‘Where Love Has Gone’ 1964

Mike Connors & Susan Hayward fight over doll of daughter Joey Heatherton. Bette Davis looks on balefully.

"Somewhere along the line, the world has lost all of its standards and all of its taste." Acerbic film critic Judith Crist lifted this line, from 1964’s Where Love Has Gone, to point out the same lack of standards and taste in this sleazy soap. I agree, but it’s also why I enjoyed this crass classic!

Not up on your golden era Hollywood gossip? Where Love Has Gone, a Harold Robbins bestseller, lifts the 1958 Lana Turner-Johnny Stompanato-Cheryl Crane stabbing scandal as its basis. The ’62 novel was snapped up by Joseph E. Levine and Paramount, who assigned the director/screenwriter team who mounted their Robbins bestseller, The Carpetbaggers, for the big screen.

Daughter & mother have a big secret, as well as big hair! Joey Heatherton & Susan Hayward.

The Mildred Pierce-style opening has a naughty bad boy who gets himself fatally caught between a sparring mother and daughter. After the daughter is taken into custody, Daddy is called, and then it's flashback time. It's a good thing that Luke Miller (Mike Connors) is a war hero, because if it wasn't for his uniform, you'd never know it was WWII. The sets and especially the star style of Susan Hayward all signal mid-1960s, not the '40s! Hayward plays Valerie Hayden, a sexually charged artist. Bette Davis is her rich bitch mother, who just thinks she’s in charge. Their off-screen animosity nearly starts WWIII on-screen. And 20-ish Joey Heatherton plays the problem child, Dani? Wasn’t Patty Duke available?!

One critic singled out this piece of furniture Bette's perched on 'as the world's ugliest chair.'

What newlyweds wouldn't love a hideous portrait of this monster-in-law in their new abode?

The film’s story is told on autopilot, via director Edward Dmtryk and John Michael Hayes. Dymtryk’s taut film noir days were long behind him, and Hayes had gone from Alfred Hitchcock to pseudo smart smut like The Carpetbaggers and BUtterfield 8. The cliché fest story-telling, with its over-emphatic "happy" scenes, make viewers wonder how many scenes will pass before everything goes to hell. In Where Love Has Gone, the plot moves with whiplash speed: the war hero and rich girl artist spar; she falls instantly in love when he tells her rich mother off; they marry, their life mapped out for them by meddling mama; then comes a baby girl; he hits the bottle after attempts to be his own man; the artist/wife reverts to being a needy nympho; they divorce and he is cast out of the wealthy family. 

New mother Susan doesn't look very happy. Maybe something to do with HER old mother?

Luke and Valerie’s 15-year-old daughter Dani brings them back together, when she is accused of murdering Mommie's latest playmate. What’s funny is that the neglected daughter's story is pivotal, yet you only see her in the flashback as a swaddled infant, at her christening!

Susan Hayward gets the star treatment in 'Where Love Has Gone' and looks great at 47.

Susan Hayward, after her Oscar win for 1958’s I Want to Live, trudged through a series of trashy soaps, with Valley of the Dolls still to come. Oh, how Susie tries here. Hayward gushes like a political wife in the "happy bride" moments, and soon snarls like a banshee in the "unhappy home maker" scenes. When her hubby finally bails on her, Hayward howls up the stairs at him like she's auditioning for Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

"Who's Afraid of Susan Hayward?" In this scene, Mike Connors should be!

Despite the fact that Susan looks sensational at 47, her flashbacks as a blushing bride and new mama are a stretch. Mike Connors as the young war hero/groom, at 39, was pushing credibility, too. It’s to Susan’s no-nonsense credit that she didn’t draw outside the lines of nature with makeup and become a caricature of herself like many golden era divas.

Mike & Susie as newlyweds: "Was this movie good for you?" Wait, don't answer that!

Speaking of which, Bette Davis plays the thankless part as the monster mother. Davis was forced to wear a white Marcel wave wig, which critics sniped, made her look like George Washington. In the ‘60s, Bette was in the hands of Gene Hibbs, whose makeup “magic” on Bette inspired drag queen Charles Pierce. Movie fans may also recall Bette’s big hit, Mr. Skeffington, with Bette’s withered Fanny. Davis looks and acts like a tough prison matron rather than a society matron.

