BORN TO BE BAD

Joan Fontaine and Robert Ryan

BORN TO BE BAD (1950). Director: Nicholas Ray. Colorized. 

As a child Christabel (Joan Fontaine of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea) was sent to live with her maiden aunt (Virginia Farmer) -- a woman of modest means -- instead of with her wealthy uncle, so she has grown up wanting what others have. This includes Curtis (Zachary Scott), the rich fiance of her uncle's secretary, Donna (Joan Leslie),  with whom she moves in to work her wiles. Christabel, who seems sweet, shy and innocent, sets her cap for Curtis, subtly dissuading him away from "mercenary" Donna, but also can't keep her hands off the more virile author, Nick (Robert Ryan), who also falls under her spell. One of these men she will snare and bring to the altar, but that won't stop her from wanting the other man as well ... 

Zachary Scott and Joan Leslie

With Born to be Bad, Fontaine enters Bette Davis-Joan Crawford territory, but as she plays a character who employs a more sinister, shady technique instead of sharp, vitriolic bombast, she may seem less vivid than those other actresses. But Fontaine is nevertheless excellent in the role, and her almost constant smiling -- no matter what she's saying or thinking -- makes her seem like the most hideous of sociopaths. The other cast members are all top-notch, and this includes Mel Ferrer as painter and observer Gobby, who is both amused and appalled by Christabel and makes funny and sardonic comments. The trouble with this very entertaining soap opera is that the wind-up is rather flat. This movie was spoofed on The Carol Burnett Show as "Raised to Be Rotten!"

Verdict: Joan schemes, wins, and loses in grand style. *** 

THE DIARY OF A HIGH SCHOOL BRIDE

Can this marriage be saved? Ron Foster, Anita Sands

THE DIARY OF A HIGH SCHOOL BRIDE (1959). Produced and directed by Burt Topper.  

17-year-old Judy (Anita Sands) and 24-year-old Steve (Ron Foster of Ma Barker's Killer Brood) get married in Las Vegas and move into an apartment. Although Steve, studying to be a lawyer, seems like a perfectly upright and solid fellow, Judy's parents are appalled. Judy's mother (Louise Arthur) wants the marriage immediately annulled, but her father (Frank Biro) insists that she will move back home when she gets tired of playing housewife. Meanwhile Judy's nasty ex-boyfriend, Chuck (Chris Robinson), the spoiled son of a movie executive, is out to cause trouble for the couple any way he can. 

Chris Robinson and Wendy Wilde

If there is any problem with Diary of a High School Bride it's that the leading characters are actually perfectly nice and decent, which, alas, does not add up to perfect melodrama. There is so little plot to the movie that any "drama," if that's the word, comes from the actions of sleazy Chuck as he tries to cause an accident on the highway, gets clobbered by Steve, and even attempts the rape of Judy at the climax. The audience probably cheered when he got his final comeuppance, although they might have just been grateful that this lousy flick was over. Handsome and talented, poor Ron Foster often found himself in turkeys like this. After making her debut in this film, Sands had a few television credits. Her performance is nothing to rave about but Chris Robinson does a nice job as the fellow who just won't take no for an answer. John Hart shows up briefly as a police officer and Elvis imitator Tony Casanova sings the title song and does another number in a coffeeshop. Wendy Wilde plays Chuck's monkey-faced wannabee girlfriend. 

Verdict: Barely passable. *1/2.