Love Me or Leave Me (1955)

Best movie of this year hands down!

To me, this movie is perfection.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

I'd never seen Doris Day in a dramatic role, and I was really impressed by her in "Love Me or Leave Me," in which she plays nightclub singer Ruth Etting. The film follows her tumultuous relationship with small-time gangster Martin Snyder, played in an Oscar-nominated performance by James Cagney. The film has grown a bit one note by the time it's over, as Etting goes back and forth between her loyalty to Snyder for launching her in her career and her exhaustion with his efforts to control her life. Cagney gives a wonderful portrayal of an insecure man who's used to being a big shot in his small little circle and then finds out he's a nobody when he ventures out into the bigger world. In addition to Cagney's Oscar nomination, the film won the award for Best Motion Picture Story, while it was also nominated for Best Screenplay, Best Musical Scoring, Best Original Song (for "I'll Never Stop Loving You"), and Best Sound Recording. The film is essentially a Doris Day concert, as every number in the film (and there are many of them) are performed by her.Grade: B+

Doris Day, star of many light musical comedies, proves that she can REALLY act, as well as SING in this movie.As Ruth Etting, songstress from the 1920's, she meets small-time Chicago hood Marty Snyder (James Cagney) who meets Ruth at a "ten cents a dance" emporium. In his efforts to bed Ruth, Marty agrees to use his influence to manage her singing career. He even hires Johnny Alderman (Cameron Mitchell) to be her coach at Ruth's request. Remarkably, Marty learns the business quickly. With Ruth's talent and Marty's arm twisting she soon becomes a star, first in Chicago, then New York, on to Zigfield, then Hollywood. Along the way she agrees to marry Cagney. The film was nominated for 6 Oscars, winning for best writing. In my opinion, Cagney and Day both deserved Oscars for acting, and the musical score is wonderful. I will always remember this film for the fantastic talent displayed by Day, who sings as I never knew she could.

Love Me or Leave Me (1955) is eerily close to being a Faustian narrative, a story about an ambitious woman who basically makes a deal with the devil and suffers greatly for it even after she has attained the fame she's desired. It is also a harrowing portrait of an abusive relationship, in this case a fictionalized Ruth Etting and her manager/husband Marty Snyder, played to perfection by Doris Day and James Cagney.Though Day's characterization of Etting is not entirely accurate to the real woman, it is an interesting subversion of her "good girl" image by portraying a character who plays up an innocent image for her own advantage. From the beginning, Ruth knows that Marty expects sex (and later, romantic devotion) in exchange for her singing career; she's not naive and obviously a tough dame. But she puts on a virginal, guileless image, acting as though she has no clue as to Marty's true intentions for her and keeping him at arm's length as a result, constantly using the classic "I'm too tired" excuse. This only works for so long; eventually, after a shocking implied sexual assault, it becomes clear that Marty feels he totally owns this woman and she becomes obligated to marry him, thus sliding into total misery complete with alcoholism. This element of possession is highlighted in the film's intense sense of the male gaze, with Marty and Ruth's love interest Johnny constantly observing her on stage, silently fighting for her favor.It's strange, though, how human the writers and Cagney have managed to make Marty. Despite being obnoxious, violent, and a rapist of all things, there is a sense that he feels inadequate as a person and is holding onto Ruth not only because of twisted affection or her money, but because he has nothing else to do with himself. He's a pathetic monster and part of you reluctantly pities him.Of course, everyone else has gone on about Day's singing, which is fantastic as always, and the film's costumes, which are stunning, especially that big blue dress Ruth dons at the Follies. It's main strength does come from the performances though, and they have kept this one fresh and well worth watching.

This is really a 2 person film, as either Jimmy or Doris is in virtually every scene of this bio of 1920's & 30's singer and film star Ruth Etting. Cagney is once again playing a gangster, the role no one did better. Marty (the Gimp) Snyder is a hood on the peripheral edge of show business, he runs a company that supplies a linen service to the various clubs in Chicago. He's not a two bit punk, but he doesn't have the credibility or notoriety of a Capone or Nitti. He is well known, feared and respected in the speakeasy's and clubs and the owners are more than willing to introduce him to the various showgirls and dancers, which is where he first encounters Ruth Etting, working in a dime a dance dive. Cagney is playing a character similar to his roles in "Public Enemy" and "White Heat." He's cocky, arrogant and possesses an ability to manipulate and coerce to get what he wants. In the case of Ruth Etting, it is initially sex, but he can also see that she has an incredible singing talent which he can exploit as her manager. She is willing to be controlled, as long as he can advance her career. Marty Snyder does get things done, but Ruth Etting has to decide if his obsessive control and eventual stalking is worth it. Doris Day is superb in this dramatic role that also calls for quite a bit of singing and dancing within the context playing Etting on stage. For those used to her in the frothy WB musicals of the 40's or early 50's or in the light romantic comedies she would do later, this is something that shows what a truly excellent and versatile actress she was. She is also smoking hot, as she shows off an excellent body in some sexy outfits that she performs the various song and dance numbers in.