The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946): Cast & Plot
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers is a 1946 drama thriller directed by Lewis Milestone, starring Barbara Stanwyck as Martha Ivers, Judith Anderson and Kirk Douglas. It runs 1 hour 55 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 55m (115 min)
- Director
- Lewis Milestone
- Original language
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English - Studio
- Paramount Pictures
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Strange Love of Martha Ivers About?
The premise of The Strange Love of Martha Ivers without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Three childhood friends—Martha, Walter and Sam—carry a dark secret. Ambitious Martha, now a cold businesswoman, has married timid district attorney Walter, giving them power over corrupt Iverstown. When Sam returns after years away, his reappearance threatens to unravel their partnership and expose the past.
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- younger version of character
- rain
- private detective
- cat
- miserable marriage
- execution of an innocent man
- dark and stormy night
- love triangle
- runaway teenage girl
- aunt possesses niece
- orphan girl
- boy climbs through a window
+38 more Show fewer
- candlelight
- sliding down a banister
- animal cruelty
- hit with a cane
- tumbling down a staircase
- innocent man executed
- guilty conscience
- woman with a past
- married woman seduces a man
- woman in jail
- betrayal
- murder suicide
- friend
- climbing in a window
- female ex convict
- iverstown pennsylvania
- old friends reaquanited
- passionate kiss
- child's doll
- probation violation
- double suicide
- death of aunt
- husband kills his cheating wife
- witness
- guilt
- aunt slaps her niece
- extramarital affair
- heiress
- punched in the face
- women's prison
- woman in a shower
- multiple time frames
- cheating wife
- woman taking a shower
- woman wears a slip
- boxcar
- secret rendezvous
- powerful woman
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers Cast & Characters
Barbara Stanwyck leads the cast as Martha Ivers, with Judith Anderson as Mrs. Ivers and Kirk Douglas as Walter O'Neil. Directed by Lewis Milestone; 20 actors are credited in all.
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Director Lewis Milestone
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Barbara Stanwyck as Martha Ivers -
Judith Anderson as Mrs. Ivers -
Kirk Douglas as Walter O'Neil -
Van Heflin as Sam Masterson
Also Starring in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
· 16 more- Lizabeth Scott Antonia 'Toni' Marachek
- James Flavin Police Detective #1
- Olin Howland Newspaper Clerk (uncredited)
- Blake Edwards Sleeping Sailor (uncredited)
- Roman Bohnen Mr. O'Neil
- Ann Doran Bobbi St. John
- Frank Orth Hotel Clerk
- Bert Roach Man Waiting (uncredited)
- Walter Baldwin Dempsey (uncredited)
- Charles D. Brown McCarthy
- Darryl Hickman Young Sam
- John Kellogg Joe (uncredited)
- Gladden James John (uncredited)
- Tom Dillon Police Detective #2 (uncredited)
- Mickey Kuhn Young Walter
- Janis Wilson Young Martha
More from Lewis Milestone
More films directed by Lewis Milestone, best-rated first: All Quiet on the Western Front, Of Mice and Men, The Front Page and Mutiny on the Bounty.
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers Plot Summary
What happens in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 5-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Martha Ivers, Barbara Stanwyck is a thirteen-year-old dreamer in a rain-soaked 1928 Iverstown, a small Pennsylvania town built on the hum of a factory clock and the weight of family names. She runs away with her street-smart, hard-luck friend Sam Masterson, [Van Heflin], hoping to shed the grip of guardianship and start a new life. But the moment the town’s electricity flickers and the night grows quiet, her aunt, Mrs. Ivers, becomes the unwilling gatekeeper to Martha’s future. , is quietly framed as the one who delivered Martha to the authorities. In a tense, devastating exchange, Walter Sr. insinuates that he knows the truth, yet he also signals that he will protect Martha as long as their fortunes align.
Full summary
The whole story of The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, scene by scene
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers Videos
The clip of The Strange Love of Martha Ivers.
How Well Do You Know The Strange Love of Martha Ivers?
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
Which actress portrays Martha Ivers?
Cars in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
5 cars on screen, including the 1942 De Soto Custom Convertible and the 1942 Chrysler New Yorker.
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1942 De Soto Custom Convertible Important role -
1942 Chrysler New Yorker Minor role -
1942 Dodge Custom Minor role -
Flxible Clipper Minor role
Seen The Strange Love of Martha Ivers?
Movies Like The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Strange Illusion, The Strange Woman and Martha.
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers FAQ: Cast & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Strange Love of Martha Ivers?
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers runs 1 hour 55 minutes (115 minutes).
When was The Strange Love of Martha Ivers released?
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers was released on June 13, 1946.
Who directed The Strange Love of Martha Ivers?
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers was directed by Lewis Milestone.
More films by Lewis Milestone Who is in the cast of The Strange Love of Martha Ivers?
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers stars Barbara Stanwyck as Martha Ivers, Judith Anderson as Mrs. Ivers and Kirk Douglas as Walter O'Neil, among 20 credited actors.
Does The Strange Love of Martha Ivers have a post-credit scene?
No. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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