In The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, a man is reunited with his childhood friend and her husband. She believes he knows the truth about the death of her rich aunt years earlier.
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) starring Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin, Kirk Douglas
Martha Ivers: It would have been so different if you hadn’t run away. It would have been you instead of Walter. Or if you had stopped me. When I lifted the cane, why didn’t you stop me? You know how much I hated her! Why didn’t you stop me?
Sam Masterson: I wasn’t there, Martha.
Martha Ivers: And then I stood there after it was over… [realizes] You… you weren’t there?
Sam Masterson: No, Martha. I wasn’t there. I left when your aunt came into the hallway. I didn’t want to stick around. I was in enough trouble as it was. I never saw what happened. I never knew until tonight about your aunt or that man. The one they hung. The man that you and Walter killed.
Product Description
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers is a 1946 American film noir drama starring Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin and features Kirk Douglas in his first film debut. In 1928 in a Pennsylvania town named Iverstown a thirteen-year-old girl Martha Ivers (Barbara Stanwyck) tries to run away from her domineering guardian aunt, Mrs. Ivers (Judith Anderson). Martha is retrieved and brought home to be scolded by her aunt as Martha proclaims her surname is not Ivers, but Smith after her father’s name.
Sam Masterson (Darryl Hickman) is a small child also under the control of Mrs. Ivers. During a power failure Sam comes for Martha, but Martha’s aunt hears her calling to him from downstairs. Mrs. Ivers begins to beat Martha’s kitten with her cane, but Martha wrestles the cane away and strikes Mrs. Ivers across the head with an iron poker, causing her to die. When the power comes back on Martha lies about the incident, and Sam backs her up.
In the present day …
Seventeen years later Walter Jr. (Kirk Douglas) is now Iverstown’s district attorney and is married to Martha who has used her inheritance to expand the Ivers milling empire. Their marriage in one-sided as Walter knows he loves Martha, but Martha does not love him. Sam (Van Heflin), now grown up, drives into town and goes to look at his old home, now a boarding house. While waiting for a car repair he meets Antonia (Lizabeth Scott) who gets arrested for a probation violation. Sam asks Walter to use his influence to get Antonio released from jail. When Martha.sees Sam again, Walter becomes jealous and the plot thickens as the story takes form. The ending of this story will both surprise and stun you. This is a classic tale of the paths life takes us down — for better or for worse.
Cast of characters
- Barbara Stanwyck (Double Indemnity; Titanic 1953) … Martha Ivers
- Van Heflin (Woman’s World) … Sam Masterson
- Lizabeth Scott (Scared Stiff) … Toni Marachek
- Kirk Douglas (The Juggler; Lust for Life) … Walter O’Neil
- Judith Anderson (Rebecca; Cinderfella) … Mrs. Ivers
- Roman Bohnen (Of Mice and Men) … Mr. O’Neil
- Darryl Hickman (Leave Her to Heaven) … Sam – As a Child
- Janis Wilson … Martha – As a Child
- Ann Doran (You Can’t Take It With You; Blondie!) … Bobbi St. John
- Frank Orth (Sweet Rosie O’Grady; The Great Rupert) … Hotel Clerk
- James Flavin (Mighty Joe Young) … Detective #1
- Mickey Kuhn (Red River) … Walter – As a Child
- Charles D. Brown … McCarthy