Realize he was sort of a different person by the time they met. Don't think she would have appealed to him before having met Kathy, and dealt with everything that she entailed.
sharelove i dunno
fond of certainly
i think the girl had decided jeff was the one for her
but jeff - by that time - was ossified out as far as emotions went
sort of like a person who knows his/her time is up and so
is almost just playing out the string
i think jeff saw the purity in ann and knew the sh*t he had had to swim thru
he would've felt guilty 'dirtying up' her with
kathie the sh*t she pulled on jeff i mean how could a guy not be left
majorly damaged goods after that?
jane greer in out of the past is the quintessential femme fatale role
give any other example of the character type and i'd have to say she
pails in comparison
Great reply, onlet23. Thank you.
shareYes, Jeff really loved Ann.
Jeff was very sad at the loss of Ann while Kathy told him how high his gallows were. His decision to make the phone call was analogous to Bannister in "The Lady from Shanghai" saying, "You know, I'm getting tired of both of us."
"Two more swords and I'll be Queen of the Monkey People." Roseanne
Nobody could come close to Jane Greer in this. In fact I don't think she did herself in anything else I've seen her in .
Couldn't agree more with your post by the way
He did at first, but after she killed his former partner, and he found out that she was lying about stealing the money, and many other things about her that revealed what kind of an evil person she really was, it was no surprise that he gave her up to the police at the end. It was so unfortunate that he was killed by her as well. He didn't deserve the same fate that she did.
shareThis poster ten years ago had Ann confused with Kathie.
shareI think Jeff was in love with the idea of Ann more than Ann herself. He knew she was too good for him, and he knew if he could be with her, he could have the life he had dreamed of when he settled in the little town and opened a gas station. He wanted to shake his past but there was a bond between him and Kathy that he couldn't get away from. Not that I think he ever loved Kathy. He was enchanted by her, and it was like he was always waiting for the other shoe to drop, all at the same time. In a way they really were two of a kind-he had no reason to believe she would be safe if he dragged her back to Whit, and he took the job anyway. That one decision decided his whole life.
http://thinkingoutloud-descartes.blogspot.com/
It is certainly possible to love someone while still emotionally tied to another. I did not say in love with another, although that is possible, too, but it is not clear to me if one could say Jeff loved Kathie. More like she was originally irresistable, and thereafter was at the very least potentially going to be someone who could push his buttons, and he knew it, and she knew it. But how much that kind of connection is love is, well, perhaps a matter of semantics, but in truth it is not very clear.
As others have noted a long term relationship between Jeff and Ann would present some hurdles, but I don't think they were insurmountable. I would suggest for a comparison the much more recent film A History of Violence. Since this is not the board for that film I will not post any spoilers here, but let's just say it is a very interesting comparison (and btw A History of Violence is an excellent film).
Back to barriers - people overcome them all the time, and to some extent it is a question of degree of motivation. In Jeff's case Ann would represent someone who could help achieve the life he really wanted, if he could only get clear enough to get there. Her motivation would start with love for him, but she would probably be helped a bit by helping him achieve redemption, and "enjoying" playing that role. I think Ann is the sort who would see that as a motivation. And btw I thought Rhonda Fleming was very good as Ann.
Rhonda Fleming played Meta. Virginia Huston played Ann.
shareJeff loved Ann. There is no doubt about it. In the beginning, Jeff revealed that his dream was to marry Ann and never go anywhere else.
I think Jeff would have loved Ann in any circumstances. They were alike in terms of behavior.
I think Jeff's attraction towards Kathy in the flashback came out of physical attraction and sympathy. Kathy portrayed herself as a victim in front of Jeff by saying that she didn't steal $40,000 and made Whit look like a monster in the flashback. Jeff's mistake was judging Kathy based on her physical appearances and believing what she told him "outwardly" instead of investigating.
Difference between Ann and Kathie is that they are both physically beautiful. But spiritually, they were exactly the opposite. Kathie was a deceptive monster while Ann was loving, honest, and caring.
I want to believe he did, and your reply makes sense. Thank you.
"No, I don't like to cook, but I have a chicken in the icebox, and you're eating it."
You are welcome. Both the last scene with Jeff and Ann and the ending shows Jeff's true depth of love towards Ann.
In the last scene, Ann tells Jeff - "Then look at her. And look at yourself.
And be very sure that there isn't even a little bit of love left for her. Then when you find out and you know it once and forever......send for me."
Jeff immediately replies "I don't have to find out. I know it now." (Jeff kisses Ann).
Ann replies "That's all I wanted to hear."
The ending is extremely powerful. Jeff couldn't free himself from his past. Jeff knew that Ann will continue to love him and live unhappily if he dies.
Jeff knew very well that Ann's future will be strongly affected by a haunting past if he dies. So Jeff made sure that Ann must have a happy life even if he dies. Jeff didn't want Ann's past to conquer Ann's future. That is why Jeff wanted The Kid to lie to Ann so that she will live happily for the rest of his life. Through the Kid, Jeff was able to free her from her past.
Through this process, we know that the Jeff's love to Ann was eternal since his love to Ann was able to free her from her past even after his death. Through these actions, Ann will spiritually belong to Jeff.
Once the job was done, The Kid showed his love, his respect, and his farewell to his boss Jeff through that one salute. This showed The Kid's eternal sincerety towards his boss Jeff.