Born to Kill
directed by Robert Wise
Robert Wise also directed West Side Story, The Andromeda Strain, The Sound of Music, Audrey Rose, and The Hindenburg among other films. Born to Kill is a post war film noir that stars noted knucklehead Lawrence Tierney in the male lead.
directed by Robert Wise
As in the film Bodyguard that came out shortly after this movie, Tierney is playing a tough guy.
The difference here is that in Born to Kill, Tierney is a bad man, very bad actually. He's not someone that you want around you or taking interest in your affairs.
We can all argue over the technical definitions of words like "evil", "sociopath", or "psychopath" but it's fair to say that Tierney's character is a man who takes everything personally, lies without any remorse, views other people as tools to be used in his inevitable rise to fame and fortune, and has a very low boiling point for committing violence.
Call it what you like but this guy is bad news.
Born to Kill asks what sort of society produces men like this, and worse, what if there are women like him as well. What happens when they run into each other? Likely nothing good, that's what. This movie also takes a few shots at the sexual mating strategies of men and women. Sometimes these strategies work and everyone is happy. Other times playing such games can get people hurt.
Helen Brent (Claire Trevor) is an attractive woman of a certain age who has run out the string on her marriage.
Helen believes her soon to be ex is a real loser.
That's why Helen is living in a Reno boarding house run by Mrs. Kraft (Esther Howard).
Mrs. Kraft, as you might imagine, is older and not in the market for a man, but she's quick to give younger women bawdy and politically incorrect advice about dealing with/training men.
Helen needed to establish residence in Nevada just long enough to qualify for a quick no fault divorce.
Helen's got one more day to do that.
Helen plans to move back to California and marry a REAL, that is to say RICH man. Laury Palmer (Isabel Jewel), another boarder, is younger than Mrs. Kraft and Helen.
Laury thinks that she's way too young to consider settling down. Laury wants men for an ego boost and well you know, that other thing.
To this end she has decided to go out on a date with a fellow named Danny (Tony Barrett) in order to make her new man Sam Wilde (Tierney) jealous.
Unfortunately Sam is not the kind of man that's it's safe to make jealous.
Sam is possessive, hulking, domineering, suspicious and easily offended. When Sam sees "his" woman out and about with someone else, he murders Danny AND Laury before leaving town.
Critically, when Helen finds the bodies, instead of calling the police, she selfishly decides that she doesn't want to get involved.
Helen doesn't want any scandal to damage her marriage plans to her wealthy fiance Fred Grover (Phillip Terry).
Helen also hightails it for the next train to San Francisco where wouldn't you know it she runs into Sam.
Mutual goo-goo eyes are made. Although Helen doesn't exactly say yes to Sam and his cold ambitions for success, she doesn't exactly say no either.
Sam looks up Helen in San Francisco; when he can't get a commitment from Helen to jump on the Sam train, he seamlessly, shamelessly, and successfully switches his attentions to Helen's younger and prettier sister Georgia (Audrey Long).
Conveniently, Georgia is the heiress to the family fortune and controls the family newspaper.
Sam and Georgia get married which makes Helen feel a certain way.
Mrs. Kraft hires a corrupt private detective, Albert Arnett (Walter Slezak) to find Laury's and Danny's murderer while Sam's sleazy partner in crime, Marty (Elisha Cook) shows up to help Sam keep things quiet.
This movie was really interesting because the bad guy is split between the male and female lead. Sam and Helen really are two sides of the same coin, a bad penny. Sam is attracted to the idea of a classy dame like Helen who both legitimizes him and understands him.
Helen likes the idea of a bad boy who is just ever so slightly not under her control.
Helen likes Sam's nasty streak. Sam wears his hate and malevolence on his sleeve. Helen hides her unpleasant nature. This was a really good movie if you like film noir.
