Lizzie (1957)

A withdrawn repressed young woman (Eleanor Parker) is receiving letters threatening her life. What she doesn't realize is that she has a split personality and that her "other" self is writing those letters. Based on the novel THE BIRD'S NEST by Shirley Jackson and directed by Hugo Haas, who plays Parker's neighbor in the film. Although often described as an inferior THREE FACES OF EVE, this movie actually opened first by several months but didn't receive the acclaim EVE did. I don't think EVE is a particularly great film (although Joanne Woodward's performance is) but LIZZIE is poorly written, too simplistic with the a slightly "B" movie exploitation vibe to it. Parker is fine, good in fact but she can't turn the weak material around. I found the reasons for Parker's character's multiple personalities (there's a third one, the "normal" one) more compelling than the reasons for Eve's trauma. Still, to be fair, it's engrossing in its own garish way. With Richard Boone, Joan Blondell, Johnny Mathis (who introduces the standard It's Not For Me To Say), Marion Ross and Ric Roman.