Virginia Grey

** CONTAINS SPOILERS When HOLLY PARKER, a San Francisco shop girl, marries wealthy CLAYTON ANDERSON, it seems like a fairy tale, especially when he drives her up to the family mansion, complete with staff. Claytons domineering, possessive mother, ESTELLE, affects happiness for her son, but shes jealous and suspicious of Holly, suspecting that shell damage her ambitious sons rise in politics. The first few years of the marriage pass with relative success, and they have a child, CLAY JR., and although there are moments of joy, Holly begins to resent the large amounts of time that her husband spends away on business. Subtly manipulated by Estelle, Holly keeps up her social obligations, soon drifting into an affair with PHIL BENTON. When she tries to break it off with Benton, he becomes violent, accidentally falling down his apartment stairs to his death. Panicking, Holly flees the scene, leaving behind evidence that she was there. At home, Holly runs into Estelle, whose private detective knows of Hollys presence at the scene of Bentons death. Holly wants to tell the truth to Clay, whos out of town, but Estelle warns that it will destroy his career if Holly is accused of murder. Offering an alternative, Estelle demands that Holly fake her death in a boating accident and disappear to Europe, where a bank account will be set up for the rest of her life. Holly agrees reluctantly, says a tearful farewell to both husband and child, then goes ahead with the plan. In Europe, Holly tries to start a new life with a pseudonym and new hair-do, but the pain of separation follows her everywhere, and she soon collapses in the snow, found by pianist CHRISTIAN, who takes her to his villa. Holly convalesces, and although a warm relationship grows between her and Christian, she knows she can never marry him. Indeed, she eventually leaves him, referring to herself as "dead." Holly becomes an alcoholic, eventually landing in a cheap Mexican motel. There, she meets DAN SULLIVAN, a con man, who soon suspects the truth of her past. When he tries to manipulate her into a blackmail scheme against Clayton Anderson û now a New York gubernatorial candidate û a horrified Holly refuses. When Dan insists, Holly shoots him fatally. Arrested for murder, Holly slips into catatonia, refusing to speak, booked under the name "Madame X." Her case is turned over to a young public defender, who she does not realize is her son, Clay Jr., grown up! Clay Jr. feels an unaccountable love for this mysterious woman, and he tries her case. Meanwhile, Clay Sr. and Estelle watch from the courtroom, gradually suspecting that Madame X might be Holly. Holly/Madame X, meanwhile, addicted to absinthe, is gravely ill, barely able to endure the arduous trial. Holly soon finds out who Clay Jr. is, feels proud of what he has become, but doesnt divulge it to him, preferring to keep alive his memory of a fine, upstanding mother. She talks of a son she has abandoned, never telling Clay Jr. that hes the one. Meanwhile, Clay Sr. and Estelle also realize who Madame X is, but keep silent. Collapsing in court and carried to a back room, Holly tells Clay Jr. that she loves him just like a son, then dies in his arms. A devastated Clay Jr., uncertain why he feels such love for a virtual stranger, feels theres no use going on with the trial, but Clay Sr., knowing the truth but keeping Hollys secret, tells him its more important than hell ever know û indeed, without

Rich playgirl Kit Jordan (nee Katherine Lawson Chandler) is in Acapulco vacationing with her current husband, Pete Jordan, formerly an American beach boy working the Acapulco shores for rich women. Meanwhile, the body of one of Pete's fellow beach boys, Billy Andrews, washes to shore. On his wrist is a bracelet engraved with "Love is thin ice." The police investigate whether it was murder or suicide. Conflict arises when Billy's old girlfriend, Carol, makes a play for Pete, and beach boy Hank tries to score with Kit, and the stability of the marriage is put to the test. —K. Jackson <kjackson@moon.jic.com> The dead body of a young man is discovered washed ashore the beach in Acapulco, the victim identified as American Billy Andrews. His death, which Lt. Riccardo Andrade is investigating, points to it being a possible suicide. The focus then moves to the circle in which he was known to travel as a beach gigolo, he among the stable of men who prey upon primarily middle age, wealthy female tourists. The center of this circle now revolves around the married Jordons, Kit and Pete, the latter who used to be among those gigolos and the former who used to use their services and who "dated" Billy before she met and married Pete. They now provide guidance to any of the beach community who needs help. While Pete does not take advantage of Kit and her money, Kit is more dependent on him emotionally, she arguably unable to handle it if he were ever to leave her. The king of the gigolos is now Hank Walker, who mentors another younger man, Chuck Austin. Hank not only uses sex to make money, but uses it to make money in a worse way in blackmail if the opportunity arises, his latest target being middle age American Margot Eliot, who is more aware of the situation than Hank may realize. Hank also has his sights set back on Kit, as a local source of money in seeing the easy street in which Pete seems to live. Also arriving onto the scene is Billy's former girlfriend, American Carol Lambert, in her search for him. As a bond of sorts forms between Pete and Carol, the question then becomes if the Jordons' marriage can withstand this intrusion, especially on the somewhat shaky foundation on which it was built. —Huggo

