1946. In late summer 1945, Hedy partners with Jack Chertok, producer of The Conspirators to set up Mars Productions. For their first movie, they buy the rights to The Strange Woman, a popular novel set in 19th century Maine. It combines romance and melodrama. Chosen producer, Howard Stromberg, even agrees to finance it. But Hedy struggles to get on with her chosen director, Edgar Ulmer (best known for the stylish film noir, Detour). Perhaps this is because she is involved in every aspect of the story-line and production and he feels she is treading on his toes.
When the movie previews in October 1946, critics hail Hedy’s performance as one of her best to date and even suggest an Oscar nomination may be in the offing. And years later, Ulmer will observe that, “It’s the only picture where she really had to act.”
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