Lizabeth Scott (pictured far right in a scene
from Loving You), Born Emma Matzo in 1922 to Slovakian
parents, Scott studied at Alvienne School of Drama (NY),
and was discovered by Hal Wallis in 1945. She appeared
in 21 films between 1945 and 1957, mostly for Wallis
and Paramount, and was promoted by the studio as a Lauren
Bacall or Veronica Lake-type. Like Veronica Lake - though
much more talented - Scott was never given the type
of role that would catapult her to super-stardom.
Many of her movies are easily forgotten (with several
notable exceptions), but her characters are not. They
linger in memory long after the context has faded. In
1944 after an impressive run as the production head at
Warners, 'Hal Wallis' resigned and formed his own production
company, releasing films primarily through Paramount.
One of his first independent productions was a sentimental
little film called You Came Along(1945, dir: John Farrow).
This film introduced a pretty, pouty, 23 year old Lizabeth
Scott to the movie-going public. The former part-time
model and Broadway understudy plays an escort that falls
in love with a G.I. who's dying of leukemia. Not a spectacular
debut, but a solid one, Scott graced the screen with a
Bacall-type allure, and a sexy, captivating voice that
commanded attention.
(In Dead Reckoning (1947) Humphrey Bogart would refer
to her as "Cinderella with a husky voice.") The movie
was a moderate success, though certainly not in the upper
tier of Wallis productions, and Scott shines with a combination
of beauty, sensitivity, and vulnerability that would suit
her well in films to come. On the strength of her performance
in You Came Along, Wallis cast Scott in a supporting role
in the film noir classic The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
(1946, dir: Lewis Milestone). The film is really a showcase
for Barbara Stanwcyk and Kirk Douglas (his film debut),
but Scott steals every scene she's in - which is not many
- and provides an anchor of strength and sweetness in
an otherwise dark and perverse melodrama, saturated with
cruelty, fear, guilt, obsession, murder, and blackmail.
The film boasts an Oscar nominated screenplay by Robert
Rossen music by 'Miklos Rozsa' art direction by Hans Drier,
and costumes by Edith Head. The Strange Love of Martha
Ivers was a critical and financial success in its day,
and remains a fascinating and entertaining example of
film noir at its finest. In only her second film Scott
holds her own against the likes of Stanwyck and Douglas,
evidence indeed of the depth of her talent. In fact Variety
claimed she out-acted them bothIn 1947 Scott was paired
with Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas in I Walk Alone (dir:
Byron Haskin), a noirish story of betrayal and vengeance.
Scott plays a nightclub singer who provides sympathy and
support to Lancaster, recently released from prison. The
material is not worthy of the cast, and on the whole the
film disappoints. But Scott rises above it all and is
completely convincing in her portrayal. Scott's character
provides a degree of romanticism and humanism usually
lacking in film noir. Scott was again paired with Lancaster
in 1947's Desert Fury (dir: Lewis Allen), a story of love,
deception and corruption written by Robert Rossen (The
Strange Love of Martha Ivers). Scott looks glorious in
Technicolor, but the writing is weak and the film is ultimately
stolen by Mary Astor who plays Scott's mother. 1947 also
finds Scott opposite Humphrey Bogart in Dead Reckoning
(dir: John Cromwell). It's Scott's first crack as the
archetypal femme fatale and she doesn't disappoint. In
prior films, Scott was often a victim of circumstance,
an innocent bystander who is trapped by words of deeds
of others. In Dead Reckoning the tables are turned, as
she lures Bogart into a web of lies, deceit, and ultimately
death. As is typical in the noir genre, her power is rooted
in her sexual allure. In a departure from his tough guy
roles, Bogart plays a wronged man (a noir hero), who struggles
to learn the fate of a missing army buddy. Scott is the
ex-girlfriend who knows more than she lets on. To keep
Bogart from learning the truth about his lost buddy and
his mysterious double life, Scott seduces him into believing
she loves him. After Bogart takes the bait he learns that
Scott is responsible for his buddy's death. In a scene
reminiscent of his final confrontation with Mary Astor
in The Maltese Falcon, Bogart tells Scott that he plans
on turning her over to the authorities. The noir conventions
are in full effect, and it's all great fun to watch, in
spite of a few implausibilities. Scott and Bogart are
both excellent in their only film together. Scott's next
role was in a terrific little noir gem called The Pitfall
(1948, dir: Andre de Toth). The film details the fall
from grace of an errant suburban husband and father at
the hands of alluring femme fatale played by Scott. Dick
Powell plays a successful insurance agent, married to
his high school sweetheart (Jane Wyatt), living out a
comfortable but boring existence in a Los Angeles suburb.
