Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman (1947)

Director:

Stuart Heisler

Writers:

Dorothy Parker (story) &
Frank Cavett (story) ...

Release Date:

March 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music | Romance

Tagline:

Love-Wrecked!

Plot:

Angie Evans, fast-rising nightclub singer, interrupts her career to marry struggling songwriter Ken Conway...

Plot Keywords:

Songwriter | Alcoholism | Nightclub | Singer | Alcoholic

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Susan Hayward	...	Angelica 'Angie' 'Angel' Evans Conway
Lee Bowman	...	Ken Conway
Marsha Hunt	...	Martha Gray, Elliott's Secretary
Eddie Albert	...	Steve Nelson
Carl Esmond	...	Dr. Lorenz
Carleton Young	...	Fred Elliott
Charles D. Brown	...	Michael 'Mike' Dawson
Janet Murdoch	...	Miss Kirk, Baby Angelica's Nanny
Sharyn Payne	...	Angelica 'Angel' Conway
Robert Shayne	...	Mr. Gordon

Also Known As:

A Woman Destroyed (UK)
Smash-Up

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Spain:15 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #11977)

Filming Locations:

Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

Walter Wanger consulted with the National Committee for Education of Alcoholism and used their suggestions about continued vigilance in the film. Similarly, director Stuart Heisler consulted with authorities on alcoholism.

Quotes:

Martha Gray, Elliott's Secretary: I just remembered, I have an appointment with a headache.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Fear Stalk (1989) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Hushabye Island

First of Many

This meaty role of an alcoholic initiated several similar type roles for Susan Hayward.

A rather cold, determined talent, Hayward saw no reason but to sock it to post-WWII audiences. In many instances she assailed to impressive histrionic heights, garnering critical praise and public acclaim.

"Smash-Up, the Story of a Woman" was the role to jump start this career turn. She was paired here with benign Lee Bowman--a sort of watered down George Brent--who looked like a standard leading man without much point of view. Best photographed with a mustache and bow tie, he neither added nor detracted much from a scenario. He was just present, doing his stock duty, while allowing his co-leads to shine.

While the film alerted viewers to Hayward's then untapped potential, it has not aged very well, and "Smash-Up" today seems a quite tepid, predictable and over-wrought melodrama. Film buffs may appreciate it as a turning point in the prolific Hayward career.