This is the 1954 movie, not the latter one with Debra Winger in it. It's rare to see this film although it's shown on Fox Movie Channel once in a while. Directed by Nunnally Johnson who also adapted it from a story by Hugh Wheeler, it tells the tale of a young girl, excellently played by the famous child star, Peggy Ann Garner, all grown up, who attempts to make it big in NYC. Along the way we meet many characters who she uses to get where she wants to go. Among them are Ginger Rogers, in an overacted yet delightful performance as a famous actress who demands to be the center of attention; Van Heflin as an underplayed playwright, becoming one of the victims; Gene Tierney, wasted in a thankless role as the supporting wife to Van, going around looking pretty but nothing much else given to her to do; Reginald Gardner, a distinguished veteran in films, playing hen pecked hubby to Ginger; George Raft, in his usual dead pan performance as the detective investigating the case (he must have taken classes under Buster Keaton's tutelage); another veteran character actor, Otto Kruger makes an impressive appearance as does Cathleen Nesbitt, the distinguished English actress I've had the pleasure to have worked with, in a surprisingly small and thankless role as an American housekeeper; Virginia Leith, young 20th Fox starlet as Garner's roommate and another child actor grown up, Skip Homeier (remember him in TOMORROW THE WORLD?) as Garner's boy friend.
Put all the stars together and you have a strong cast of players. Add Technicolor and cinemascope and you have good entertainment of it's time.
Put all the stars together and you have a strong cast of players. Add Technicolor and cinemascope and you have good entertainment of it's time.