Love Me Or Leave Me (1955) is perhaps Doris Day's finest hour as an all around performer. That she is in fair voice is to be expected. But to also find her an accomplished actress of the melodrama is quite astonishing, since Day is often known as the fluffy powder puff of feather weight musical tripe, or, the squeaky clean, yet strangely asexual appendage of Rock Hudson. However, in 'Love Me Or Leave Me' Day smolders sensuality, proving that her acting chops were sadly underrated during the rest of her career.
The film is a musical bio based on the rather sorted life and times of torch singer, Ruth Etting (Day). Ruth's initial affiliation with Marty 'the gimp' Snyder (James Cagney) elevates her status from taxi dancer to nightclub performer. But Marty's a small time operator; a hood in the vein Cagney well understood and brought memorably to the screen in countless performances throughout his illustrious career. At first proud of his wife's success, Marty's admiration quickly turns to jealousy as he begins to sense a growing affection between Ruth and her piano player, Johnny Alderman (Cameron Mitchell). That the affection is platonic is a moot point, especially after Marty decides to put a couple of slugs in what he perceives to be his wife's illicit paramour.
Apart from its tempered moral attitude toward sex, director, Charles Vidor keeps the film's narrative pretty darn close to the truth of Etting's own life. It helps, by classical Hollywood standards that in real life Ruth Etting achieved something of reconciliation with her murderous ex while dashing off into the sunset with Johnny. The score for the film is first rate. Day warbles to sultry perfection the smoky "Ten Cents A Dance" and "Love Me Or Leave Me", tears your heart out with "Never Look Back" and "I'll Never Stop Loving You" and stops the show with her radio debut, "Sam, the Accordion Man" and the film's singular, lavishly staged, production number, "Shakin' The Blues Away." Considered a departure from the 'usual' musical fair of its day, in that the emphasis here almost seems to be more concentrated on the drama rather than the music, 'Love Me Or Leave Me' is dynamic box office entertainment. It sings, slinks and sets the screen on fire with two enigmatic performances from Doris Day and James Cagney.
Warner's DVD has been very nicely rendered. Though some grain and age related artifacts are apparent during transitional dissolves and fades (as was an inherent flaw of all early Cinemascope films), the anamorphic widescreen picture exhibits a more than pleasing quality with deep blacks, velvety navy blues and pronounced reds and oranges. Flesh tones can appear a tad pasty at times, but this is in keeping with the limitations of early Ansco Color and is NOT a flaw of DVD mastering. The audio has been remastered to 5.1 and is surprisingly aggressive during the musical sequences. Three vintage shorts, two featuring the real Ruth Etting, are the only extras we get. It would have been nice to have Ms. Day do an audio commentary, but alas, no such indulgence for the film buff.
The film is a musical bio based on the rather sorted life and times of torch singer, Ruth Etting (Day). Ruth's initial affiliation with Marty 'the gimp' Snyder (James Cagney) elevates her status from taxi dancer to nightclub performer. But Marty's a small time operator; a hood in the vein Cagney well understood and brought memorably to the screen in countless performances throughout his illustrious career. At first proud of his wife's success, Marty's admiration quickly turns to jealousy as he begins to sense a growing affection between Ruth and her piano player, Johnny Alderman (Cameron Mitchell). That the affection is platonic is a moot point, especially after Marty decides to put a couple of slugs in what he perceives to be his wife's illicit paramour.
Apart from its tempered moral attitude toward sex, director, Charles Vidor keeps the film's narrative pretty darn close to the truth of Etting's own life. It helps, by classical Hollywood standards that in real life Ruth Etting achieved something of reconciliation with her murderous ex while dashing off into the sunset with Johnny. The score for the film is first rate. Day warbles to sultry perfection the smoky "Ten Cents A Dance" and "Love Me Or Leave Me", tears your heart out with "Never Look Back" and "I'll Never Stop Loving You" and stops the show with her radio debut, "Sam, the Accordion Man" and the film's singular, lavishly staged, production number, "Shakin' The Blues Away." Considered a departure from the 'usual' musical fair of its day, in that the emphasis here almost seems to be more concentrated on the drama rather than the music, 'Love Me Or Leave Me' is dynamic box office entertainment. It sings, slinks and sets the screen on fire with two enigmatic performances from Doris Day and James Cagney.
Warner's DVD has been very nicely rendered. Though some grain and age related artifacts are apparent during transitional dissolves and fades (as was an inherent flaw of all early Cinemascope films), the anamorphic widescreen picture exhibits a more than pleasing quality with deep blacks, velvety navy blues and pronounced reds and oranges. Flesh tones can appear a tad pasty at times, but this is in keeping with the limitations of early Ansco Color and is NOT a flaw of DVD mastering. The audio has been remastered to 5.1 and is surprisingly aggressive during the musical sequences. Three vintage shorts, two featuring the real Ruth Etting, are the only extras we get. It would have been nice to have Ms. Day do an audio commentary, but alas, no such indulgence for the film buff.