A Life of Her Own (1950): Cast, Plot & Where to Watch
A Life of Her Own is a 1950 drama directed by George Cukor, starring Lana Turner as Lily Brannel James, Ann Dvorak and Louis Calhern. It runs 1 hour 48 minutes. Stream it on TCM, or rent or buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 48m (108 min)
- Director
- George Cukor
- Genre
- Drama
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is A Life of Her Own About?
The premise of A Life of Her Own without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Lana, portrayed by Lily James, is a driven Kansas girl who knows exactly what she wants. She relocates to New York City, quickly rises to prominence at an elite modeling agency, and navigates the complexities of a forbidden romance with a married man, confronting ambition and heartache.
A Life of Her Own Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- scene during opening credits
- melodrama
- title written by female
- based on novella
- aspiring model
- american midwest
- kansas
- suicide
- attorney
- mine owner
- copper mine
- bracelet as a gift
+38 more Show fewer
- accident victim
- paraplegic
- handicapped woman
- birthday party
- city country contrast
- friendship
- marital infidelity
- loneliness
- dreaming of fame and fortune
- career woman
- mistress
- drunkenness
- lawyer
- nightclub
- opportunist
- singer
- ventriloquist
- success
- affair with married man
- search for happiness
- woman's hotel
- tragic romance
- magazine cover photo
- magazine
- married man single woman relationship
- reference to montana
- expiration date
- walking with a cane
- woman in a wheelchair
- guilty conscience
- in love with a married man
- mistress meets lover's wife
- age discrimination
- cover model
- fading beauty
- workplace drama
- male sexual predator
- turner and calhern
Where to Watch A Life of Her Own
Stream it on TCM, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
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A Life of Her Own Cast & Characters
Lana Turner leads the cast as Lily Brannel James, with Ann Dvorak as Mary Ashlon and Louis Calhern as Jim Leversoe. Directed by George Cukor; 29 actors are credited in all.
-
Director George Cukor
- Lana Turner as Lily Brannel James
-
Ann Dvorak as Mary Ashlon -
Louis Calhern as Jim Leversoe -
Ray Milland as Steve Harleigh
Also Starring in A Life of Her Own
· 25 more- Margaret Phillips Nora Harleigh
- Barry Sullivan Lee Gorrance
- Whit Bissell Rental Agent (uncredited)
- Sara Haden Smitty
- Bess Flowers Cocktail Lounge Patron (uncredited)
- Lurene Tuttle Secretary (uncredited)
- Tom Ewell Tom Caraway
- Jean Hagen Maggie Collins
- Kathleen Freeman Switchboard Operator at Betsy Ross Hotel (uncredited)
- Percy Helton Hamburger Proprietor (uncredited)
- Sarah Padden Betsy Ross Hotel Overseer (uncredited)
- Beverly Garland Party Guest (uncredited)
- Dorothy Tree Caraway Secretary (uncredited)
- Joan Valerie Party Guest (uncredited)
- Ann Robinson Woman Showing Legs (uncredited)
- Queenie Leonard Hotel Matron (uncredited)
Show all 29 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Dorothy Abbott Model (uncredited)
- Phyllis Kirk Jerry
- Christopher Olsen Pete, Maggie's Son
- Hermes Pan Specialty Dancer
- Marlo Dwyer Birthday Party Guest (uncredited)
- Georgia Holt Agency Model (uncredited)
- Tomáš Bernard Adam (uncredited)
- Roberta Johnson Model (uncredited)
- Glen Gregory Ventriloquist (uncredited)
A Life of Her Own Plot Summary
What happens in A Life of Her Own from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Lily Brannel James (Lana Turner) leaves her small hometown in Kansas for the bustle of New York City and quickly lands a job with a modeling agency. In the city, she forms a close, formative bond with former top model Mary Ashlon (Ann Dvorak), who becomes more than a mentor—she also becomes a window into the fragility behind glamor. Mary gifts Lily a delicate ceramic shoe as a talisman, a symbol of luck and a reminder of the vulnerable humanity that lies beneath the surface of success. Yet Mary’s own career has stalled, and the weight of disappointment crowds in after a night of heavy drinking, culminating in a tragic suicide that leaves Lily reeling and searching for meaning amid the glitter.
Full summary
The whole story of A Life of Her Own, scene by scene
A Life of Her Own Trailers & Videos
The trailer of A Life of Her Own.
How Well Do You Know A Life of Her Own?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What career does Lily pursue after moving to New York City?
A Life of Her Own Also Known As
5 alternative titles, including “Ma vie à moi” and “L'indossatrice”.
- Also known as
-
- Ma vie à moi
- L'indossatrice
- Su propia vida
- Её собственная жизнь
- Perdidamente Tua
Seen A Life of Her Own?
Movies Like A Life of Her Own
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including In This Our Life, Life Itself and No Man of Her Own.
A Life of Her Own FAQ: Where to Watch, Cast & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, where to watch and post-credit scenes of A Life of Her Own, each answered in a sentence.
How long is A Life of Her Own?
A Life of Her Own runs 1 hour 48 minutes (108 minutes).
When was A Life of Her Own released?
A Life of Her Own was released on September 1, 1950.
Who directed A Life of Her Own?
A Life of Her Own was directed by George Cukor.
More films by George Cukor Who is in the cast of A Life of Her Own?
A Life of Her Own stars Lana Turner as Lily Brannel James, Ann Dvorak as Mary Ashlon and Louis Calhern as Jim Leversoe, among 29 credited actors.
Where can I watch A Life of Her Own?
In the US, A Life of Her Own is streaming on TCM and available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home (availability from JustWatch).
Does A Life of Her Own have a post-credit scene?
No. A Life of Her Own has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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