THIS IS MY LOVE
US, 1954, 93 minutes, Colour.
Linda Darnell, Faith Domergue, Dan Duryea, Rick Jason, Hal Baylor.
Directed by Stuart Heisler.
This is My Love is a 1950s melodrama, rather typical of the times. The focus is on Linda Darnell as a rather repressed woman, living with her sister who had married the man she was in love with (Faith Domergue and Dan Duryea). The husband has had an accident and is in a wheelchair, quite embittered. The wife works at the diner with Vida, Linda Darnell, helping out.
There are tense sequences at home, the husband complaining, Vida having to work and look after the children, retiring into her room and sitting at her typewriter, creative writing.
She meets an attractive man at the diner, friend of the rather cheerful character who has been engaged to Vida for a long time. He is played by Rick Jason. The complication is that Vida is attracted to him, somewhat losing herself in the attraction. However, he begins an affair with Vida’s sister, leading to her smouldering jealousy.
The husband dies, his wife being blamed and arrested, Glenn explaining to Vida that he does not love her and that he and the sister were breaking off the relationship for the sake of the home.
There is a powerful scene in which provider confronts Glenn, letting loose all her emotions. However, the film ends with her going to the police.
1. A 1950s melodrama? For a women’s audience? Men’s audience?
2. The American town, homes and interiors, the diner and interiors, the club and dancing, the atmosphere of the town? The musical score? The importance of the theme song, the tone and style of the period? Romantic?
3. The opening, Vida and her writing, the typewriter, the capital letters, the melodrama? Audience interest in her, sympathy? The taunts by Murray, his being in the wheelchair? The background of his relationship with Vida, his abandoning her, with Evelyn, dancing? His accident, his bitterness? The family, the children? Opening the diner, the two sisters working there? Vida and her sense of isolation?
4. The flashbacks, the scenes at work in the diner, the two women, their bonds, yet Vida is remembering Evelyn taking Murray from her? At home, Murray and his taunts, her looking after the children? The customers? Eddie and the engagement, yet his simply driving her home?
5. Glenn, friend of Eddie, at the diner, charm, Vida attracted, changing her life, her attention to him, his taking her out, the apartment, her interpretation of this approach, going home? Glenn and his attention to Evelyn, her going out with him, coming home late, Murray and his suspicions, Vida covering for her? With Eddie? Turning the clock back to help Evelyn?
6. Evelyn, in love with Glenn, finding life hard at home, the interactions with Murray? Confiding in Vida, wanting to leave with Glenn? His coming, taking her out? His using Vida as a cover, the rapturous response, his plain talking to her, the impact on her feelings?
7. Vida, the intensity of her feelings, the poison, killing Murray? Her cover, the seeming innocence, her response? Evelyn, the arrest, the role of the police?
8. Glenn, talking to Vida, his basic indifference towards her? Telling her that Evelyn and himself were intending to break the relationship for Murray’s sake?
9. The scene of Vida, her outburst against Glenn, her feelings let loose – and then her giving herself up to the police?
