A Life of Her Own (1950)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

George Cukor

Writer:

Isobel Lennart (written by)

Release Date:

1 September 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Small town Kansas girl, Lily James, is the latest model working for the Thomas Callaway Agency in New York City...

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

US TV Schedule:

Thur. Nov. 12

2:00 PM

TCM

Cast

Lana Turner	...	Lily Brannel James
Ray Milland	...	Steve Harleigh
Tom Ewell	...	Tom Caraway
Louis Calhern	...	Jim Leversoe
Ann Dvorak	...	Mary Ashlon
Barry Sullivan	...	Lee Gorrance
Margaret Phillips	...	Nora Harleigh
Jean Hagen	...	Maggie Collins
Phyllis Kirk	...	Jerry
Sara Haden	...	Smitty
Hermes Pan	...	Specialty Dancer

Also Known As:

The Abiding Vision (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The haunting theme music here by Bronislau Kaper was reused two years later in MGM's _Invitation (1952)_, and under the title Invitation became an enduring jazz standard, especially associated with tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson.

Goofs:

Continuity: Lily James appears as "Top Model" on the cover of a Life magazine being read by Jim Leversoe. The scene immediately dissolves to the cover of the same Life magazine in a plane with Steve Harleigh, but the cover shot of the Life magazine on the plane is an entirely different pose (but the same outfit and hairdo).

Quotes:

Mary Ashlon: Nobody can help anybody.

Competent, but not all that absorbing

Wow, my summary sounds like comments made about an off-brand paper towel! Lana Turner is a nice girl from Kansas who comes to the big city to become a model. Because of her grit, determination, moxie AND, most importantly, fantastic looks, she makes it big. But instead of being on top of the world, she is depressed because she falls for a married man.

Overall, is a thoroughly adequate film with decent acting but a story that just never engaged me very well--partly because the relationships seemed rather silly and superficial and also because it was hard to feel sorry for Lana in the film. Despite her complaining about how "life isn't fair", it's really hard for the average person to feel sorry for this woman, as she's a very successful super-model who is sad she can't have a particular married man (Ray Milland). Since she lives in New York, I assume there must be at least a few nice single guys! Also, because Milland wants to sleep with Lana while he's married to a very nice lady, he comes off as a bit of a jerk as well.

On the positive side, though the film seems to initially make their romance seem like a good thing, it later shows that there is a wife and she truly loves her hubby. This is NOT a victimless crime. It's not a bad morality tale, but had I cared more about Lana and Ray, it would have been a lot better.