some film and for all the critical praise they receive and simply pass underneath the popular radar . love me or leave me and charles vidor masterpiece and be one of those film . it be the great musical doris day be ever involve with and yet it doesn not seem to command the same devotion a calamity jane and an entertaining but unsatisfying comic romp and or even the lumpen moonlight movie . that a great pity and because this film contain one of the two extraordinary dramatic performance day deliver in the mid fifty ( the other be in the man who know too much ) . in her early musical and day be an energising presence and but slightly overstate and eager a a comedienne . she be still the best thing on screen and but she lack subtlety a an actress . here and she in a whole new league . just look at the scene in which jam cagney tell her that she go to be a hollywood star . her apathy be something unimaginable in day previously and a weary cynicism expertly underplay . have see this film and i do not think it hyperbole to talk about her a be the equal of judy garland a an actress and if maybe not quite a a singer ( although her expressive and surprisingly sensual voice make all her other peer look suitably weak particularly a most of them be be dub anyway ) . she hold her own against a cagney at full tilt and which be no mean feat ( no other actor be so able to blow other star off the screen and with the possible exception of al pacino ) . he play martin snyder a a dynamic combination of ego and insecurity and all macho bluster and hair trigger temper . he a monster and yet one who become increasingly sympathetic a the nature of his failing becomes apparent . he a man look for self respect and but he can not find any he ride to success on the talent of day ruth etting so he try to demand it from everybody else . the film doesn not soft peddle his repellent egotism his behaviour at the ziegfield theatre be both intimidate and pathetic and for the most part the audience take etting side . there a great moment shortly after the character arrive in la and he be throw his weight around and when she puncture him mid boast . just who do you think you be . she demand and point out how little he achieve compare to those he try to intimidate . he deflate and and it so satisfy the audience want to cheer . yet the movie be too complex merely to point the finger etting do owe much of her success to him and for all his mistreatment ( and and at time and mismanagement ) of her and something she realise even a the audience urge her to leave him in her wake . there another wonderful scene and towards the end and when robert keith loomis check snyder fury and tell him to and essentially and get over his own fragile ego . etting know she owe him now he have to be big enough to let her pay it back . just for a moment and it seem a though he really will change and but the film be too canny for any sort of pat resolution . he remain an egotistical heel to the end . the cinematography for this film be sublime and dark and rich in a way that reminiscent of vincente minnelli . the film and however and be altogether less fatuous then that director most famous work ( meet me in st. louis be visually beautiful but sentimental and patronise ) . a good comparison be george cukor a star be bear and release the previous year and which match the velvety style with dramatic teeth . the musical number be as good a those in any other musical of the period particularly chasin the blue away at the ziegfield and and the final performance of love me or leave me . this isn not just vidor last great film and it probably his great film ( and yes and i do remember gilda but even that film doesn not have such a satisfying dramatic shape ) . the open end be a device that too few film of the period use and but the tension between resolution ( etting be pay off her debt to snyder in preparation for a future without him ) and unresolved question ( will he go to prison . will his club be a success . ) be oddly satisfy all biographical picture should be a open about their inability to provide neat closure to a life . the final shot of day and sing love me or leave me a the camera draw back and be one of the hollywood ( few ) great ending .