hotangen

Normand's reputation is that she was a superbly gifted and beloved comedienne whose career was thwarted by scandal and her own reckless behavior. Having just read Lefler's "Mabel Normand The Life and Career of a Hollywood Madcap', I was surprised to learn that 'Mickey' - a HUGE box-office success - was in the public domain and available. This film was so popular it was in continual theatrical release for 4 years - an astonishing feat! - when the average film run was 2 weeks.

So I watched it. On YouTube. Not the ideal venue, of course, but even so, I fail to see why this film was so popular. Lefler explains the historical context for it's appeal to audiences, but still, 'Mickey' seems to me to be rather ordinary. And worse, I fail to see that Normand was superbly gifted as a comedienne. The biggest laughs - and there were too few of these - were provided by the dog - a good foil for Normand.

Because this film is historically important, it deserves to be given a top-tier restoration. Maybe the multi-million dollar Hollywood actors and producers can be cajoled into donating some of their millions for this purpose. Preserving the films of the industry of which they are a part should be to them a cause worthy of their support, one that is no less important - and definitely more achievable - than saving the planet.

This film - which is a psychological melodrama, not noir - has 4 flaws: 1. The title. A noir would be titled "Guilty Secrets" or "Murder Will Out" or similar. 2. Lizabeth Scott. Her role as love interest to Sam is superfluous. And the character she plays - a weepy sad sack - is annoying. 3. The film is titled "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers", and yet SAM is the main character. Really, this is HIS film, not Martha's. 4. The 30-minute backstory takes up too much screen time. The wait for Stanwyck and the other grownups to appear seems endless.

The 3 leads are perfect, but Heflin is the most perfect. A round of applause goes to the screenwriter for putting all those wise and witty words in Sam's mouth, which made his character so likable. And a raspberry goes to the star-building producer for giving so much screen time to Scott.

This is a Dietrich film, her last starring role at her home studio, Paramount. She is supported by 2 of the top Hollywood leading men - Douglas and Marshall - and dressed sumptuously by Travis Banton. The film should have been a money-maker for its studio, but apparently it was too sophisticated for the small-town public and she became 'Box Office Poison' after its release. Variety, in its disparaging but humorous review, said that you could hang coats from Dietrich's eyelashes. I attentively kept an eye on those eyelashes and have to admit that they ARE long, but not long enough to hang a coat on.

I liked this film. I especially liked Dietrich's aristocrat diplomat husband - Marshall - devoted to duty to fend off WW2. And I liked Dietrich. She has servants who attend to all personal and household tasks and therefore she has nothing to do. She is bored. She flies to Paris and has a romantic evening with a stranger - Douglas - a piano playing playboy who is infatuated with her. In the end she chooses the man who is the only one who can give her the happiness she craves. Females can learn a trick or 2 or more re how to attract and keep a man from closely observing Dietrich in this film. In what was once common terminology, she is a "man's woman." How times and the culture have changed.

BTW, 'Angel', although it has bits of comedy supplied by the servants, is not a comedy, but is instead a light-hearted, sophisticated marital drama.