Ivy (1947)

Somebody told me this one was a good mystery, but there's no mystery at all -- the events are played straight and the audience is in on everything. Even the nice cinematography and set design and Joan Fontain's gowns and the interesting positioning of the camera behind a high-backed chair couldn't save the movie. Will Ivy get away with her schemes? Will anybody ever get around to looking inside that clock? What do you think are the chances? The William Cameron Menzies-influenced art direction goes totally overboard: Has any other movie ever featured quite so many fluffy white clouds in the sky? Even at night? What fireworks! What a potboiler! What an eye-roller. Gah.

Miss Fontaine's spectacular gowns were by Travis Banton, not Orry-Kelly, as your credits indicate. A previous commenter mentions that Ivy takes place in the 20s or 30's! This film is most DEFINITELY set in Victorian London, long before the roaring twenties. In any case, this is a dazzling and fascinating film to watch. Fontaine gives a multifaceted performance, and is much better than her sister would have been in the role. Olivia would have given it her usual first ladyish, sexless, to-the-manner-born touch. Joan, however, lets you know that her hold on these men is highly sexual, although no part of her body below her neck is exposed, other than her hands. Hats off to Una O'Connor in her bit as the seer. She is truly eerie and terrifying.

Joan Fontaine stars as the villain in this Victorian era film. She convincingly plays the married woman who has a lover on the side and also sets her sights on a wealthy man, Miles Rushworth who is played by Herbert Marshall. Mr. Marshall is quite good as Miles. Miss Fontaine acted her part to perfection--she was at the same time cunning, calculating, innocent looking, frightened and charming. It takes an actress with extraordinary talent to pull that off. Joan Fontaine looked absolutely gorgeous in the elegant costumes by Travis Banton. Also in the film is Joan's mother, Lillian Fontaine as Lady Flora. I highly recommend this film.

I found this to be a very enjoyable melodrama.The story is about how Joan Fontaine tries to rid herself of a husband and a lover in order to obtain a wealthy Englishman.Solid performances by the supporting players are outstanding as is the lead performance of Joan Fontaine.Also great were the costumes and the sets--very impressive and realistic, at least they looked that way to me.I'm a sucker for these old black and white melodrama mysteries and I found this one to be one of the best ones.