Bette as George Washington: "I can not tell a lie.
I only did this movie to pay for my daughter's wedding!" True story!

As for Davis' performance, she falls back on her famed mannerisms, delivering each line like it's a proclamation, with pauses that you could take a potty break in between. Bette has a few quiet moments, but she's in the movie to manipulate and exacerbate events, not make peace. And her last lines, Davis brings her artificial high pitched line readings. The cemetery scene is a hoot, as Bette’s granny tells Dani in a sing-song delivery, before being led away by her parole officer: “I will come and see you very often.” Then she walks up to her former son-in-law and says his name normally, before nearly shouting at him, “Valerie was destined for tragedy!”

Bette gets the Gene Hibbs magic makeup/mini-facelift treatment... and THIS is the results!

Then there's Joey Heatherton as Dani, Hayward's troubled teen. In a movie with dramatic hair, Joey's tidal wave of brown hair makes her look like a female Elvis, especially with her sleepy eyes and open-mouthed sneer. Dani petulantly pouts "Daddy!" enough times to fill a dozen porno films. The girl veers between a lonely girl and a tough teen. Either way, Joey is not convincing. I recall Rona Barrett joking in her gossip mags if a picture of Joey with her mouth closed actually existed.

Joey Heatherton's lower lip gives her hair a puffy run for the money as 15-year-old 'Dani.'

Mike Connors, late on his 15 year road to stardom before he finally hit it big with Mannix, gives a reasonable if light-weight performance as Luke Miller, war hero/drunk husband/absentee father. 

George MacReady, as the steely family lawyer, gets off the film’s most tawdry double entendre—which is saying something—regarding the dead boy toy: "He wasn't any good at double entry bookkeeping, but he was great at double entry housekeeping."

This is easily the best scene in 'Where Love Has Gone,' when Jane Greer's parole officer
sizes up Hayward's wayward mother!

Jane Greer, as Dani’s parole officer, gives the film's most realistic performance, amidst all the posturing. Greer’s piercing dark eyes and her no-nonsense manner stand out, especially in the home inspection between her and Susan’s wayward mother, and is easily the movie’s most authentic scene.

DeForest Kelley may have wished someone had beamed him up out of this movie, as the acerbic art critic and Hayward’s best pal. Kelly’s character is there to provide “insights” into Hayward’s artist.

DeForest Kelley as the art critic who critiques art AND Hayward's morals. But not her hair!

Where Love Has Gone is one of many '60s trash classic, the last gasp of old Hollywood promising vicarious thrills, while piously lecturing audiences over the story’s sinners. The movie makes a big point that Dani is no longer a virgin. Valerie’s sex drive is driven home, as Kelly’s character lets us know that her artistic juices only flow when… well you get the tawdry picture!

John Michael Hayes borrows a bit from BUtterfield 8, with viewers first seeing Valerie waking up after a rough night, as if from an erotic dream, then facing reality and reaching for a cig. Valerie’s last scene has Susie speeding through San Fran to her censor-satisfying suicide.

"No, this isn't BUtterfield 8!' Note the ciggies at the bedside...they taste just like candy!

Somehow, the dopey opening title song got nominated for an Oscar. The lyrics are so ‘moon-June-spoon’ nonsensical that it would be perfect for Valley of the Dolls' Tony Polar. Instead, The Love Boat crooner Jack Jones does the honors. There is skillful and loving cinematography by Joseph MacDonald, with beauty shots of San Francisco as well of the diversely-aged female stars.

Sparks fly whenever Susan Hayward is around.

For camp lovers, there’s hooty dialogue, big hair, heavy eye makeup, and tacky décor. Par for the ‘60s course, just about everyone onscreen is constantly pouring a drink or lighting a smoke! Watching Susie the artist, with a cig hanging out of her mouth, is a sight to behold. And Mike Connors matches her cig for cig. Amazingly, legendary smoker Bette doesn’t light up once. I guess that’s dedication to her craft, playing the self-righteous rich hag. I’ll let you decide whether Where Love Has Gone is smokin’ hot or just blowin’ smoke!

You just know that somebody is gonna trash Bette Davis' portrait by the end of the movie.
I bet Susan Hayward didn't have to ask what her motivation was here!

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