Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman (1947)

Director:

Stuart Heisler

Writers:

Dorothy Parker (story) &
Frank Cavett (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

March 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music | Romance

Tagline:

Love-Wrecked!

Plot:

Angie Evans, fast-rising nightclub singer, interrupts her career to marry struggling songwriter Ken Conway...

Plot Keywords:

Songwriter | Nightclub | Singer | Alcoholism | Marriage

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Susan Hayward	...	Angelica 'Angie' 'Angel' Evans Conway
Lee Bowman	...	Ken Conway
Marsha Hunt	...	Martha Gray, Elliott's Secretary
Eddie Albert	...	Steve Nelson
Carl Esmond	...	Dr. Lorenz
Carleton Young	...	Fred Elliott
Charles D. Brown	...	Michael 'Mike' Dawson
Janet Murdoch	...	Miss Kirk, Baby Angelica's Nanny
Sharyn Payne	...	Angelica 'Angel' Conway
Robert Shayne	...	Mr. Gordon
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ernie Adams	...	Charley, Waiter (uncredited)
Erville Alderson	...	Farmer at Fire (uncredited)
Fred Aldrich	...	Doorman at Nightclub (uncredited)
Carol Andrews	...	Female Photographer (uncredited)
Sam Ash	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Brooks Benedict	...	Celebrant with Mr. Gordon (uncredited)
Larry J. Blake	...	Radio Station Emcee (uncredited)
Paul Bradley	...	Mike's Companion (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks	...	Clerk (uncredited)
Fred Browne	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Virginia Carroll	...	Woman (uncredited)
Douglas Carter	...	Hotel Manager (uncredited)
Tom Chatterton	...	Edwards, Ken's Butler (uncredited)
Dorothy Christy	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Eddie Coke	...	News Photographer (uncredited)
James Conaty	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
James Craven	...	Sam Winsley (uncredited)
Sayre Dearing	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Matt Dennis	...	Announcer (voice) (uncredited)
Laurie Douglas	...	Singer at the Raven Club (uncredited)
Cecil Elliott	...	Matron (uncredited)
Alice Fleming	...	Miss Tierman (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Inquisitive Party Guest (uncredited)
Charles Flynn	...	News Photographer (uncredited)
Cay Forester	...	Young Woman (uncredited)
Joan Fulton	...	Angelica as baby (voice) (uncredited)
Phil Garris	...	Bellhop (uncredited)
William Gould	...	Judge (uncredited)
Beatrice Gray	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Sherry Hall	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
Al Hill	...	Man (uncredited)
Victoria Horne	...	Woman (uncredited)
Bert Howard	...	Poker Player (uncredited)
Eddie Kane	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Richard Kipling	...	Man (uncredited)
Peg La Centra	...	Angie's Singing Voice (voice) (uncredited)
Connie Leon	...	Mary, Angie's Maid (uncredited)
Carl M. Leviness	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Willene Luckett	...	Baby in crib (uncredited)
Wilbur Mack	...	Radio Commentator (voice) (uncredited)
Caren Marsh	...	Bobby-Soxer (uncredited)
Thomas Martin	...	Waiter (uncredited)
David McKim	...	Boy (uncredited)
George Meader	...	Attorney (uncredited)
George Meeker	...	Wolf, an Attorney (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Ralph Montgomery	...	Doorman (uncredited)
Frances Morris	...	Mrs. Benton, Baby's Nurse (uncredited)
Noel Neill	...	Girl at Party (uncredited)
Vivien Oakland	...	Woman at Bar (uncredited)
Steve Olsen	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Alexander Pollard	...	Waiter (uncredited)
George Ramsey	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
Ed Randolph	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
Joe Recht	...	Jimmy, an Elevator Boy (uncredited)
Ruth Sanderson	...	Maggie (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Poker Player (uncredited)
Lee Shumway	...	Benson, Doorman (uncredited)
Milburn Stone	...	Raven Club Announcer (voice) (uncredited)
Clarence Straight	...	Man (uncredited)
Ann Toth	...	Ladies Room Patron (uncredited)
John Valentine	...	Dr. Forbes (uncredited)
Nanette Vallon	...	Woman (uncredited)
Robert Verdaine	...	Maitre d' (uncredited)
Joseph Vitale	...	Poker Player (uncredited)
William Wagner	...	Waiter with Trash (uncredited)
John Wald	...	Radio Announcer at Cowboy Singing Show (uncredited)
Ethel Wales	...	Farmer's Wife at Fire (uncredited)
Barbara Woodell	...	Girl (uncredited)

