THE MAN I LOVE

US, 1946, 76 minutes, Black and white.
Ida Lupino, Robert Alda, Andrea King, Martha Vickers, Bruce Bennett, Alan Hale, Dolores Moran.
Directed by Raoul Walsh.

The Man I Love is an entertaining star vehicle for Ida Lupino. She works with Robert Alda, popular at the time in such films as Rhapsody in Blue (as Gershwin) and The Beast With Five Fingers. There is a strong supporting cast including Bruce Bennett, Martha Vickers and Alan Hale. The usual Warner Bros. production values are evident with a score by Max Steiner and direction by veteran Raoul Walsh. Walsh had worked at Warner Bros for many years, directing a number of action features, westerns and war films. This is something of a change of pace.

1. An entertaining melodrama? Post-war setting? The focus on people trying to make good after the war? The world of nightclubs?

2. Production values: Warner Bros. black and white style, stars, locations, score? The use of songs (and the dubbing of Ida Lupino's voice)? The title and the title song?

3. The film focusing on Petey Brown? Ida Lupino's style? Away from home? Nightclub singing and the opening of the film? Her decision to return home? Presents? Arrival and her relationship with her sisters, Sally and Virginia? Her friendship with Gloria and Charlie? Life -in the apartments? Difficulties war injuries, hospitalisation? Financial difficulties? Her getting a job? Her contacts with Nicky Toresca? Nightclubs? Her standing her ground, clashing with him? Attracted towards him,? The complications at the nightclub? Financial complications? , The difficulties at home? her family turning against her? Her encounter with Sam Thomas? Her liking for him? Falling in love with him? Building him up? The resolution of problems at home? Setting out once again on her own life?

4. The presentation of Petey's sisters? Sally and her problems? Virginia? marriages? Nicky Toresca and his intervening, infatuations? The relationship Of the sisters to Petey? Depending on her, finance, moral support? Her resolving their problems? The family sequences, celebrations and joy? marriages?

5. Gloria and Charlie? Gloria as the goodtime girl? Her husband? The mix-up with Nicky Toresca? Violence and danger?

6. Nicky as the nightclub proprietor, suave man-about-town, attraction towards Pete, giving her a job? Matching wits? Infatuation with her sister? Disruptive influence? Petey standing up to him?

7. The contrast with Sam and his music skills, down and out? The support of Petey? In love?

8. The background of America in the immediate post-war years? Life returning to normal? The impact of the war? Veterans? Illness?

9. Popular melodramatic entertainment? The focus on characters, tensions in situations? Resolution of problems?