Strange as She Is, You'll Love Martha Ivers

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946); produced by Hal Wallis Productions and distributed by Paramount Pictures; USA Release Date: July 24, 1946, run time: 116 minutes; directed by Lewis Milestone; written by John Patrick, Robert Rossen and Robert Riskin; costumes by Edith Head; cast - Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin, Lizabeth Scott, Kirk Douglas, Judith Anderson, Roman Bohnen, Darryl Hickman, Janis Wilson and Mickey Kuhn.

*Spoiler Alert!*

One of the many great film-noir movies of the 1940s The Strange Love of Martha Ivers showcases a knockout performance by Barbara Stanwyck and an interesting screen debut for Kirk Douglas. Like so many films of the '40s, the plot focuses on two people who have committed and/or been witness to a horrible crime.  Their knowledge is what holds them together, but is ultimately their undoing. This storyline is evident in The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946), Double Indemnity (1944) and Out of the Past (1947). What makes Ivers unique is that it is one of only a handful of film-noir movies to be nominated for an Oscar.

The story opens in Iverstown, 1928, Young Sam Masterson (Hickman) and Martha Ivers (Wilson) are planning to run away together. Martha is quickly stopped by the police, but Sam escapes. Martha is the niece of the evil Mrs. Ivers (Anderson), the town matriarch. The police take Martha home, where she, her aunt and Martha's tutor, Mr. O'Neil (Bohnen), exchange harsh words.

Martha is sent up to her room where Mr. O'Neil's son Walter (Kuhn) is waiting for her with her cat. Sam sneaks in through a window to tell Martha he's leaving town. But before Sam can go, Martha's cat runs downstairs. Sam goes after the cat, but he's forced to hide when her aunt comes into the stairway. Mrs. Ivers hates cats so she begins to beat the tabby with her cane. Martha rushes towards her, grabs the cane and gives her aunt a blow to the head. Her aunt falls down the stairs and breaks her neck.

When Mr. O'Neil hears the commotion he comes running from a room downstairs. Martha tells him that a strange man came in the house and attached her aunt. Walter, who witnessed the murder, lies to his father by verifying Martha's story. Mr. O'Neil suspects what really happened and uses that to his advantage by taking the place of Mrs. Ivers.

Eighteen years later Sam (Heflin) gets in a car wreck just outside Iverstown and is forced to remain in town for a few days. Much to his surprise, he learns Martha and Walter are married and the two of them own most of the town. His first night in town, Sam meets Toni, a down-and-out recent parolee (played by the vastly under-rated Scott). Sam is content to romance Toni while he waits for his car to be fixed, but Martha and Walter have other plans.

Walter and Martha are convinced that Sam, who's a professional gambler with a long police record, has blown into town to blackmail them for the murder of Mrs. Ivers. Contrary to their beliefs, Sam never witnessed of had knowledge of the crime. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game of intrigue and murder. The ending is bittersweet, which is usual for this type of story, but the writers added an interesting twist not seen before, or since.

Watching Douglas you'd never guess this was his first film. His depiction of Walter gives strength to an overall weak character. This character is unlike Douglas' later tough guy roles, but he pulls it off beautifully. Originally he was slated to play the part of Sam, but when Van Heflin returned from WWII, Douglas was told he could play Walter instead. To add insult to injury, the studio insisted that Douglas do a screen test against four other actors for the part. The actors, who all had stage experience but had not yet made films were John Lund, Montgomery Clift, Richard Widmark and Wendell Cory.

Stanwyck is fascinating as Martha, an unconscionable femme fatale. Many film historians have compared this role to her portrayal of Phyllis in Double Indemnity, but Stanwyck's exploration of Martha goes much deeper than that of Phyllis. Martha displays resentment about the marital trap in which she has found herself, but she also seems as though she wants the love that Walter offers her.

Seeking love and understanding, she throws herself at Sam, but when he rejects her, she attempts to kill him. Martha is still the young girl who thinks that any problem can be solved with murder.