Directed by
Stuart Heisler

Writing credits
Dorothy Parker		(story) &
Frank Cavett		(story)
John Howard Lawson		(screenplay)
Lionel Wiggam		(additional dialogue)

Produced by
Martin Gabel	....	associate producer
Walter Wanger	....	producer

Original Music by
Frank Skinner
Daniele Amfitheatrof		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Stanley Cortez		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Milton Carruth

Art Direction by
Alexander Golitzen

Set Decoration by
Russell A. Gausman
Ruby R. Levitt		(as Ruby Levitt)

Costume Design by
Travis Banton		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Carmen Dirigo	....	hair stylist
Jack P. Pierce	....	director of makeup

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fred Frank	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Charles Felstead	....	sound director
Joe Lapis	....	technician

Special Effects by
David S. Horsley	....	special photography

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
David Tamkin	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Walter Wanger	....	presenter

Production Companies

• Universal International Pictures (UI)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1947) (USA) (theatrical)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS)
• Filmiseppo (1948) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Universal (1948) (France) (theatrical) (as Universal Films S.A.)
• Finnkino (2009) (Finland) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2000) (Finland) (TV)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Spain:15 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #11977) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

Based on the life of entertainer Dixie Lee.

Quotes:

Ken Conway:I'm gonna have a baby!
Steve Nelson:I told you you had talent.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Fear Stalk (1989) (TV)

Soundtrack:

When Love is Young

"Life Can Be Beautiful, How Do I Know? Somebody Beautiful Just Told Me So"

In the Citadel Film Series, The Films of Susan Hayward, the authors put forward the proposition that if The Lost Weekend had not come out the year before and carried all the awards it won, Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman might have garnered a lot more acclaim and maybe an Oscar for Susan Hayward.

As it is the film got two Oscar nominations for Best Story by Dorothy Parker and Frank Cavett and for Best Actress for Susan Hayward. It was Hayward's first of five nominations and she lost to Loretta Young for The Farmer's Daughter. That in itself was an upset because odds-makers had Rosalind Russell the favorite for Mourning Becomes Electra. Rounding out the field were Dorothy McGuire for Gentleman's Agreement and Joan Crawford for Possessed.

At the time Smash-Up came out there were hushed rumors going around that this film was based on the troubled marriage of Bing Crosby and Dixie Lee. Having just read a biography of Gene Autry that came out last year an equally good case can be made for it being modeled on his first marriage to Ina Mae Spivey. Especially since Lee Bowman's character starts out as a cowboy singer and branches out as Autry was doing right about that time.

In any event the story has Susan Hayward as a lounge singer who falls in love with another singer Lee Bowman and marries him and they have a daughter. Bowman's career surges ahead of her's and she's left at home bored and raising the daughter they both love. She turns to drink and with that come all the attending problems. How they're resolved you'll have to see Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman to find out.

The musical score was written mostly by Jimmy McHugh and Harold Adamson and two songs really stand out. The theme song Life Can Be Beautiful and another terrific ballad I Miss That Feeling. The latter was recorded by Tony Martin for Mercury Records, I've not heard a commercial recording of the former.

Bowman and Hayward were dubbed by vocalists Hal Derwin and Peg LaCentra respectively. The voices perfectly suit the players.

In the supporting cast Marsha Hunt should be singled out as the agent's secretary carrying the Olympic torch for Bowman. Even though he doesn't notice her, she sure gets Hayward's back up and they have one outstanding chick fight in a powder room.

Still the film belongs to Susan Hayward as the girl from Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn was taken seriously as an actress for the first time in her career. After Smash-Up no one took Susan Hayward any other way.