A Life of Her Own
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A Life of Her Own
Plot
Lana Turner stars as an ambitious model who seeks her fortune in New York City. She is befriended by over-the-hill cover-girl Ann Dvorak, whose performance carries the story until she commits suicide twenty minutes into the film. Turner promises herself that she won't end up burned out like Dvorak, but as her fame grows, she is inexorably drawn into the hectic social whirl that sealed Dvorak's doom. Enjoying the favors of wealthy Ray Milland, Turner seeks out Milland's wife (Margaret Phillips), hoping to convince the woman to give up her husband. When she meets the crippled Mrs. Milland, Turner is made painfully aware of the length and breadth of the woman's love for her husband. Turner pulls out of the relationship, and we are encouraged to believe that hers will be a much happier and more fulfilling life than that of the unfortunate Ann Dvorak (ironically, in real life Ann Dvorak's final days were relatively contented ones, while Lana Turner spent her twilight years wondering where the looks, the men and the money had gone). Though not so noted in the credits, A Life of Her Own was inspired by The Abiding Vision, a novel by Rebecca West. Bronislau Kaper's musical score was later recycled for the 1951 MGM romantic drama Invitation. ~ Hal Erickson, RoviReview
A Life of Her Own is an entertaining enough little melodrama that might have been more memorable if Douglas Sirk had gotten his directorial hands on it. This isn't to impugn George Cukor, whose direction is solid and gets the job done in an admirable fashion, but this kind of ridiculous romance needs the kind of full-blown, devil-may-care commitment that Sirk excelled at. Even Sirk couldn't have made a classic of Life, the material is simply too weak for that. But he would have found the nuggets in it that really spoke to him and mined them for all they were worth, giving A Life of Her Own some mountainous heights rather than the little hills that Cukor builds up. Things certainly start out promisingly, but as soon as Ann Dvorak bites the dust -- which is less than 20 minutes into the film -- a lot of life goes out of the film. Things are also not helped by an ending that is lame and lifeless. Dvorak is a marvel, making the most out of what is really second rate material, and star Lana Turner suffers in comparison. However, Turner's glamour and appeal see her through the role and she's so stunning -- even with a few extra pounds on -- that one is willing to accept the fact that she's a little too old and too hefty to be playing an aspiring young model. Ray Milland is fine as her love interest, and there's good supporting work from Jean Hagen, Kathleen Freeman, and Margaret Phillips, among others. For fans of the genre, it's not bad and it's worth watching -- but it's not a classic. ~ Craig Butler, RoviCast
- Lana Turner - Lily Branner James
- Ray Milland - Steve Harleigh
- Tom Ewell - Tom Caraway
- Louis Calhern - Jim Leversoe
- Ann Dvorak - Mary Ashlon
- Jean Hagen - Maggie Collins
Credit
Cedric Gibbons - Art Director, Arthur Lonergan - Art Director, Helen Rose - Costume Designer, George Cukor - Director, George White - Editor, Bronislau Kaper - Composer (Music Score), Johnny Green - Musical Direction/Supervision, William J. Tuttle - Makeup, George Folsey - Cinematographer, Voldemar Vetluguin - Producer, Henry W. Grace - Set Designer, Edwin B. Willis - Set Designer, Isobel Lennart - Screenwriter| A Life in the Theater (1993 Film), A Life in the Balance (1955 Film) | |
| A Life of Ninja (1985 Film), A Life of Sin (1992 Film) |
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A Life of Her Own
| A Life of Her Own | |
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 Videotape cover |
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| Directed by | George Cukor |
| Produced by | Voldemar Vetluguin |
| Written by | Isobel Lennart |
| Starring | Lana Turner Ray Milland |
| Music by | Bronisław Kaper |
| Cinematography | George J. Folsey |
| Editing by | George White |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | September 1, 1950 |
| Running time | 108 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
A Life of Her Own is a 1950 American melodrama film directed by George Cukor. The screenplay by Isobel Lennart focuses on an aspiring model who leaves her small town in the Midwest to seek fame and fortune in New York City.
