Love Me or Leave Me (1955)

Director:

Charles Vidor

Writers:

Daniel Fuchs (screenplay) and
Isobel Lennart (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

10 June 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music | Romance

Tagline:

You'll Love it!...The Big Lavish Musical of the Roaring Twenties!

Plot:

A fictionalized account of the career of jazz singer Ruth Etting and her tempestuous marriage to gangster Marty Snyder, who helped propel her to stardom.

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Star | Broadway | Marriage | Gangster

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 6 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Fri. Feb. 19

12:30 PM

TCM

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Doris Day	...	Ruth Etting
James Cagney	...	Martin Snyder
Cameron Mitchell	...	Johnny Alderman
Robert Keith	...	Bernard V. Loomis
Tom Tully	...	Frobisher
Harry Bellaver	...	Georgie
Richard Gaines	...	Paul Hunter
Peter Leeds	...	Fred Taylor
Claude Stroud	...	Eddie Fulton
Audrey Young	...	Jingle Girl
John Harding	...	Greg Trent

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (35 mm optical prints) | 4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Sound System) (35 mm magnetic prints)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | USA:Approved (certificate #17433) | Australia:PG (TV rating) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Sweden:Btl | Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | UK:PG | Germany:6

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Jane Russell turned down the opportunity to play Ruth Etting in hopes of landing the role of Lillian Roth in I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955). That role ended up going to Susan Hayward, leaving Russell with neither part.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: During one scene late in the film where Cagney is speaking, the audio/visuals are off by more than a second.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film (2008) (TV)

Soundtrack:

I'm Sitting on Top of the World

Smashing "Gangster Musical"

"Love Me Or Leave Me" has been critically lauded and publicly supported. I can only concede it's a very fine music/drama/biopic.

What's so unique about this film is it's skillfully combining the "gangster" element with the "musical" genre. The bio-based storyline plays out like somewhat like a crime drama, while the musical portion rings forth with twelve complete full-bodied numbers.

The casting is truly inspired: what a coup getting Doris Day, at the peak of her physical, acting and vocal powers to be cast in a real-life role, while snaring the brilliant, often breathtaking James Cagney--forever at the peak of his powers--as the indestructible "Gimp."

Together they create fireworks, playing off one another's sweet 'n' sour characterizations with great relish. How amusing it is to see Cagney having fun with his deft limp-walk and grueling thug-character, complemented by Day's equally enjoyable, contrastingly lovable persona.

The songs are all very beautiful, and expertly rendered by Day in this, a wonderful tribute to her vocal talent and impressive musicianship.

The script is well-written to utilize the stars' individual gifts, and the widescreen production is a delight to watch. After all these years, "Love Me Or Leave Me" holds its own, thanks to the contributions of two now-legendary stars.