East Side West Side (1949)

A New York socialite (Barbara Stanwyck) loves her husband (James Mason) but he is having an affair with a party girl (Ava Gardner). Despite his promises that she means nothing to him and that he'll never see her again, he can't help himself and continues the affair. It will take a murder to end the affair. Based on the novel by Marcia Davenport and directed by Mervyn LeRoy (QUO VAIDS). I found this soap opera set among the chic environments of Manhattan's social set diverting for most of its running time but once the murder element shows its face, it treads on thin ice and not very interesting thin ice at that. Luckily, the movie gives the large cast an opportunity to strut their acting prowess (even Cyd Charisse is less enervated than usual). With Van Heflin, Nancy Davis, William Conrad, Beverly Michaels and Gale Sondergaard playing Stanwyck's mother although she was only 8 years older.