The Man I Love (1947)

During a Christmas visit to her family in California, instead of holiday cheer, a torch singer (Ida Lupino) finds herself embroiled with mobsters, adulterous wives, war traumatized vets and a romance with a washed up jazz pianist (Bruce Bennett). Based on the novel NIGHT SHIFT by Maritta M. Wolff and directed by Raoul Walsh (HIGH SIERRA). This is a good one, a solid romantic melodrama with noir-ish coloring and one of Lupino's best performances. Ida Lupino had the misfortune of being at Warners where the cream went to Bette Davis and Joan Crawford and she got the leftovers. But she got lucky a few times and this was one of them. Lupino's Scotch soaked singing voice was dubbed in by Peg La Centra but at least it sounds like her. Luckily for us, the film sticks to its guns and doesn't go soft at the end and we're left with a bittersweet open ended conclusion. Reputedly, Martin Scorsese was influenced by this film which lead to his NEW YORK NEW YORK. The supporting cast consists of a solid group of Warner contract players including Robert Alda, Andrea King, Martha Vickers, Dolores Moran, Alan Hale, John Ridgely, Don McGuire and Craig Stevens.