Powell is restless and unfulfilled ("I feel like a wheel
within a wheel within a wheel") when he receives what
at first seems like a routine assignment to recover goods
that have been bought with stolen money, a claim paid
off by Powell's firm. The
items are traced to Mona Stevens (Scott), a model living
in Marina Del Rey. Powell is attracted to her, and what
starts out as innocent flirtation ends up in a passionate
love affair. Powell's journey into a daydream ends in
tragedy as he becomes a prisoner in his own home and slays
an assailant who has been set on his trail by a jealous
private investigator (Raymond Burr, excellent as a pathetic
thug who also covets Scott's sexual favors). Scott kills
Burr when he tries to force himself upon her. Powell is
exonerated, but Scott is arrested. Powell's wife learns
the truth about the affair and with some hesitation forgives
him. He is grateful but knows he may never regain her
trust and respect. In Too Late for Tears (1949; dir: Byron
Haskin), aka Killer Bait, Scott plays the avaricious Jane
Palmer, a hateful wife who murders her husband for money.
Scott's portrayal stands out in this low budget affair,
and helped to solidify her standing as one of the top
actors in the noir genre. Of more interest is 1949's Easy
Living, an intelligent, well-written film about an aging
football star (Victor Mature) who struggles to adjust
to his impending retirement, as well as the pressures
brought on by an ambitious and defiant wife (Scott). Lucille
Ball is commendable as the sympathetic team secretary
and Jacques Tourneur's direction is first-rate. It's one
of Scott's finest roles and a favorite film of many of
her fans. By the end of 1949 Scott appeared in nine films,
but hadn't achieved the level of stardom and clout that
was needed in the studio system to influence the direction
of her own career. From 1950 on she was never given an
opportunity to reach much beyond her usual good girl done
wrong or femme fatale roles she had become known for.
She continued to make films for Paramount (Dark City (1950;
dir: William Dieterle), Red Mountain (1951; dir: William
Dieterle), and Scared Stiff (1953; dir: George Marshall))
and Columbia (Two of a Kind (1951; dir: Henry Levin) and
Bad for Each Other (1953; dir: Irving Rapper)), none of
which are particularly compelling. Perhaps the best of
these is The Racket (1951; dir: Lewis Milestone), but
Scott's role is minor one, unworthy of her talents. In
1955 Scott, who never married, sued Confidential over
allegations concerning her sexual preferences. In 1957
her film career came to an end with her role in Loving
You (dir: Hal Kanter), Elvis Presley's second movie (although
she appeared in an offbeat British film Pulp in 1972).
Since 1957 she has been seldom seen except for a few rare
television appearances. Her legacy lives on however in
the growing popularity of classic movies sparked by video
tape, laser discs, and cable movie channels such as AMC
(American Movie Classics) and TCM (Turner Classic Movies).
Pulp (1972) .... Princess Betty Cippola
Loving You (1957) .... Glenda Markle
Weapon, The (1957) .... Elsa Jenner
Silver Lode (1954) .... Rose Evans
Bad for Each Other (1953) .... Helen Curtis
Scared Stiff (1953) .... Mary Carroll
Stolen Face, A (1952) .... Alice Brent/Lily Conover, after surgery
Racket, The (1951) .... Irene Hayes
Red Mountain (1951) .... Chris
Two of a Kind (1951) .... Brandy Kirby
Company She Keeps, The (1950) .... Joan
Dark City (1950) .... Fran Garland
Paid in Full (1950) .... Jane Langley
Easy Living (1949) .... Liza 'Lize' Wilson
Too Late for Tears (1949) .... Jane Palmer... aka Killer Bait (1949)
Pitfall (1948) .... Mona Stevens
I Walk Alone (1948) .... Kay Lawrence
Variety Girl (1947) .... Herself
Desert Fury (1947) .... Paula Haller
Dead Reckoning (1947) .... Mrs. Coral 'Dusty' Chandler/Mike
Strange Love of Martha Ivers, The (1946) .... Antonia 'Toni' Marachek
You Came Along (1945) .... Ivy HotchkissNoteable T.V. Apearances
Burke's Law (1963) playing "Mona Roberts" in episode: "Who Killed Cable Roberts?" (episode # 1.3) 10/4/1963
Adventures in Paradise (1959) in episode: "Amazon, The" (episode # 1.25) 3/21/1960
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