Born to Be Bad (1950)

Born to Be Bad: Directed by Nicholas Ray. With Joan Fontaine, Robert Ryan, Zachary Scott, Joan Leslie. A woman’s attempt to appear innocent and sweet clashes with her lover who sees through her act and the wealthy man she tries to trick into marrying her.

“Director Nicholas Ray managed to take his revenge on RKOu0026#39;s Howard Hughes with this real life u0026quot;Citizen Kaneu0026quot;. Hughes was obsessively pursuing Joan Fontaine whose post WWII career was going nowhere. Like Hearstu0026#39;s intervention in Marion Daviesu0026#39; career, Hughes got Fontaine the lead in Rayu0026#39;s u0026quot;Born To Be Badu0026quot; and then meddled in the production to insure that the film became a promotional vehicle for her. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhatever Ray may have thought of this it was not a complete disaster. Although the 32 year- old Fontaine is not credible in the role of a young business school student, if you suspend disbelief about the age factor, her performance is the equal of Anne Baxteru0026#39;s in u0026quot;All About Eveu0026quot;. The same thing could be said of Davies; while her career was mismanaged by Hearstu0026#39;s inappropriate casting, her talent was still able to shine through.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAlthough not given final cut, Ray somehow was able to turn u0026quot;Born To Be Badu0026quot; into a self- parodying melodrama that reflected much of the Hughes-Fontaine relationship. Even making Fontaineu0026#39;s mark (wealthy Curtis Carey-played by Zachary Scott) into a Hughes look- alike, complete with pencil mustache and a passion for flying. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eUnlike Orsen Welles, Ray made a lot of womenu0026#39;s pictures, a quality u0026quot;Citizen Kaneu0026quot; does not share with u0026quot;Born To Be Badu0026quot;. Fontaine plays master manipulator Christabel Caine (not Kane), not quite a sociopath but a woman with little sign of a conscience. Unlike most of these womenu0026#39;s pictures, it is the men who she has trouble fooling with her innocent act. Cunning gay artist Gobby (Mel Ferrer)) finds her a kindred spirit and novelist Nick (Robert Ryan) is turned on by her greed and lack of moral/ethical boundaries. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eRay has Fontaine play the character in a nice self-parodying style that actually makes her somewhat sympathetic to the viewer, at least for those who can take a guilty pleasure watching her turn on the charm. Unlike her sister, the eternally earthy Olivia deHavilland, age made Fontaine brittle and well suited to villainess roles. With cute little smiles and feigned reaction shots Fontaine keeps the film vicious for its entire length. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eLike Rayu0026#39;s u0026quot;Johnny Guitaru0026quot;, this is a film about two women, one good and one bad (there is no subtlety), who vie for the same man. It is a battle of Joans, as Donna is played by gorgeous Joan Leslie (u0026quot;Sgt. Yorku0026quot;). Donna is a publishing house editor, postwar America was still adjusting to the vocational progress women had made during the war. But the evil Christabel explicitly rejects career opportunities (one canu0026#39;t imagine her contributing to the war effort) in favor of setting herself up for life by landing a rich husband she can set up for a lucrative divorce settlement. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eLeslie and Ferrer are especially good in the film. Leslie gives the only restrained performance, which is more powerful because it contrasts so sharply with the overplayed performances Ray gets from the rest of his cast.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThen again, what do I know? Iu0026#39;m only a child.”