James Kirkwood's autobiographical novel gets turned into a fine vehicle for
Elizabeth Taylor who was getting less and less work on the big screen. She plays
a film star attempting a comeback who is not unlike the real Elizabeth Taylor.
Our protagonist has just emerged from a stay at a psychiatric facility. She's gone
back to her sponge of a latest husband Ed Winter and also to the person she
really loves above all others, her teenage son Chad Lowe.
After a violent quarrel with Winter when he gets shown the gate, Taylor is in a
vulnerable state. At the racetrack and introduced by her friend Mickey Rooney
playing himself Taylor meets Robert Wagner a real estate salesman who befriends her son as well.
Wagner seems like a dream come true, but when he's found shot to death on
her estate grounds by Lowe it's the fragile Taylor who becomes tabloid fodder
once again..
I think Elizabeth Taylor given the fact that since the late 40s that woman lived
her life rather publicly in supermarket tabloids gave her a life experience that
was sadly perfect for this part. She really does bring a unique dimension to
the part. Her scenes with Chad Lowe are the best part of this film.
This one is a keeper for Elizabeth Taylor and her many fans still.
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