Love Me or Leave Me

Natalier · Unread post by **Natalier** » 03 May 2007, 13:33

I love this film. I like it because it shows a different role from what Doris is normally used too. I wasnt to thrilled when James cagney hit her it wasnt very nice. I love the fact that at the start she is just someone who gets chosen to dance by a fella then she progress into a dancer that scene was funny, then at the end she is a star and she got rid of Marty and got with that piano guy cameron mitchell, cant remeber what his name was in the picture.
but like every movie she has done there is always a happy ending.

puck · Unread post by **puck** » 01 Jun 2007, 05:50

Ralph · Unread post by **Ralph** » 02 Jun 2007, 21:02

"There's an old movie called Love Me or Leave Me that I've been thinking of remaking. Ruth Etting and Marty the Gimp from Chicago. It's a great story."
Jennifer Lopez, 2003

"There's something I love, a period piece. There's a problem of who they want to cast. [It's a remake of Love Me or Leave Me, the Doris Day-Jimmy Cagney hit '50s musical drama about 1920s singer Ruth Etting and her mentor/lover, a crippled gangster named Moe Snyder]. A lot of discussions."
Angelina Jolie, 2001

Just how do these two women plan to pull this off? Neither could physically pass as Ruth Etting, plus Jennifer Lopez is a weak singer and I don't know if Angelina Jolie can sing. I think they should leave this masterpiece alone.

Heatherlicious · Unread post by **Heatherlicious** » 02 Jun 2007, 21:31

Though I've never seen the movie... yet (:P) just clips, I really can't see either of them in that role... I don't feel either of them look or sound the part...

interesting...

Debbi Austen · Unread post by **Debbi Austen** » 02 Jun 2007, 23:16

I read this some time ago on the Ruth Etting web page, and it just makes me cringe.

howard · Unread post by **howard** » 03 Jun 2007, 00:10

Last I heard, it was an Al Pacino vehicle with no female attached to it ... the working title was/is "Torch." As for Lopez and Jolie not looking the part, Doris didn't look much like Ruth Etting either.

dayniac · Unread post by **dayniac** » 04 Jun 2007, 17:36

Boy - I'm with you Debbi -- it makes me cringe too !

Ralph · Unread post by **Ralph** » 06 Jun 2007, 19:58

Katie wrote:In Ava's autobio, she said she was supposed to play Ruth Etting, but she was on suspension...

Ralph, do you know if D was ever put on suspension at WB? I don't reember if she ways this in her book...

_______________________________________

She would have had she not done LUCKY ME. But, after speaking to her spiritual advisors, she threw her shoulders back, did the picture using 110% of her abilities. Doris knew that film is forever and her performance, even in a bad movie, would forever be judged, long after all of us are gone. As a result, she's delightful in the film.

Ralph · Unread post by **Ralph** » 09 Jun 2007, 17:52

This is from Internet Movie DataBase and sounds like somebody sat down and made it up. I can believe some of it, but the quote from Ruth Etting about Jane Powell, I don't believe. Also, what was Jane Russell thinking? She would not have been convincing as Ruth or Lillian Roth. I can't think of any of these actresses playing Ruth, especially because of the music.
________________________________________________

Trivia for
Love Me or Leave Me (1955)

It was James Cagney who suggested to producer Joe Pasternak that he cast Doris Day in the role of Ruth Etting. They had worked together previously in The West Point Story (1950).

According to an interview with Ruth Etting, she never actually worked as a dance hall hostess. This was dramatic fiction, to underscore the song "Ten Cents a Dance".

This was the only time, after becoming a star in the 1930s, that James Cagney ever accepted second billing for a major role. He thought that Doris Day's character was more central to the film's plot, and so ceded top billing to her.

The character James Cagney played, Martin Snyder (aka "Moe the Gimp"), was portrayed in the film as a small-time hood. Ironically he ended up working in the license department in Chicago's City Hall.

'Jane Russell' turned down the opportunity to play Ruth Etting in hopes of landing the role of Lillian Roth in I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955). That role ended up going to Susan Hayward, leaving Russell with neither part.

Ava Gardner desperately wanted the role of Ruth Etting but MGM went with James Cagney’s suggestion of casting 'Doris Day' instead.

It was Doris Day who started her career with dancing acts. She had to quit her desire to become a ballerina after she had a car accident. Then she switched to singing.

Jane Powell was originally supposed to star in this movie, but the studio had a hard time seeing Powell as a nightclub performer and in a serious role. Before Ruth Etting died, she told an interviewer she wished Powell was given the role.

Ralph · Unread post by **Ralph** » 09 Jun 2007, 18:26

Debbi Austen wrote:I heard on TCM that Ruth Etting wanted Jane Powell to play her in Love Me or Leave Me (I can't even imagine this). But as we all know D D got the part and MGM gave Jane the part in Hit The Deck. Jane was so upset that she didn't get this break out role, that she went indepentant after Hit the Deck.

_________________________________________

This probably happened a lot in Hollywood. Just think what Broadway stars felt when the roles they created went to movie stars. Uta Hagen, who created Martha on Broadway in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolff" wouldn't even discuss Elizabeth Taylor. Likewise, Ethel Merman just went to bed and stayed there when Rosalind Russell was announced to do the screen version of "Gypsy." I know that Janis Paige was looking forward to doing "The Pajama Game" with Frank Sinatra, but, as we know, Doris Day got the part.

