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Biography
Born Emma Matzo in 1922 to English-Russian 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' (qv) or Veronica Lake-type. Like 'Veronica Lake' (qv) -
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)_ (qv) 'Humphrey Bogart' (qv)
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' (qv)
(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' (qv) music by 'Miklos
Rozsa' art direction by Hans Drier, and costumes by 'Edith Head'
(qv). 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'
(qv) and 'Kirk Douglas' (qv) 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' (qv) (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' (qv) who plays
Scott's mother. 1947 also finds Scott opposite 'Humphrey Bogart'
(qv) 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' (qv) 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' (qv) 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'
(qv). 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' (qv) 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).
Biography courtesy of the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com).
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Lizabeth Scott