Kelly (Constance Towers) beats up her pimp Farlunde (Monte Mansfield) after he shaved her head for having organized his girls to walk out on him when he held back their money out of greed. She takes the $75 that he owes her and leaves the city before his mobster friends and associates will pay her back. Two years later. After working in small towns, Kelly gets off a bus in Grantville and claims that she is a traveling saleslady, selling champagne, but Griff (Anthony Eisley) knows that she is a prostitute, and she can tell that he is a cop. She spends the night with him... he gives her $20 for champagne, but he warns her not work in the respectable Grantville. He suggests she go to the neighboring towns, and work for his friend Candy (Virginia Grey), as one of her bonbon girls. Kelly decides to remain in Granville and go straight. She takes a room at a local boarding house that is run by the kindly, slightly daffy town spinster, Miss Josephine (Betty Bronson). Kelly is hired by Mac (Patsy Kelly) to work as a nurse's aid in the orthopedic children's hospital that was built by Griff's best friend, playboy Grant (Michael Dante) the town's leading citizens and the great-great grandson of the man who founded the town. Kelly is firm but caring toward the handicapped children and they all fall in love with her. She also becomes good friends with Mac and two other young nurses named Dusty (Karen Conrad) and Buff (Marie Devereux), a French orphan that Griff brought back from the war. But Griff doesn't trust Kelly and believes she is using the hospital as a front from which to peddle her body. Kelly and Grant are immediately attracted to each other. They both love classical music and literature. However, when she kisses him, she senses something wrong, but she shrugs it off. She falls in love with Grant and confides in him that she was a prostitute. Grant says that he loves her no matter her past and proposes marriage. She accepts. Griff threatens to throw Kelly out of town for duping his best friend, but she informs him that she told Grant about her past, although she didn't tell him about her night with Griff when she first arrived in town. Griff agrees to be the best man at Grant's wedding. Meanwhile, Kelly gives the pregnant Dusty $1,000 to have her baby and get her life in order. When Buff takes a $25 advance from Candy to become a bonbon girl, Kelly talks her out of taking the wayward path and shaming herself and Girff. Kelly returns the money to Candy by stuffing it in Candy's mouth. One day, Kelly drops in on Grant to show him her wedding gown, and she catches him molesting a young girl, who then leaves. When confronted about it, Grant says that he loves Kelly because he believes that she is an abnormal as he is. He promises her an exciting life together. Kelly angrily smashes him on the head with a phone and accidentally kills him. She gets arrested for murder. The whole town refuses to believe Kelly's claims that Grant was a pedophile and child molester. Griff thinks that Kelly killed him when Grant tried to call off their wedding. She swears that she suspected Grant was a pervert the moment she kissed him for the first time... which she refers to as his "naked kiss". However, Kelly cannot remember what the little girl that Grant molested looked like since it all happened so fast. At Kelly's murder trial in the small town courthouse, Griff brings in Farlunde and Candy to testify against her. The both swear that Kelly was trying to shake down Grant for money. Kelly testifies that Candy only wants to get back at her for getting Buff out of her grasp. But Buff is too embarrassed to testify and back up Kelly's story. Later, Buffy privately tells Griff the truth which now Griff tries to help Kelly. Young girls are paraded past the jail and Kelly recognizes one of them as little Bunny. By being nice to Bunny, Kelly is able to get her to talk about her "Uncle Grant" and their special secret game. Kelly is found not guilty of murder and freed. Afterwords, the whole town, including Griff forgives her. But Kelly, alienated by everyone and everything for not trusting her in the first place, leaves town for good. She will again resume her lifestyle as a traveling prostitute.