People here have disputed me, but can you imagine how Doris Day felt after making all of her lightweight musicals, finding out that MGM's Judy Garland was coming to the Warner Brothers lot to do the dramatic musical, "A Star Is Born"? Day had never been offered anything that important. We know that hearts were broken when they lost out to Doris for "Love Me or Leave Me," but that's Hollywood.

Jas1 · Unread post by **Jas1** » 04 Jul 2007, 15:15

BBC Radio 2 played James Cagney this morning - for the 'Showtime' slot - singing 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' - specificially for 4 July - so HAPPY Independence day to all of you across the pond.

Unread post by **webmaster** » 04 Jul 2007, 15:31

Who's the person who voted "Love Me or Leave Me" 'Poor'? (above)

Come on, own up!

I'd like to hear your reasons....

dayniac · Unread post by **dayniac** » 02 Aug 2007, 19:29

Someone actually voted poor on LMOLM ???? How could you do that ?
Probably the best movie Doris made. My husband says he's not fond of it because its hard for him to watch - a depressing subject. But - he thinks its a great movie. Maybe thats the reason it got that vote.
I think its fabulous !

Doris with Joe Pasternak and Charles Vidor on her first visit to MGM lot.

Karl King · Unread post by **Karl King** » 02 Aug 2007, 22:07

Percy Faith's start was quite high the sky during this movie being made. He had a bunch of hits with Columbia Records leading into his work on the picture. IMHO it was Faith's lovely ascending, almost glissado-like strings that made LMOLM a really great recording. I'm not exactly sure if they used the same track for the movie mix though. Multi-channel was in its infancy in the record-making business, while movie sound used separate speech, music and effects tracks for many years. So the orchestra mix for the movie was not the same as at Columbia. But the song became a hit at the same time the movie came out.

Every time I hear that song by Doris, I get weepy. Music has charms!

Karl King · Unread post by **Karl King** » 02 Aug 2007, 22:14

Should read "star was quite high in the sky." "...hits with Columbia Records leading into... "...glissando-like..."

Unread post by **webmaster** » 03 Aug 2007, 04:17

Welcome to to forum, KK (glad your middle name isn't Ken!

).
Nice to hear the views of a new member.

Pam · Unread post by **Pam** » 03 Aug 2007, 11:50

Welcome to the forum Karl!

Bry...you are a hoot!

Pam~

dayniac · Unread post by **dayniac** » 03 Aug 2007, 17:38

Welcome Karl -- wonderful music information ! Thank-you for sharing.

Karl King · Unread post by **Karl King** » 03 Aug 2007, 20:57

Oh, thank you all for the warm welcome! So kind of you! I will willingly share my past. As you can tell, I'm old enough to recall seeing those movies for the first time in a movie house.

It was a lovely time. This movie especially was at a tme when I was cramming my head full of radio/TV/movie information.

Later on, as I told Bryan via email when I registerd, I was in radio for quite a while as a DJ/engineer/salesperson--typical small to medium sized stations and markets.

Once again, "Love Me or Leave Me" engenders strong emotions in me. And if so, isn't that was music is all about? And wasn't that a fantastic movie? The ending! It has to be one of the BEST movie endings ever.

Love to you all, from KK.

Oh yeah, as I told Bryan, my board alias Karl King is from a movie I was in. He was a blue collar guy who, on a challenge, writes a romance novel that becomes a best seller, to his astonishment and dismay; because he used the pen name of Sheila Sherwood.

Now he has to find a lady stand-in author.

Unread post by **webmaster** » 08 Oct 2007, 06:44

Ralph sent me the following pic, the costume Doris wore in "Love Me or Leave Me"

It's the one she was wearing standing at the 'check out' after she was fired following the incident on the dance floor, isn't it?
I can't find that pic at the moment - anyone have it?

This one is same dress, I think, but the poster is a duo-tone:

Peter Flapper · Unread post by **Peter Flapper** » 09 Oct 2007, 11:52

Great colour photo:

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p227 ... veme32.jpg

puck · Unread post by **puck** » 17 Oct 2007, 04:19

Great photo of Miss Day, Peter, thank you for sharing it.

Another:

puck · Unread post by **puck** » 19 Nov 2007, 11:16

Have find some great pictures of the movie, which I want to share.

Full image: http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/954/ ... um1te6.jpg

Puck

René · Unread post by **René** » 19 Nov 2007, 15:35

Thanks, Puck, for the great photos from LMOLM. Any more? I just can't seem to get enough of this great movie!

puck · Unread post by **puck** » 22 Nov 2007, 10:25

Have more, love also this movie. but I do love of all the movies of Miss Day.

Puck

Love Me or Leave Me

How do you rate "Love Me or Leave Me"?

love me or leave me

Remake LMOLM

No. She Did Her Job And Then Left Warner Brothers

HappyHolidays USA

Love Me or Leave Me

Percy Faith's Orchestra and Doris for title song

Typos!

Costume Doris wore

Love Me Or Leave Me

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