Love Me or Leave Me is the Daniel Fuchs-Isobel Lennart story of singer Ruth Etting.
Although the melodramatic and squalid details of Miss Etting's career are chronicled with considerable relish, her character, in the hands of Doris Day, is constantly and incongruously that of the clean-cut ideal of American womanhood to which Miss Day has long accustomed us.
And although ideally cast as Snyder, James Cagney is unable to prevent his frequent neurotic outbursts from becoming monotonous; while Cameron Mitchell is his usual dull, deadly self.
However, the 20's atmosphere is well captured, the back-stage scenes are handled with authority, and Miss Day attacks the musical numbers with commendable zest.
But, although based on real life, in my opinion this biography - especially the denouement, with prizes for everybody - smacks too much of the Hollywood stereotype.
Although the melodramatic and squalid details of Miss Etting's career are chronicled with considerable relish, her character, in the hands of Doris Day, is constantly and incongruously that of the clean-cut ideal of American womanhood to which Miss Day has long accustomed us.
And although ideally cast as Snyder, James Cagney is unable to prevent his frequent neurotic outbursts from becoming monotonous; while Cameron Mitchell is his usual dull, deadly self.
However, the 20's atmosphere is well captured, the back-stage scenes are handled with authority, and Miss Day attacks the musical numbers with commendable zest.
But, although based on real life, in my opinion this biography - especially the denouement, with prizes for everybody - smacks too much of the Hollywood stereotype.