and moving rather gracefully is a good, snappy screenplay by Catherine Turney and an uncredited W.R. Burnett (of "Asphalt Jungle" fame) and the usual well paced, seamless direction of Raoul Walsh. Fans of some of Walsh's better known classics like "White Heat" or "High Sierra" may wish for more physical action, but I found the emotional tension more than adequate and never felt bogged down. Also helping is good shadow and light cinematography by Sid Hickox and wonderful Gershwin compositions like the title song and others. (Ironically, Alda played Gershwin in a WB biopic made just before this film). The acting is solid throughout with the standouts being Alda as stated above, Alan Hale as a pervy maitre d, Dolores Moran as a good time gal/mom and of course Ida Lupino at both her toughest and most vulnerable as a peripatetic nightclub singer. Fantastic actress. And she never got an Oscar nomination. Dontcha just want to torch the Academy? Give it a B plus (a rather dull Bruce Bennet/Lupino relationship drags down the grade). P.S. Bennet looks like a cross between Sam Shepherd and Hoagy Carmichael.

• Packs a whalop!

  • Alice
  • 4/24/17

  What a great old film! To describe it as a drama, I feel sells this movie short. It is a crime drama with touches of romance with its hard parts. This film gives the strength to the women (woman). Ida Lupino, to be so tiny, portrays a power-packed woman with emotional as well as physical strength when it is called for. I agree with one of the other reviewers; "relax and enjoy this film". Please show this one again. Thank you, TCM.

• Lupino is marvelous!

  • RedRaom
  • 12/12/12

  Ida Lupino never looked more beautiful than she does in this film and her singing isn't that bad either. She's strong and gutsy, as a singer in a club run by a sleazy strongman. She falls for a man who plays the piano and pines for a past love. Her family life is chaotic, filled with drama, and she just wants to be loved. It's a film noir replete with the good girl, bad girl and good guys, bad guys. I like this film very much and I like how strong Lupino is in it. She never gave Hollywood any quarter and became a powerful force. She was the first female director of a feature film! You can tell from her role in this film how the strength that gave her the will to do that was inside her all along. What a woman!

• Ótimo

  • Sonia
  • 11/13/10

  Uns dos meus filmes prediletos com Ida Lupino em que ela canta e o filme ao mesmo tempo um drama. Muito bom mesmo. Vale a pena ver.

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