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(More customer reviews)"Madame X" was already an old story before Lana Turner and producer Ross Hunter decided to adapt it to the big screen. It was written in 1909 by Alexandre Bisson and had already had several movie adaptations, including one in 1929 which had made its star, Ruth Chatterton, the first major new dramatic actress of the talkies. In the early 1960's, Lana Turner was looking for a great vehicle which would reactivate her independent production company. After screening the 1937 version of "Madame X" (starring Gladys George), Lana eagerly discussed the idea of another remake with Ross Hunter. Hunter was the last of the producers who specialized in "women's pictures," and he easily sold the idea to the executives at Universal.
In 1962, Turner and Hunter bought the story rights from MGM and entered into a co-production deal involving Hunter's "crew" and Turner's own Eltee Productions. However, filming was delayed until April 1965, mainly due to disagreements over the script. Lana Turner hadn't had a really great role since 1959`s "Imitation of Life" (which was also produced by Ross Hunter), but her extraordinary performance in "Madame X" turned out to be the greatest of her entire career. It's simply a crime that she wasn't even nominated for an Oscar. Nearly all her fans both then and now agree that if ever Lana deserved an Oscar it was for "Madame X".
Lana Turner plays Holly Anderson, the wife of a wealthy diplomat. Neglected by her husband Clay (John Forsythe), she is slowly led astray and seduced by Phil Benton (Ricardo Montalban), a wolf with the ladies. When Holly tries to end their affair, Phil loses control of his temper, and during their struggle, he falls down a flight of stairs and is killed. Holly leaves Phil's house and goes to her mother-in-law, Estelle (Constance Bennett), desperate for help. But her mother-in-law has always resented Holly and already knows of her affair with Phil (she hired a private detective). Knowing that this is her chance to be rid of Holly, Estelle gives her an ultimatum: give up her family and leave the country, or else be tried for the "murder" of Phil. Estelle also convinces her that the scandal would wreck the lives of her husband and young son.
Holly reluctantly agrees, and she heads for Europe while her husband and son are told she died in a tragic accident. As time passes, she sinks into a life of alcoholism and prostitution, and she becomes addicted to absinthe. While staying in a Mexican hotel, she meets Dan Sullivan (Burgess Meredith), an experienced conman who gets Holly to be his partner in a blackmail scheme. But when she finds out that Dan's intended target is her husband, she shoots Dan and then faces a murder trial, known only as Madame X. Ironically, the young lawyer assigned to defend her is her own son (played by Keir Dullea), now grown up and eager to win his first case. Although neither know of the secret which ties them together, they grow very close to each other as the trial progresses. As the trial nears the end, Holly's strength and will to live diminish, while her son becomes more determined than ever to win the case for her sake.
Although "Madame X" was not the financial blockbuster that Turner and Hunter had hoped for, over the years it has gained the reputation it deserves, as a classic tear-jerker. Lana Turner stated that the role of Madame X was one of her personal favorites, along with Sheila Regan ("Ziegfeld Girl"), Cora Smith ("The Postman Always Rings Twice"), and Georgia Lorrison ("The Bad and the Beautiful"). While touring the country promoting the film in the Spring of 1966, she said this to one reporter about her performance: "I'm not a method actress, but the only way I can reach that kind of emotion is to call on situations and experiences in my own life. It's not easy to do because you lock them away. But it's the only way to get to that same level of intensity." Lana Turner had indeed suffered through much tragedy in her life before filming "Madame X" and I doubt if she could've given such an amazing performance early in her career. Like previous reviewers, I am puzzled why such a wonderful classic like this hasn't gotten a DVD release yet. If you love classic tear-jerkers then get this movie in ANY available format!
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