Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman

Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman

1/3/1947 1h 43m 6.1/10

Overview

A nightclub singer uses alcohol in excess to sooth her painful life.

Director

Stuart Heisler

Top Billed Cast

Carleton Young

Carleton Young

Fred Elliott

Susan Hayward

Susan Hayward

Angie Evans

Eddie Albert

Eddie Albert

Steve Nelson

Marsha Hunt

Marsha Hunt

Martha Gray

Lee Bowman

Lee Bowman

Ken Conway

Carl Esmond

Carl Esmond

Dr. Lorenz

Reviews

CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

7/7/2022

6/10

A sort of role-reversal of "A Star is Born" as Susan Hayward portrays a successful nightclub singer who marries a struggling lyricist - Lee Bowman. When his career takes off, she becomes disheartened and turns to the bottle - putting herself and her young daughter at risk. Hayward is rather good in this - she is convincing as both a singer (thanks, largely, to the tones of Peg La Centra) and a drunk; and does engender a feeling of sympathy. Regrettably, the rest of the cast are unremarkable and the ending reduces her performance to little more than that of a pathetic failure. It's worth a watch, but only because you can see the star quality in Hayward's performance rather than anything peculiar to this story.

Similar Movies

Children of Men

7.6

Children of Men

2006

The Last Samurai

7.6

The Last Samurai

2003

Leaving Las Vegas

7.2

Leaving Las Vegas

1995

Dolores Claiborne

7.3

Dolores Claiborne

1995

New Police Story

7.2

New Police Story

2004

Central Station

8.1

Central Station

1998

Angela's Ashes

7.3

Angela's Ashes

1999

Broken Blossoms or The Yellow Man and the Girl

6.9

Broken Blossoms or The Yellow Man and the Girl

1919

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

7.7

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

1958

Noi the Albino

6.9

Noi the Albino

2003