''Lizzie'' is a 1957 American

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

film directed by Hugo Haas. The film is based on the 1954 novel '' The Bird's Nest'' by

Shirley Jackson Shirley Hardie Jackson (December 14, 1916 – August 8, 1965) was an American writer known primarily for her works of horror and mystery. Over the duration of her writing career, which spanned over two decades, she composed six novels, two me ...

and stars Eleanor Parker, Richard Boone and Joan Blondell. The popular songs "

It's Not for Me to Say "It's Not for Me to Say" is a 1957 popular song with music by Robert Allen and lyrics by Al Stillman. It was written for the 1957 movie ''Lizzie'' (starring Eleanor Parker), and was sung by Johnny Mathis in the film. Mathis' recording of the s ...

" and "Warm and Tender" were written for this film, and performed by

Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standard music, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum s ...

, who played a piano player/singer in the film. (Both songs were subsequently included in Mathis' fifth album, ''

Johnny's Greatest Hits ''Johnny's Greatest Hits'' is a compilation album by vocalist Johnny Mathis that was released by Columbia Records on March 17, 1958, and has been described as the "original greatest-hits package". The LP collected all but one of the songs fr ...

''). The film was produced by

MGM Studios Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

Plot

Elizabeth ( Eleanor Parker) has recurring headaches and is plagued with

insomnia Insomnia, also known as sleeplessness, is a sleep disorder in which people have trouble sleeping. They may have difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep as long as desired. Insomnia is typically followed by daytime sleepiness, low energy, ...

. She is receiving letters from a woman called Lizzie, but Elizabeth can't remember knowing anyone named Lizzie. When Elizabeth is under hypnosis, her

psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry, the branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, study, and treatment of mental disorders. Psychiatrists are physicians and evaluate patients to determine whether their sy ...

, Dr. Wright ( Richard Boone), discovers Elizabeth has three personalities: The shy Elizabeth, the Mr. Hyde-like Lizzie, and the kind, well-adjusted Beth, the woman she always should have been. It is up to Dr. Wright to help Elizabeth to become Beth completely.

Cast

* Eleanor Parker as Elizabeth Richmondt * Richard Boone as Dr. Neal Wright * Joan Blondell as Aunt Morgan * Hugo Haas as Walter Brenner * Ric Roman as Johnny Valenzo * Dorothy Arnold as Elizabeth's mother * Marion Ross as Ruth Seaton *

as Piano Singer

Production

made his film debut in ''Lizzie''. The second song he sings in the film, “

'',''" became one of his biggest hits.

TCM.com Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie channel, movie-oriented pay television, pay-TV television network, network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasti ...

reports that ''Lizzie'''s producers sued Fox to postpone release of the film '' The Three Faces of Eve,'' starring Joanne Woodward, because of the similarity of their plots. Fox did delay until early in 1957, after the publication of the biography on which ''The Three Faces of Eve'' was based.

Reception

According to MGM records the film earned $280,000 in the US and Canada and $275,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss of $154,000. Shirley Jackson, the author of the novel on which ''Lizzie'' was based, was reportedly unimpressed with the screenplay, writing "I have read the screen play and it sounds a little like Ma and Pa Kettle, or

Abbott and Costello Abbott may refer to: People *Abbott (surname) *Abbott Handerson Thayer (1849–1921), American painter and naturalist * Abbott and Costello, famous American vaudeville act Places Argentina * Abbott, Buenos Aires United States * Abbott, Arkansas ...

meet a multiple personality." but when she saw the movie itself, she "thought it was extremely good, and enormously improved over the first script I saw."

References

External links