The Strange Love of Martha Ivers

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946)

  • 100% of critics liked it
    (10 reviews)

  • 71% of users liked it
    (1,582 ratings)

In The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, relationships formed in childhood lead to murder and obsessive love. The wealthy Martha Ivers (Barbara Stanwyck) is the prime mover of the small Pennsylvania town of Iverston. Martha lives in a huge mansion with her DA husband, Walter O'Neil (Kirk Douglas),… More

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Unrated,
Directed By
Written By
Robert Rossen, John Patrick, Robert Riskin
Genres
Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Classics
In Theaters
Jul 24, 1946 Wide
Paramount Pictures

Critic Reviews

  • Derek Adams, Time Out

    A gripping film noir, all the more effective for being staged by Milestone as a steamy romantic melodrama.

  • Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

    Pervaded by his guilty-liberal fascination with power and money.

  • Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

    The Strange Love of Martha Ivers is one of those really dark films noir that tends to get away with more than it seems to be getting away with.

  • Matt Brunson, Creative Loafing

    Vintage thriller that too often veers more toward mopey melodrama than sizzling film noir.

  • Jaime N. Christley, Slant Magazine

    This non-classic has plenty of boilerplate pulp-Guignol appeal, and it's tempting to say that HD Cinema Classics gave it the disappointing Blu-ray release it deserves, but that isn't quite true.

Read all 11 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • AJ V


    I liked this movie, it's suspenseful and has a good story and good actors too. It doesn't list Kirk Douglas, but he's in the movie too.

  • Devon B


    Martha Ivers, as you will learn in the first 10 minutes of this movie, is crazy. As a young teen, she makes repeated attempts to run away from her stodgy and controlling old aunt (who also happens to be incredibly wealthy) and join the circus along with her hoodlum boyfriend, Sam.… More

  • Randy T


    Whether its paperback fiction like <i>Lady of Burlesque</i>, or a tear-jerker like <i>Stella Dallas</i>, or the noir-ish suspense of <i>The Strange Love of Martha Ivers</i>, Barbara Stanwyck delivers. I just can't take my eyes off of her.… More

  • Ken S


    This movie has possibly the most mela-dramatic music ever. Acting is solid all round, and the direction is great. Unfortunately the story is the big let down here with a rubbish ending.

  • Lanning :


    This is less a showcase of Barbara Stanwyck than it is a memorable screen debut for Kirk Douglas. But if you like Stanwyck, this is definitely worth the watch. She can definitely play characters from one end of the complexity spectrum to the other, always with depth. Naughty or… More

Read all 10 featured audience ratings

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Cast

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