2hotFeature one of my absolute favorites!

Borgarkeri A bit overrated, but still an amazing film

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Quiet Muffin This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Daniel Lindon She may have excelled in many high profile Hollywood classics, too numerous to mention, but this (her last major film role) was Lana Turner's finest hour. One of the best movie melodramas ever made, this David Lowell Rich masterpiece from 1966 contains all the ingredients to hold the viewer's attention from beginning to end. While always competent,Turner like many screen beauties was often used for more decorative purposes by Directors dazzled by her obvious sex appeal. In this Role,Lana Turner proves that she was more than mere adornment and in fact was one of the best screen actresses of all time. Her performance veers from trophy wife to temptress, femme fatale through to wronged woman and Turner is magnificent throughout. Perhaps sensing that in her forties she would be unlikely to get another meaty leading role, Turner literally gives her all in the part of Holly Anderson. Her beauty for once merely compliments the role for which she is required to appear in the second half of the movie as a haggard, depressed drug addicted victim. The film brilliantly utilizes all possible directorial techniques to extract every semblance of emotion from both actress and viewer. Like Turner's most successful movie, Douglas Sirk's 1959 masterpiece, 'Imitation of Life' and Michael Gordon's 'Portrait in Black' co-starring a young and menacing Anthony Quinn (which it has been paired with on DVD release) this film is a masterpiece of melodrama. Lana Turner's performance cements her legendary status and is among those great screen performances where a best actress Oscar was merited. As Hollywood swan-songs go, this must rank as one of the best farewell performances ever by a major movie star.WARNING: Kleenex mandatory for female and yes even male viewers.

ags123 This time, in addition to being a glamour puss, Lana gets to deconstruct her image and replace it with a different artifice, which is a lot more fascinating than what's going on with the story. Though the ending is pure tearjerker, it doesn't compare to the waterworks at the finale of "Imitation of Life." And for a juicy wallow in unintentional humor, you can't beat "Portrait In Black" (Navigating the coast highway without ever having driven a car!). But there's enough here to feast your eyes on while plausibility is being stretched to its limit. Though the film purports to cover about twenty years, Miss Turner (and everyone else) looks pure 1966 in every shot. But that's the point of watching this film – endearingly entertaining for all the wrong reasons.

jotix100 Holly Parker, a beautiful woman, is married to an up and coming politician with a bright future ahead of him. Holly, who is bored with her husband being away from home so much, becomes the lover of Phil Benton, a playboy, who wants her for himself. Holly, realizes her error and goes to break up with Phil, but a terrible accident happens where he ends falling to his own death in his apartment. Thanks to her conniving mother-in-law, who realizes she's a liability for her son's political career, Holly is given a choice she can't refuse, a new identity and money, in exchange for her supposed death by drowning.What follows is Holly's adventure as a single woman who misses her son terribly, but one that knows she can't go back to her old life. An aristocratic pianist, Christian Torben, wants Holly, but she can't commit to his life style, and what follows is her own descent to hell when she drowns her sorrows in absinthe, a potent drink she loves. She ends up in Mexico where the scheming Don Sullivan discovers who she really is; he tries to blackmail her, but she is determined not to have her identity revealed to her former husband, or the son she loved more than anything else.The final section of the movie is a court trial in which, her own son, Clayton Anderson Jr., is an assistant D.A. assigned to defend her. During the trial Clayton Anderson Sr. and his mother come to see the young man in action, but they can't connect this defeated woman to Holly. Holly gets to know the identity of her young lawyer at the end.This melodrama was a vehicle for Lana Turner, who saw in it a great opportunity in which to excel. Directed by David Lowell Rich, it follows the star from a glamorous beginning to a tragic end. The only problem was that Ms. Turner's co-star, Constance Bennett, looked as young as her own daughter-in-law in the early scenes. As Neil Doyle has pointed out in his commentary, Ms. Bennett, a veteran actress, had undergone plastic surgery herself, making her look better than the star.The other major flaw of this version is one of credibility. Even though Holly is supposed to have aged with her heavy drinking, she looks about the same, so it's a surprise when the old Mrs. Anderson herself, who is in court all the time can't even recognize Holly, or for that matter, Old Clayton himself doesn't seem to know this woman was his beloved wife. But that's the stuff that makes this type of story what they are. "Madame X" is what it is: a tear jerker at its best. They don't come any better than this, so don't see it without the tissues!

scgstar-1 This was a movie that quite frankly surprised me. Lana Turner gives a very nice performance. I have not seen many of her movies, but this one shows her range in a rather favorable light. Constance Bennett also gives a performance that makes you love to hate her. And finally, the young man that plays her son is very tender and real in his portrayal. This was a very endearing movie with a beautiful message. I would have to admit that the John Forstyth character seemed rather limited and did not allow for much character development. Perhaps this was a result of poor editing or weak character writing. I found myself wanting almost needing Madame X to reach out and tell her son who she is. This was the most emotionally charged part of the film I recommend this film to those interested in getting to know Lana Turner and her body of work.