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Thursday, April 12, 2012

Something To Live For (1952)

A struggling actress (Joan Fontaine) takes to alcohol because of her insecurities as an actress and a failed relationship with the domineering director (Richard Derr) who discovered her. But when a married recovering alcoholic (Ray Milland, who'd been down this road before with THE LOST WEEKEND), from Alcoholics Anonymous attempts to help her, the passion they both feel for each other threatens to drive them both back to the booze. Sandwiched in between his two acclaimed (if overrated) films, A PLACE IN THE SUN and SHANE, this little discussed George Stevens film is only tangentially about alcoholism. It's the usual doomed romance that can never be, BRIEF ENCOUNTER is the template for these kind of films. The film is almost refreshingly unapologetic about the adultery angle, certainly Milland's character doesn't feel much shame. But since he's married to Teresa Wright, one can see why he drinks and pines away for Fontaine. Considering its subject matter, the film is surprisingly colorless. Fontaine is very good, discreet and subtle and eschews the usual over the top drunk scenes that most actors fall prey to. There's a nice score by Victor Young. With Harry Bellaver, Kasey Rogers, Douglas Dick and King Donovan.

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