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Contents
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Plot
Lily Brannel James leaves her small home town in Kansas for New York City, where she gets herself hired by the Thomas Caraway Model Agency. She befriends former top model Mary Ashlon, who becomes her mentor. Mary is depressed about her foundering career and, following a night of excessive drinking, she commits suicide.
Lily eventually becomes a very successful model. As a favor to her attorney friend Jim Leversoe, she spends some time with Steve Harleigh, a Montana copper-mine owner in New York on business. The two fall in love, but both realize nothing can come of it. After Steve goes home, he has Jim buy Lily a bracelet, but she refuses to accept it.
Lily finds that success does not fill the void in her life. When Steve returns to New York to secure a loan, he runs into her. He tells her he is married. His wife Nora was left a paraplegic in an automobile accident for which he was responsible. Despite this, their feelings for each other are too strong, and they embark on an affair.
Matters come to a head when Nora visits him to celebrate his birthday. On the night of Steve's birthday, Lily hosts a party too, even though Steve stays with Nora, who is making some progress in relearning to walk with crutches. Steve slips out to Lily's party and is taken aback by her self-destructive behavior.
Lily decides to confront Nora and asks family friend Jim to accompany her. However, when she sees how nice Nora is and how dependent she is on her husband, Lily cannot bring herself to tell her about her involvement with Steve. On the way out, she bumps into Steve at the elevator and tells him it is over.
Some time later, Lily runs into advertising executive Lee Gorrance, who had been dating Mary just prior to her death. When Lily resists his romantic advances, he predicts she will end up lonely and depressed like Mary. Upset by his comments, Lily considers ending her own life, but finally resolves to remain strong, even if she is lonely.
Production
Joseph Breen rejected the original script as unacceptable and termed it "shocking and highly offensive" for its portrayal of "adultery and commercialized prostitution." A revised version was found to have "insufficient compensating moral values." In order to bring the story into agreement with the Production Code, screenwriter Isobel Lennart was required to "show that the adulterous situation is wrong and that sinners must be punished for their sin."[1]
Vincente Minnelli originally was assigned to direct the film, but numerous script revisions and problems with casting delayed the start of production by several months, and Minnelli began work on Father of the Bride instead. Lana Turner initially refused to star in the film, but MGM executives Louis B. Mayer and Dore Schary demanded she honor her contract with the studio. Howard Keel, Cary Grant, George Murphy, and James Mason were among those considered for the role of Steve Harleigh, which eventually went to Wendell Corey, who worked on the production through mid-February 1950 but then allegedly asked to be released from the film because he felt he wasn't right for the role. Other sources claimed he was dismissed at the request of Turner and director George Cukor following an argument between the two stars. He was replaced by Ray Milland.[1]
The film's original ending had Lily leaping to her death, but the studio insisted on a happier finale. Cukor disapproved of the studio's interference and was unhappy with the film as it was released.[1]
Cast
- Lana Turner ..... Lily Brannel James
- Ray Milland ..... Steve Harleigh
- Tom Ewell ..... Tom Caraway
- Louis Calhern ..... Jim Leversoe
- Ann Dvorak ..... Mary Ashlon
- Margaret Phillips ..... Nora Harleigh
- Barry Sullivan ..... Lee Gorrance
Critical reception
Variety observed, "The soap opera plotting has been polished to considerable extent, the playing by the femme cast members is topnotch and the direction aids them, but it is still a true confession type of yarn concerned with a big city romance between a married man and a beautiful model. Script is spotted with feeling and character, and also a lot of conversation that doesn't mean much. A decided asset is Lana Turner's performance."[2]
Music
As revealed in the liner notes of the Film Score Monthly release of the music from the film, the main theme for this film would be reused by the composer in the 1952 MGM film Invitation.
Awards and nominations
Bronisław Kaper was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score but lost to Franz Waxman for Sunset Boulevard.
References
External links
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