1955. Directed by Charles Vidor. TAGLINES : "You'll Love Doris Day" "M-G-M's big bold drama...filled with thrilling songs!" "Hear Doris Day sing its 15 hits on Phillips Records" "Life-Inspired Drama From Dance Hall to Ziegfield Follies"- A fictionalized account of the career of jazz singer Ruth Etting and her tempestuous marriage to gangster Marty Snyder, who helped propel her to stardom. In 1920s Chicago, Ruth Etting wants to be a renowned singer, which is a far step away from her current work as a taxi dancer. Upon walking into the dance hall and seeing her, Chicago gangster Marty Snyder immediately falls for Ruth, and works toward being her lover, which he believes he can achieve by opening up singing opportunities for her. Ruth is initially wary of Marty, but makes it clear that she is not interested in him in a romantic sense. Regardless, he does help her professionally, and through his opportunities, which are achieved through intimidation and fear, Ruth does quickly start to gain a name as a singer, which she is able to do because of her talent and despite Marty's intimidation tactics. However, the greater her success, the more reliant she becomes on him. This becomes an issue in their relationship as she believes he can take her only so far before he becomes a liability, however he will never let her go that easily. The one person who tried and tries to get Ruth away from her unhappy life with Marty is Johnny Alderman, the musical advisor Marty hired for Ruth at the first gig he got for her, and who also loves Ruth himself. FIVE Academy Award Nominations including BEST ACTOR (James Cagney), Best Screenplay Writing, Best Original Song (I'll Never Stop Loving You). Won OSCAR for Best Motion Picture Story Writing (Daniel Fuchs). CAST includes Doris Day, James Cagney, Cameron Mitchell, Tom Tully, Richard Gaines, Robert Keith, Harry Bellaaver, Peter Leeds, Audrey Young, Dorothy Abott, Claude Stroud, Jay Adler, Don Anderson, Bill Hickman, Joe Pasternak, Herb Alpert, James Drury. BEHIND THE SCENES TRIVIA : Of the 62 films he made, James Cagney wrote that he rated this among his top five. This was the last time James Cagney portrayed a gangster in a movie. This was the only time, after becoming a star in the 1930s, that James Cagney accepted second billing for a major role. He thought that Doris Day's character was more central to the film's plot and so ceded top billing to her. James Cagney had been impressed with Doris Day's vocal talents and dramatic chops when they worked together while both were under contract to Warner Brothers and often expressed his personal disappointment when he became an Oscar nominee for this film, but the Academy overlooked Day. It is generally conceded that this was Day's finest dramatic performance, and among those who agreed was Alfred Hitchcock. Based on this film, Hitchcock cast Day opposite James Stewart as the female lead in The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956). Doris Day wrote in her autobiography that she hesitated before accepting the lead in this film. Ruth Etting was a kept woman who clawed her way up from seamy Chicago nightclubs to the Ziegfeld Follies. It would require her to drink, wear scant, sexy costumes and to string along a man she didn't love in order to further her career. There was also a certain vulgarity about Ruth Etting that she didn't want to play. Producer Joe Pasternak convinced Day to accept the role because she would give the part some dignity that would play away from the vulgarity. After this film was released, Doris Day was deluged with mail from fans attacking her, a Christian Scientist, for playing a lewd woman who smoked, drank, and wore scant costumes in the nightclub scenes. Day cared about everyone who was disturbed by her characterization, and she answered every piece of mail, explaining the necessity for realism, and that it was essential to separate actress Doris Day from character Ruth Etting. She felt that as a performer, she had the same responsibility to the public that a politician has to the electorate.