The life of 1920s actress Jeanne Eagels. A largely fictionalized account of the career of actress Jeanne Eagels, whose fame was both on stage and on the screen in the 1910s and 1920s, is presented. After losing in a rigged carnival beauty pageant, winning which she believed would be her first step to becoming a serious actress, Jeanne joins the traveling carnival itself under the guidance of the pageant organizer, Sal Satori, who features her in a variety of carnival stage shows. But it's when the carnival approaches New York City that Jeanne demonstrates how she truly mapped out her road to acting fame even before meeting Sal. Under the tutelage of renowned acting coach Nellie Neilson, Jeanne, who does possess true acting talent, is given her big acting break and does achieve fame on the Broadway stage, and ultimately also in Hollywood films. Jeanne is not averse to doing whatever is required to advance her career, even at the expense of others. Achieving fame so quickly takes its toll on Jeanne, who turns to alcohol and drugs which would lead to her tragic end. Although other men would come and go over her life, Sal, who ends up joining forces with his brother in operating lucrative Coney Island attractions, is one constant, he who fell in love with and wanted to marry her.

Police detective Roy Hargis falls for night club singer Ilona Vance, but his partner Sgt. Lackey is convinced she fatally shot mob lawyer Frank Hobart. Hargis has his doubts, until he learns that Ilona once owned the murder weapon. After gangland lawyer Frank Hobart is murdered there are two suspects - Ilona Vance , beautiful nightclub singer, and a hood named Stan, who had been hired by underworld boss Chad Bayliss to kill Hobart. Attracted to Ilona, Lt. Detective Roy Hargis tries to protect her in spite of the growing evidence against her and the pressure put on him by his assistant, Sergeant Lackey. Hargis thinks the case has broken when a dance hall girl, Sandra Lamoreaux, who saw Stan at the scene of the murder, tries to use this information to blackmail him, and is badly beaten. She manages to talk to Hargis, and her story brings about Stan's capture and conviction for murder. But he didn't do it. It is now up to Hargis to either clear or convict Ilona. —Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>

Cary Scott is an affluent widow in the town of Stoningham, in suburban New England, whose social life revolves around the weekend visits of her college-age son and daughter, her best friend's country-club activities, and a few men vying for her affection. Feeling stuck in a rut, she becomes interested in Ron Kirby, her arborist. He is an intelligent, down-to-earth, and respectful, yet passionate, younger man, and she discovers he is content with his simple life outside the materialistic society in which they live. Ron introduces Cary to his friends, who seem to have no need for wealth or status, and their exuberance provides a welcome contrast to her staid existence. Ron and Cary fall in love, and Ron proposes. Cary accepts, but she has concerns about the viability of their relationship, due to their different ages, classes, and lifestyles. These concerns are magnified when she tells her children and friends about the engagement and is met with a solid wall of disapproval, and, eventually, she breaks up with Ron. Particularly influential in her change of mind are her children's protestations against Cary's plan to sell the family home and move to Ron's tree nursery, as they will not want to visit her there. After spending most of the Christmas season alone, Cary misses her life with Ron, but she thinks she has missed her opportunity for happiness because she mistakenly believes Ron is seeing another woman. On Christmas, her daughter announces she will be getting married soon and her son says that, since he is likely going to study abroad and then work overseas, they should start thinking about selling their house, which is too big for just Cary. She is overwhelmed by how pointless her sacrifice was, and her spirits are not lifted when her children give her a television set to fill her empty life. Cary goes to see a doctor about recurrent headaches she has started having, and he suggests they are being caused by her body punishing her for ending her relationship with Ron. Leaving the appointment, she runs into one of Ron's friends, and in the course of their conversation she learns that Ron is still single. She goes to his property, but then changes her mind and leaves. Ron sees her from a precipice and excitedly, though unsuccessfully, tries to get her attention. The ground collapses out from under him, and he falls off the cliff. That night, Ron's friend tells Cary about the accident, and she hurries over to his house. She decides she no longer wants to allow other people to dictate how she lives her life and settles in to nurse Ron back to health. When Ron regains consciousness, Cary tells him that she has come home.

