Cheap Love Me or Leave Me (Video) (Doris Day, James Cagney) (Charles Vidor) Price

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Customer Reviews of Love Me or Leave Me

the performance of a lifetime
Doris Day is stunning in this biopic of jazz singer Ruth Etting, who was known as "America's sweetheart of song". After watching this film, I read some biographical material, and it would seem the film is very true to her life.
Ms. Day sings up a storm (the musical numbers are terrific), and gives a performance with a lot of depth, playing a complex personality caught in a hellbound relationship.

Cagney, as her thug boyfriend/manager, is magnificent. Every gesture and facial expression is a riveting work of art. He was an extraordinary, multi-faceted actor, and this is a performance not to miss.
Cameron Mitchell is also excellent as the pianist who loves her, but is shut out of her life.

Well written, directed and edited, it's a powerful story of control, obsession, and abuse. A downward spiral that's hard to break...when someone tells her "You're making a big mistake", she says: "I've made so many, one more won't make a difference".

This is a fabulous film. It has drama, strong characters, great acting, and marvelous music !
Doris Day was a songbird, and a mighty fine actress too.

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Doris Day's Shining Hour!
"~Doris Day had made 17 pictures in 7 years at Warner Brothers when her contract ended. MGM was looking for an actress to star in the Ruth Etting story called "Love Me or Leave Me". Ava Gardner wanted this role, but was not a singer, and in my opinion, not a very good actress."~ actress to get billing over Cagney in over 30 years. Both were superb in the picture which was shot in CinemaScope and color."~ received unanimous rave reviews from critics all over the globe and the film was a big box office winner.

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Doris Day's best Movie? Maybe...
Released in 1955 and directed by Charles Vidor. This film has a lot of good things going for it, that would make you want to see it. Doris Day, James Cagney, 1920s, and, especially if you're a Ruth Etting fan, you'll enjoy the number of her songs featured in this movie.

This film is a admittingly highly fictionalized bio musical drama about the famous (although now very much forgotten) 1920s and 30s torch singer, Ruth Etting. The film focuses around her struggling early start in getting small jobs at singing in small clubs, up to her huge fame as a popular recording artist, and star of broadway and talking pictures. Also a look at her offstage "hard" life, with Manager/Husband Marty "the Gimp" Snyder, who helped her become famous, but made her life hell.

Both Doris Day and James Cagney are great in this movie, along with everyone else. Its a very different role for Doris Day, than you might be used to seeing her as. Cagney plays his usual "tough guy" image well, and this is easily one of the finest films the two stars made. Doris Day does not sound at all like Ruth Etting, and she doesnt try to sound like her either. This isnt a bad thing though, she still sings the songs great as "Doris Day" instead of "Ruth Etting" so to speak. A very classy, and enjoyable movie.

The soundtrack album Doris Day recorded for this movie, available on CD, is well worth picking up aswell. As far as Ruth Etting goes, I feel, along with Doris Day, they are two of the greatest female singers of all-time, so you should check out any of the CD compilations available of her music (I personally recommend "Ten Cents a Dance" and "Americas Sweetheart of Song" from ASV Living Era).