In previous essay I had mention Lizabeth Scott and now I would like to pay my respect to this interesting, reclusive actress who is still around (she must be over 90 now) which in itself is strange as she had survived almost all of her more successful colleagues, while her own career was extremely short (a decade, more or less - but what a decade, the golden era of American movies).
I saw Scott in only two movies so far ("The Strange Love of Martha Ivers" and "Dead Reckoning") but she was lucky to work in movies at the time when film noir was in full bloom, during 1940s and 1950s and this was perfect time for her to enter industry - movies back than explored dark, shadowy thrillers where main protagonist (detective or someone entangled in crime web) was usually seduced by double faced femme fatale. One of the biggest stars back than was Bogart's young wife Lauren Bacall - slim, elegant, sharp and provocative, perfectly able to stand up to anybody - and Lizabeth Scott was her natural clone, equally stunning visually and very reminiscent to Bacall (both started as fashion models and were spotted in magazine covers). Many noticed this similarity and Scott was even teamed with Humphrey Bogart on the screen in 1947. in the movie I need to re-visit again.
Watched Scott again last night in "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers " where focus was of course on excellent Barbara Stanwyck in title role, but Scott held her own even in this intimidating company - her role is relatively small and only serves as some kind of counter balance to Stanwyck, however Scott is excellent whenever she gets place to shine. As I get older, my perspective on this movie changes - first time around I found her hypnotising, last night I occasionally cringed and even laughed at her obvious over-acting (is this what director wanted?). Scott occasionally milks the script with lots of pouting and making sullen grimaces and I still love her.
There were lots of film noir in her filmography and hopefully I will have chance to see at least some more of them - she even recorded LP album of torch songs which I got and listen occasionally (she sounds just like I imagined, like Lauren Bacall singing in some smoky bar) but some time in mid-1950s her career was finished after some publicised scandals involving prostitution ring in Hollywood and her alleged lesbianism. The fact that "Paramount" publicity machine couldn't protect her and that she quickly retired after that suggest that perhaps there must have been some grain of truth in it - or perhaps she had stepped on someone's foot and was punished, who knows. In any case, at the age of 35 this beauty stopped making movies and became recluse. However, movie fans all over the world never forgot her and internet is full of people who adore, idolise and talk about her. At this point in her 90-es, Scott started to re-appear in public, usually on public screenings of her famous film noir movies and it seems that pendulum of time had erased all the negative publicity, in fact Scott looks happy with herself.
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