While most people remember director for classics such as Rebel Without a Cause, Bigger Than Life and Johnny Guitar, Born to Be Bad is considered by most to be one of Ray’s lesser films. However, while Born to Be Bad is a definite soap opera, it’s lively, snide, vicious and fun.
Released in 1950, this little gem was no doubt overshadowed by the Oscar winning All About Eve. While All About Eve possesses a longer and more complex narrative, both films have similar themes: a scheming woman determined to get what she wants, no matter the cost. Largely known for playing a series of dignified and sweet characters, Joan Fontaine went against type to play the wholly manipulative Christabel Caine. She arrives on the social scene in San Francisco determined to make a name for herself. Christabel is the niece of publisher John Caine (Harold Vermilyea). Caine’s employee Donna Foster (Joan Leslie) agrees to let Christabel stay with her while she attends business school.
From the moment Christabel arrives, she sets her sights on Donna’s wealthy fiancé Curtis Carey (Zachary Scott). She proceeds to ruin the engagement by planting the seed with Curtis that Donna just might be a gold-digger. Christabel is then able to persuade Curtis to marry her. All the while, she’s fallen in love with Nick Bradley (Robert Ryan) who is, in one sense, just as ruthless as she: an ambitious author determined to get recognition. Nick loves Christabel but he sees her for what she is. But despite Bradley’s insight into Christabel, he’s surprisingly ineffective at keeping her from causing emotional upheaval among their friends. Christabel doesn’t care if her husband Curtis finds out, because her plan is to take him to the cleaners in a divorce settlement.
Based on the Anne Parrish novel All Kneeling, Born to Be Bad moves at a typically melodramatic pace. Nonetheless, Nicholas Ray manages to the viciousness at a fever pitch throughout, drawing an ugly picture of the emotionally bankrupt state of society life. Eventually, Curtis discovers the truth about Christabel and Bradley shuns her. However, Christabel—an increasingly expert man-eater—lands on her feet. As the film ends, she is once again climbing the social ladder, this time with her divorce lawyer, who invites her out for drinks to discuss her separation. The divorce lawyer tells his secretary to lie to his wife if she calls looking for him…
Seeing the usually sweet and sedate Joan Fontaine chew some scenery is a fun change. Joan Leslie’s performance is particularly enjoyable. Understated but appropriate, she does a nice job dealing with the cyclone that is Joan Fontaine’s character. Robert Ryan delivers a few memorable one-liners. His character is pretty thin otherwise. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the performance of Mel Ferrer as vagabond artist Gabriel Broome. While not a large part, it’s an important one; Broome ties the cast together.
Available from the Warner Archive Collection, Born to Be Bad is presented in full frame and its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1. The audio is a mono track.
There are no special features.
