Karry Best movie of this year hands down!

Tayloriona Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Casey Duggan It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

Kimball Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

writers_reign I've always found Melvyn Douglas and lookalike William Powell to be adept at light comedy with Douglas's Ninotchka cancelling out the entire Thin Man franchise but I struggle to recall Powell taking on the cad/murderer as Douglas does here and in passing leaves everyone else dead in the water with the possible exception of Lucile Watson. It's pure hoke, of course, and finds Ava Gardner living in genteel poverty with aunt Watson and cousin Douglas in 19th century New Orleans. Laughably cast medical research scientist Robert Mitchum comes to town for a stint at Tulane University (I'm not making this up) and would marry Gardner in a heartbeat (who wouldn't) but, curiously and inexplicably in thrall to the family Gardner, with her bags packed, is dissuaded from leaving with him by Douglas. In the fullness of time she inherits the thick end of a million dollars from a grandmother who apparently was no better than she should be and whose name must not be mentioned. Mitchum returns with a wife (Janis Carter) in tow - and the whole thing is a mere 70 minutes. Though set ostensibly in New Orleans for all the 'atmosphere' on show it could be Sasskatchawan. As always Gardner is ravishing and it's worth sitting through it for her alone plus several droll dialogue zingers as when, for instance, the local gotrocks with eyes to marry Gardner attempts in a subtly, polished Southern manner to buy Mitchum off, Mitchum promptly names a price - $5,000, a tidy sum in 1800 - and when the Southern gentleman is suitably bemused Mitchum adds 'We Northerners are so crass'. Hoke, yes, but also, oke on the strength of Gardner and dialogue.

MarieGabrielle While the story meanders and wavers,and at times seems like a quick spin off of "Gone with the Wind", some of the scenes and closeups with Ava Gardner are lovely and amazing.Robert Mitchum as a research physician studying at Tulane;Gardner the unrequited love who delivers a letter to him before he leaves to go up north. Mitchum returns to New Orleans with a new brassy blonde in tow. She is clearly an opportunist who wants Mitchum for his future fortune, unlike Ava who claims to truly love him.She uses an ill-gotten inheritance to tempt him, there is a scandal and she indeed reminds us of Scarlett O'Hara.This film also reminds one of "Raintree County" another imitation of "Gone with the Wind" with Elizabeth Taylor as the set-piece.ThIs film though has several nice sets of Old New Orleans,the manners and customs and varied cultures,and with the lovely Gardner in several memorable shots, is well worth a look.

blanche-2 What were Robert Mitchm, Ava Gardner, and Melvyn Douglas doing in this film? It almost seems like a throwaway - I mean, it's 70 minutes long! Seventy minutes makes for a fairly sketchy story, which "My Forbidden Past" certainly is. It's the story of a young woman, Barbara Beaurevel (Gardner) in love with a doctor, Mark Lucas (Mitchum), who goes to South America for two months. He wants her to come along and be married on the ship, but her cousin Paul (Douglas) keeps her from doing so and never delivers the letter to Mark that says she'll wait for him. When he comes home, he has a wife (Janis Carter).Having inherited a huge amount of money from her scandalous grandmother (I'm guessing she ran a gambling establishment and was maybe a prostitute), Barbara offers Paul $50,000 if he can seduce Mark's opportunistic wife.I have to admit that I wasn't interested in any of these characters. Ava is beautiful, and that's about it. Hughes apparently borrowed Ava Gardner for this film. She wrote in her autobiography that he was always after her and gave her an expensive ring. She threw it out the window, only to regret it later on when she had no money. I'd say this film evens things out. Robert Mitchum didn't seem terribly interested to me, he sort of meanders through. Janis Carter is very good - beautiful and feisty. For some reason, her energy doesn't seem out of place, but Melvyn Douglas' does. I think he knew it was a bad script and just went for it full out, where Carter was still trying to build her reputation as an actress.Disappointing.

tpottera This is a dark, noir, B-movie. If you like the genre you shouldn't miss this one. Gardner is good as the deceitful southern belle, and Mitchum is mysterious and handsome as the doctor. Its not outstanding, but it is intriguing to see the stars together (lovers in real life) and knowing its a rare film makes it all the more interesting. Catch it on the classic movie channel.