Even though Ida doesn't do her own singing (Peg La Centra does that), the emotion and feeling she puts into the song "The Man I Love" is worth the price of admission. She also does a great version of "Why Was I Born?" later in the film. She plays Petey Brown, a beautiful jazz singer who is set to pay her family in California a long over due visit - she wants to forget about "him" - "he was a pill" she wisecracks.
There is plenty going on at home to make her forget and she instantly becomes a "Miss Fixit" to her broken family. For a start there is her sister Sally (Andrea King) trying to keep everything together for her husband Roy (John Ridgely) who is in hospital recovering from the psychological effects of the War. Her younger sister Ginny (beautiful Martha Vickers) would rather sit at home in a housecoat and look after the twins of the troubled couple across the hall. Neighbour Johnny thinks everything is okay, but his wife, Gloria, spends a lot of time nightclubbing with "girlfriends" and needs furs and pretty clothes to match her lifestyle. Johnny is happy to work double shifts until he hurts his hand. Petey's brother, Joey, is trying to make easy money running messages for a local racketeer, Nicky Toresca (Robert Alda).
With all the plot complications it is to Ida Lupino's magnificence as an actress that she is able to be the core and focus of the story - I also have never seen her look more beautiful. She gives a gritty and gutsy performance as the "been around" Petey. She soon comes across Nicky (who has been making Sally's life difficult with his forceful ways) - she gets a job as a singer at his club, but he has no luck with her either as she soon becomes entangled with disillusioned pianist San Thomas (Bruce Bennett). When man hungry Gloria (Dolores Moran) is accidentally killed, Joey, who was escorting her home, comes to his senses, as does Johnny, who comes to the club after Nicky's blood. The film ends when songbird Petey walks through the fog on her way to another town "maybe Chicago...New York".
Three other beautiful actresses got a chance to shine as well. Andrea King was one of the most beautiful and enigmatic of the 1940s starlets. Big things were predicted for her but she unwittingly fell foul of Bette Davis and from then on it was the beginning of the end, plus a few bad career choices. Even though Dolores Moran didn't set the movie world on fire she was a popular pinup girl with the soldiers. Mostly in uncredited parts, "The Man I Love" may well have given her, her meatiest role to date. Martha Vickers was another eye catching starlet who had her most attention getting role as Lauren Bacall's fainting sister in "The Big Sleep" - she was a popular pinup as well.
Highly Recommended.
There is plenty going on at home to make her forget and she instantly becomes a "Miss Fixit" to her broken family. For a start there is her sister Sally (Andrea King) trying to keep everything together for her husband Roy (John Ridgely) who is in hospital recovering from the psychological effects of the War. Her younger sister Ginny (beautiful Martha Vickers) would rather sit at home in a housecoat and look after the twins of the troubled couple across the hall. Neighbour Johnny thinks everything is okay, but his wife, Gloria, spends a lot of time nightclubbing with "girlfriends" and needs furs and pretty clothes to match her lifestyle. Johnny is happy to work double shifts until he hurts his hand. Petey's brother, Joey, is trying to make easy money running messages for a local racketeer, Nicky Toresca (Robert Alda).
With all the plot complications it is to Ida Lupino's magnificence as an actress that she is able to be the core and focus of the story - I also have never seen her look more beautiful. She gives a gritty and gutsy performance as the "been around" Petey. She soon comes across Nicky (who has been making Sally's life difficult with his forceful ways) - she gets a job as a singer at his club, but he has no luck with her either as she soon becomes entangled with disillusioned pianist San Thomas (Bruce Bennett). When man hungry Gloria (Dolores Moran) is accidentally killed, Joey, who was escorting her home, comes to his senses, as does Johnny, who comes to the club after Nicky's blood. The film ends when songbird Petey walks through the fog on her way to another town "maybe Chicago...New York".
Three other beautiful actresses got a chance to shine as well. Andrea King was one of the most beautiful and enigmatic of the 1940s starlets. Big things were predicted for her but she unwittingly fell foul of Bette Davis and from then on it was the beginning of the end, plus a few bad career choices. Even though Dolores Moran didn't set the movie world on fire she was a popular pinup girl with the soldiers. Mostly in uncredited parts, "The Man I Love" may well have given her, her meatiest role to date. Martha Vickers was another eye catching starlet who had her most attention getting role as Lauren Bacall's fainting sister in "The Big Sleep" - she was a popular pinup as well.
Highly Recommended.