The Strange Love of Martha Ivers is a black-and-white film noir motion picture released in the United States in 1946, starring Van Heflin, Barbara Stanwyck, Lizabeth Scott and Kirk Douglas (in his film debut). The movie is based on a short story, titled Love Lies Bleeding by playwright John Patrick (using the pseudonym Jack Patrick), produced and brought to the screen by Hal B. Wallis. The screenplay was written by Robert Rossen and Robert Riskin (uncredited), and was directed by Lewis Milestone.

In 1928, young heiress Martha Ivers fails to run off with friend Sam Masterson, and is involved in fatal events. Years later, Sam returns to find Martha the power behind Iverstown and married to "good boy" Walter O'Neil, now district attorney. At first, Sam is more interested in displaced blonde Toni Marachek than in his boyhood friends; but they draw him into a convoluted web of plotting and cross-purposes. Written by Rod Crawford

In 1928, in Iverstown, the heiress Martha Smith Ivers is caught by the police for the fourth time while trying to runaway home with her friend Sam Masterson. She hates her aunt Mrs. Ivers and while in her room with her tutor's son Walter O'Neil and Sam later, the power runs out and she asks Sam to bring her cat back to the room. When Sam is trying to catch the cat in the dark, her aunt comes to the staircase and Sam hides himself. Mrs. Ivers hits the cat with a stick, Martha pushes her in the staircase and Mrs. Ivers dies. Martha lies to Mr. O'Neil and tells that a man had killed her aunt, and Walter confirms the lie. Eighteen years later, Sam is driving in the road nearby Iverstown, but he does not pay attention in a curve and hits his car in a post. He brings his car to a body shop in the industrial town, and while waiting for the repair, he meets the gorgeous Antonia Marachek in front of the house where he lived. When Antonia loses her bus to her hometown, she accepts the invitation of Sam for a drink and later she goes to his hotel. On the next morning, Antonia is arrested for violation of probation, and Sam decides to pay a visit to Walter O'Neil, now a successful district attorney and married with the wealthy Martha Ivers, to ask him to release Antonia. When Walter sees Sam, he believes Sam wants to blackmail Martha and him, and his misunderstanding leads the former friends to tragic revelations about the fatal night and discloses dirty secrets about the couple Martha and Walter. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil