The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946)

A wonderfully done film noir. The movie begins when Martha Ivers is a young girl. She lives with her aunt whom she hates. She is going to run away from Iverstown with her crush Sam Masterson when she pushes her aunt down the stairs and kills her. Sam runs away and Martha stays behind with her tutor, Mr O'Neill, and his son Walter. Fast forward 17 years and Sam Masterson (Van Heflin) is driving through Iverstown for the first time since he left as a child. He runs his car into a pole and takes it into town for repairs. On the radio he hears his old friend Martha Ivers (Barbara Stanwyck) campagining for the reelection of her husband, Walter O'Neill (Kirk Douglas), for DA. Sam soon meets a beautiful and mysterious woman named Toni Maracheck (Lizabeth Scott) who is arrested for probation violation. He goes to Walter hoping to get Toni out of jail Walter is sure he has come to blackmail him and Martha about her aunt's murder. However, Martha has other plans for Sam - she wants him to kill Walter.

This was a very well done movie. Stanwyck was wonderful as the conniving Martha. Douglas was also terrific as the drunk and paranoid Walter. A little bit of trivia for you about this movie. I am related to the actor who played the young Sam Masterson in the film. His name is Darryl Hickman and he is married to an actress named Pamela Lincoln. Pamela is my mother's second cousin. It's a distant relation but was cool to see him in this movie all the same. If you are a film noir fan do not miss this film.