Sadly obscure film noir painted in the blackest shades. Perhaps because it was made later in the cycle of film noir in color at the lower rung Republic Studios by director of little renown Stuart Heisler the film did not receive the prominence it deserves. It's not a classic of the genre in the Double Indemnity league but it is a well made, tightly paced dark journey of the soul with a couple of great performances at its core.Those two amazing performances come from artists who were often undervalued for their talents, Linda Darnell and Dan Duryea. Duryea plays a character he was known for-a cruel weasel, in this case his spirit has been twisted by his imprisonment in a wheelchair, who knows the weaknesses of those around him and takes glee in twisting the knife to ensure their misery is as profound as his. While he could play the good guy quite well his special talent was in this sort of parasite and here perhaps because he is matched against someone who can match him talent wise, Miss Darnell, his performance seems particularly sharp.The real standout though is Linda Darnell in one of her very best performances. Often wasted through her years as a top star at 20th Century Fox as mere decoration whenever she was given the opportunity to prove her mettle she always came through and was then sent back to pretty up another minor film. A shame had she been properly utilized she had the potential to be a tragedienne of the first order. This is one of those opportunities, unfortunately it came after her peak years and didn't slow the decline of her star-she would only make four more feature films spread out over the next 11 years. Her ironically named Vida Dove, meaning peaceful life, is living anything but. Lonely and full of bitterness at having to live with her sister, Faith Domergue, well cast since she and Linda could be sisters, who has married her former flame, Duryea now in that wheelchair. Shackled to them and tortured by him she is desperate for any way out. When she and Duryea square off it is truly an acting fireworks show. Enter handsome Rick Jason and a possible escape until he gets a look at Faith, also seeking an way out from the viperish Dan. Of course this sets the stage for unimaginable tragedy but it wouldn't be a noir if it didn't. Its all well presented but what sets it apart is the superior work of the top lined duo. Very hard to find but worth the effort.

This is my love the love I thought would be These are my tears that you will never see..." an unheralded gem of a romantic melodrama. Not really noir - but not that far away either - and Linda Darnell is popping up this month... As soon as Franz Waxman's lush score swelled up over the credits I knew this one would deliver - and I wasn't disappointed. Vida (Linda Darnell) is a "spinster" who slings hash in her Brother in Law's diner and is engaged to the world's most boring man. Into the diner wanders her fiancée's army buddy - foxy Rick Jason - a "gas station casanova", and when left alone together Rick comes on to her... she plays hard to get - so hard to get in fact that Rick turns to her married sister Evelyn (Faith Domergue) for comfort, and the stage is set for resentment, deceit, adultery, jealousy, sibling rivalry.. and murder. This one really deserves to be better known. I'm not sure whether the lurid greens and purples that dominate the colour scheme are symbolic of the jealousy and anger simmering below the surface, and mark out Stuart Heisler as an neglected auteur... or it was just a lousy print. Connie Russell sings the tune with lyrics as Darnell and Jason go out dancing. Dan Duryea is a bitter cripple. and Darnell is absolutely heartbreaking here - never knew she had it in her. Its everything I wanted from Douglas Sirk or late period Minnelli and never got. Absolutely delicious from start to finish and highly recommended. 9/10 (on my fourth watch now in one week!)

Directed by Stuart Heisler {The Glass Key} and starring Linda Darnell {Vida Dove}, Faith Domergue {Evelyn Dove/Myer}, Dan Duryea {Murray Myer} & Rick Jason {Glenn Harris}, This Is My Love is a Noirish potboiler dealing in sexual repression, deception, heartbreak, sibling strife and murder. All of which sounds like the film should be a most potent piece of work, sadly the film never rises above being a ponderously paced story that's devoid of a blood pumping heart.It's a shame this vastly underachieves as a drama since the performances of the three principal actors are very strong, especially Darnell, who as Vida Dove neatly blends a smouldering sexuality with a tinted confusion of the life she is leading. Based on Hugh Brooke's story, Fear Has Black Wings, This Is My Love is filmed in Pathécolor and theatrically released out of RKO. Never released on DVD and mostly forgotten by all but Darnell/Duryea purists, Heisler's film hints at being far more intriguing than it actually is. It's not so much that one finds themselves waiting for a plot spark that never arrives, it's the overriding feeling that the finale here will be a let down. The very nature of the piece telegraphs where these characters will end up, thus rendering the ending the damp squib it ultimately is.It's a testament to Darnell, Domergue and Duryea that they have given the characters some substance, managing to hold the viewers attention span by way of their craft. One scene as Darnell's Vida shouts down at the wheelchair bound Murray is worth sitting thru the movie for. But it's a rare moment of heat raising as the tepid screenplay, staid direction and the woefully bland performance of Rick Jason swamp any chance of movie ignition. There's some value with Franz Waxman's score, and Connie Russell popping in to sing the title song is a bonus. But much like the sisters Vida & Evelyn Dove in the picture, I too felt boxed in, and that is something I'm sure the makers wasn't aiming for. 4/10

Warning: possible spoilers.I hope that anyone contemplating watching this film does not judge it solely on the weight of the other review. It is a compelling and interesting tale, one you would like if you were a fan of films such as Double Indemnity, Mildred Pierce, and the like."Darnell has a fiance, but she keeps putting marriage off so she can write her fantasies" is what she would have most people believe. The fact is that she does not love poor Eddie, so therefore how can she marry him? She was once in love with Murray, her sister's cantankerous paraplegic husband and she went with Eddie as if to soften the blow of losing Murray, to show everyone that she was fine."the same song is played far too many times as Rick tries to make love to Darnell" - Rick never tries it on Darnell. He kisses her once but only the once because she pushes him away. And after that, he meets her sister Evelyn and it becomes apparent that she is the girl he loves, not Vida (Darnell). If anything, he uses Vida to get to Evelyn!The character Vida is quite a fascinating one. She seems such a sweet and shy little thing and even when she reveals her dark side by filling Murray's medecine bottle with poison you're on her side. She's just had a verbal war with him where all he could do was laugh in her face as she broke down, and when she sits on her bed with a bottle of sleeping pills, you really worry she's going to off herself - who'd blame her?I would highly recommend this movie to anyone, whether you are a fan of any of the actors or otherwise. I had never even seen any of the 5 leads in any of their other films (to my recollection), and I still thoroughly enjoyed it. If you don't mind a complex drama where you have to use your mind a little, then guaranteed you'll enjoy it also.