A Sicilian seamstress who idolizes her husband must deal with several family crises upon his sudden death. An Italian-American neighborhood in Louisiana is disturbed when truck driver Rosario Delle Rose is killed by police while smuggling. His buxom widow Serafina miscarries, then over a period of years draws more and more into herself, trying to force her lovely teenaged daughter Rosa to do likewise. On one eventful day, Rose finally breaks away; Serafina learns of Rosario's affair with another woman; and a new carefree, handsome Italian truck driver enters her life... —Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>

Rear Adm. John M. Hoskins (Sterling Hayden) fights to stay on after losing a leg on an aircraft carrier in World War II. Biopic of Rear Adm. John M. Hoskins, U.S. Navy. During World War II, Capt. John Madison Hoskins of the U.S. Navy returns home for a short leave after spending two years at sea. In 1942, he is given command of the USS Hornet (CV-8). Unfortunately, news reaches him that the Hornet has recently been sunk by the Japanese. Without a ship, Hoskins is temporarily reassigned as an instructor at Quonset Point, Rhode Island. In 1944, Hoskins is finally sent to the front lines. He's given command of the USS Princeton (CVL-23) involved in the ongoing Philippines campaign. When Hoskins arrives to replace the current captain of the Princeton, as part of the routine rotation of skippers practiced by the Navy, he is told to assist the Princeton's captain rather than take over command of the ship. The reason being that the Princeton's skipper, Capt. William Buracker, is already briefed on the ongoing operation and it would take too much time for the Navy to bring Hoskins up to speed. However, Hoskins agrees to serve on the ship as prospective commanding officer under Buracker's command. During the battle operations, the Princeton is crippled by a Japanese dive-bomber. The resulting fire sets off explosions in the fuel and ammunition stores. Capt. Hoskins assists the crew in battling the raging fires but a huge explosion wounds him and severs his right foot. The Princeton is abandoned and sinks. Hoskins recovers at a naval hospital in Philadelphia where the new Princeton is being build. He is determined to learn to walk with a prosthetic foot and stay on in active duty. During the following months, Capt. Hoskins fights the Navy panel convened to retire him. He persuades the panel to allow him to remain on active duty but faces the prospect of being assigned to a permanent desk job. Nevertheless, Hoskins remains in the service and is totally surprised to learn that he is given command of the newly built USS Princeton (CV-37). Out of love and admiration, many servicemen and friends call him 'Uncle John' or 'Peg-Leg'. After the war, Hoskins is promoted to rear admiral and transferred to San Diego where he advocates the use of the new jet fighters on aircraft carriers. Despite the Navy's reluctance, Hoskins demonstrates to the Navy brass that jets can safely be used on the decks of the carriers. As a result, the Navy gives him command of the carrier division for aircraft operation at sea and he joins Admiral Struble's 7th Fleet. When the Korean War breaks out, Hoskins's idea of using jets on aircraft carriers proves to be valuable and efficient. In 1951, he's given the choice of two other important assignments but he declines. Looking forward to retirement, Hoskins requests and is assigned to the Military Air Transport Service where he coordinates logistics by air transport for all branches of service. —nufs68

A cowboy competes with a gambling tycoon on the Barbary Coast for the hand of a beautiful dance-hall queen. Duke falls for Flaxen in the Barbary Coast in turn-of-the-century San Francisco. He loses money to crooked gambler Tito, goes home and PL: learns to gamble, and returns. After he makes a fortune he opens his own place with Flaxen as the entertainer. The 1906 quake destroys his place. —Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu> Montana cowboy Duke Fergus travels to 1906 San Francisco to collect a debt from Tito Morell who runs a place on the dodgy Barbary Coast. Though he heads home after losing the money to Morell's card-sharping, Duke takes a crash course on card play and returns with all his savings ready to take on Morell and start up his own place. A lot of this is due to Morell's woman Flaxen whom Duke has fallen for. The earth may soon be moving for him in quite dramatic ways. —Jeremy Perkins {J-26}