Eleanor Parker

Eleanor Parker in The Seventh Sin

Eleanor Parker made a lot of great movie in the 1950s and one of her more under-appreciated efforts from that decade is The Seventh Sin. It was based on the novel The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham. Most people can't talk about The Seventh Sin without mentioning that the same story was first filmed in 1934 with Greta Garbo in the lead (oops, I mentioned it!). The Painted Veil was again filmed in 2006, leaving The Seventh Sin as probably the least seen version. Well, I haven't seen either version of The Painted Veil, I've only watched The Seventh Sin, so I can't draw any comparisons. I can just say that Eleanor Parker was terrific in it and that this film certainly stands alone.

Here are some images of Eleanor Parker in The Seventh Sin:

Jean-Pierre Aumont lights Eleanor Parker's cigarette

Eleanor Parker and George Sanders

Eleanor Parker and George Sanders again

Promoting The Seventh Sin

Like any other Hollywood classic, Eleanor Parker's 1957 film The Seventh Sin got it's fair share of publicity.

First, you have the build-up. A year and a half before The Seventh Sin was released theatrically came the announcement that Eleanor Parker would star in the film. Ava Gardner was originally attached to the picture.

Second, you have a nice poster advertising the film. Taglines like "The world forgives many things but not...The Seventh Sin" and "MGM's drama of modern morals in reckless Hong Kong" are there to pique interest. An adult entertainment label is also clearly visible which lets one know right away that the film is risqué‎.

A photo with caption to generate even more interest:

A quick, generally positive review/summary of the film:

A pair of crisp black & white promotional photos:

I don't think that The Seventh Sin was as big a financial hit as MGM may have wanted. Solution? Play it on TV! Here is an ad for a television rebroadcast of the film from a decade after it was released:

Eleanor Parker in Lizzie

In 1957, Eleanor Parker starred in Lizzie, a movie about a woman with multiple personalities. The actress was perfect for the role and deftly handled her three characters, helping to make the film an entertaining campy classic. Lizzie was made by Bryna Productions, the production company owned by Eleanor Parker's former Detective Story co-star Kirk Douglas.

One thing you might notice about Eleanor Parker in Lizzie is the sheer amount of facial expressions the actress goes through during the course of the movie. Eleanor Parker really goes all-out for her role as a woman with three personalities, willing to do whatever it takes to take her character over the top. So, why isn't Lizzie better remembered? One of the biggest reasons is that a more popular film covering the same basic material came out later the same year: The Three Faces of Eve (though I would rather watch Eleanor Parker than Joanne Woodward any day). Regardless, Lizzie remains a nice cult classic for those who have taken the time to find it and watch it.

Here are some images of Eleanor Parker in Lizzie:

Lizzie in the newspapers

In 1957, Eleanor Parker starred in the camp classic Lizzie. Based on a book by author Shirley Jackson, Lizzie tells the story of a woman with multiple personalities. This allowed Eleanor Parker to really have fun with a triple role, though most of the film deals with battle between her weak, demure personality and her bad girl personality. Lizzie was made Bryna Productions, the production company owned by Kirk Douglas, and as such was afforded a wide release and a fair amount of newspaper coverage. The following are some examples of newspaper ads and articles concerning Eleanor Parker and the movie.

Here are three original newspaper advertisements for Lizzie:

A pair of promo images of Eleanor Parker:

And some reviews and articles about Lizzie: