Forris Day Jr.
“The Strange Woman” is a drama/thriller that focuses on the life of Jenny Hager. The movie begins in her early teen years and we see that she is a beautiful girl but all the while is very mean spirited. She learns early on that she can get pretty much anything she wants using her good looks. Men fawn over her and excuse her nasty behavior because she is so good looking. Some things never change.
The story moves forward in time as Jenny grows into a gorgeous woman that men trip over themselves to be with, yet her heart is as dark as ever. She marries a much older and wealthier man, the father of one of her childhood friends. She immediately takes control and starts spending his cash without ever consulting him. She does many good things with the money but she still continues to cheat on her husband. Her character is torn between good and evil. Hedy Lamarr does a wonderful job portraying this lost soul.
Eventually she falls in love with another man who is soon to marry her friend. She manipulates him away and once again shows how cruel she can be. The story covers many years and is well told and acted. It was originally released in 1946 and has been remastered from original 35mm film elements so the quality is awesome. The one disappointment is the fact that it is presented in 4×3 ratio. I have to believe it was originally wide screen, but with that being said “The Strange Woman” is enjoyable to watch. Sure the acting is a bit cheesy and over the top but that is how it was done back then.
I’m happy that “Film Chest Media” is restoring these classic films and rereleasing them before they fall into obscurity. An enjoyable film to watch, I recommend “The Strange Woman”.
Rating: 7/10 -“A wonderful noir classic”