Born to Be Bad (1950)

Director:

Nicholas Ray

Writers:

George Oppenheimer (additional dialogue)
Anne Parrish (novel)

Release Date:

27 August 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Film-Noir | Drama

Tagline:

A WOMAN OF BEAUTY...who wielded ruthless power over men!

Plot:

Christabel fools everyone with her sweet exterior including her cousin Donna and Donna's wealthy fiancée Curtis...

Plot Keywords:

Obsession | Beautiful Woman | Jealousy | Painter | Score Influenced By Popular Music Styles

Cast

Joan Fontaine	...	Christabel Caine Carey
Robert Ryan	...	Nick Bradley
Zachary Scott	...	Curtis Carey
Joan Leslie	...	Donna Foster
Mel Ferrer	...	Gabriel 'Gobby' Broome
Harold Vermilyea	...	John Caine
Virginia Farmer	...	Aunt Clara Caine
Kathleen Howard	...	Mrs. Bolton
Dick Ryan	...	Arthur - Curtis's Butler
Bess Flowers	...	Mrs. Worthington
Joy Hallward	...	Mrs. Porter
Hazel Boyne	...	Committee Woman
Irving Bacon	...	Jewelry Salesman
Gordon Oliver	...	Harrison - the Lawyer (scenes deleted)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jack Chefe	...	Man (scenes deleted)
Jan Hedges	...	Lawyer's Secretary (scenes deleted)
Al Murphy	...	Man (scenes deleted)

Also Known As:

All Kneeling (USA) (working title)
Bed of Roses (USA) (working title)
Christabel Caine (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

94 min | 90 min (TCM print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #13949) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating)

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

The film had two endings. Director Nicholas Ray raised the issue of a director's right to final cut, and at this time the collective contract with directors did not stipulate this right.

Quotes:

Nick Bradley: [to Christabel] I love you so much I wish I liked you.

Sweet young thing wreaks havoc

Joan Fontaine plays a real conniver hiding beneath a soft exterior in "Born to Be Bad," also starring Robert Ryan, Zachary Scott, Mel Ferrer, and Joan Leslie. Fontaine is Christabel, a young woman from the poor side of the family who comes to town to work for her Uncle John once his assistant (Leslie) has married a wealthy, eligible bachelor Curtis (Scott). Fontaine sets her sights on the big money right away but finds herself in the heavy clinches with an author (Ryan) who's in love with her. She's reminiscent in her way of a non-show biz Eve Harrington.

Using her soft voice and all that gossamer femininity, Christabel manages, with an innuendo here, an innuendo there, a suggestion here, a hint there - to totally break up the engaged couple and drive Joan Leslie right out of town. Since Christabel has dropped out of business school, her uncle says she can't work for him and needs to return home. In a panic, she throws herself at Curtis at a ball and wins him. The question then is, what did she win? What did he lose? This potboiler was directed by Nicholas Ray, and I have to believe the man had a sense of humor. Otherwise, how do you account for those love scenes? Every time a man went to kiss Fontaine, he swept her around and dipped her, nearly breaking her neck as the music crescendos. Then there were the shots of Joan, her face in a state of rapture, as she realized she was getting what she wanted. Very campy.

Joan Fontaine is excellent in the role, very sweet in the beginning but becoming austere after she marries Curtis. It's a subtle change but definitely demonstrates her acting ability. She looks lovely in a variety of gowns and dresses. Robert Ryan is extremely handsome in this, as well as charming, funny, and a real catch. His character sees right through Christabel but wants her anyway. The acting is uniformly good. Mel Ferrer plays an artist who also has Christabel's number and paints her portrait.

"Born to Be Bad" is fun to watch though it's certainly not Ray's best work. I do think one has to allow for the fact that he saw this as a real potboiler and directed it the way he did on purpose. If you can't beat 'em - and with this script, how could he - join 'em.

By the way, there's a mistake in the letter that Christabel leaves for Curtis.