A washed-up movie queen finds romance, but still desires a comeback.A washed-up movie queen finds romance, but still desires a comeback.A washed-up movie queen finds romance, but still desires a comeback.
When Gretchen changes direction on the boat for the second time, Margaret is knocked way over to the left by the sail. She turns around to laugh, but is shown seated on the far right.
Davis (in an Oscar-nominated performance) plays Margaret Elliot as washed out has been actress. She was big once but now can't get a job. She's divorced and penniless but refuses to give up hope for one more acting job. She also has a man who loves her (Sterling Hayden) and is trying to get her to face reality. There's also a scene or two of Margaret with her daughter played by an impossibly young Natalie Wood.
It's a depressing movie of course but you can't stop watching. It's short (89 minutes) and moves quickly. It does have a ridiculously false but happy ending that had me getting misty-eyed. This is worth seeing for Davis alone. She's just great. She also gleefully said she modeled her character after Joan Crawford! OUCH!