Hanging on the Vitaphone

“The film is about a life, about a person with his positives and negatives, about his emotions and relationships, his moral conflicts. The debate on the moral issue is just one aspect of a wider picture.”

“We said that we would be more colourful, and within that we would get into the drama that the film naturally required. There was always light and darkness in the central character, so we shot in interiors that had that kind of quality.”

– “An Interview with Baradwaj Rangan” in Conversations with Mani Ratnam (2012).

Too Wise Wives

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers premiered in London, England on 13 June 1946, before its official release in July.

Robert Rossen adapted John Patrick's short story "Love Lies Bleeding" and Barbara Stanwyck was cast. Kirk Douglas made his feature film debut, and was recommended for the role by Lauren Bacall (the two had studied together at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City), and Douglas credited co-star Van Heflin with helping him feel comfortable in front of the camera.

Producer Hal Wallis was intent on making Lizabeth Scott a star (he wanted to give her top billing in the film, but the idea was quickly defeated by Stanwyck and her lawyers) and demanded that director Lewis Milestone reshoot scenes to include more close-ups of Scott (who was appearing in her 2nd feature film), when Milestone refused, Wallis directed the scenes himself, and then cut Stanwyck's screen time.

Lost in Translation (2003)