"Born To Kill" is another of the superior "film noires" from RKO. This one was intended as an "A" list film and is different in that the traditional noire "femme fatale" meets her match in an equally ambitious and deadly male.
The film opens in Reno, Nevada as Helen Brent (Claire Trevor) is granted a divorce from an unnamed husband. She goes to the rooming house where she has stayed to pay her bill before returning to her home in San Francisco. At the rooming house we meet the boozy landlady Mrs. Kraft (Esther Howard) and her friend Laurey Palmer (Isabell Jewell). Laurey tells the two that she is going to step out with another man to make her boyfriend jealous.
That evening at a casino we are introduced to Sam Wilde as he plays craps. Helen and Sam lock eyes across the table. Just then Laurey and her date Danny (Tony Barrett) stop by the table. It turns out that Wilde is Laurey's boyfriend who turns out to be insanely jealous. Later as Laurey and Danny return home, they are brutally murdered by Wilde. Helen discovers the bodies later but does not call the police. It is here that we realize that she may have her own agenda.
As Helen goes to the train station to return home, she is met by Wilde who himself is going to San Francisco. They talk on the train and Helen casually agrees to see Sam, thinking that it will never happen, when they get to San Francisco. Sam unexpectedly turns up at Helen's home where she lives with her foster sister Georgia Staples (Audrey Long) a newspaper heiress. We also learn that Helen is engaged to rich socialite Fred Grover (Philip Terry). Learning of Georgia's wealth, Sam woos and weds her. You see both Sam and Helen have high ambitions.
Back in Reno, Mrs. Kraft hires a sleazy blackmailing private detective named Albert Arnett to find out who killed her friend Laurey Palmer. This is when the double crosses begin. As Arnett gets closer to the truth both Sam and Helen get nervous. Sam's friend Marty (Mart) Waterman arrives in San Francisco and is invited to move in by Helen. Marty trees to murder Mrs Kraft but is himself killed. And then Helen and Sam..............................
The sexual tension between Sam and Helen is evident although both are after money and power which they cannot give each other. The Production Code limited what could be shown so we have to imagine what is really going on. Also, there is a gentle hint of homosexuality between Sam and Marty who have lived together for five years (suggesting prison). There is one scene where both are on the one bed in their room. And Marty's devotion to Sam is a little more than just friendship, I think.
Director Robert Wise, who learned his craft under the legendary Val Lewton, gives the picture the dark shadows and atmosphere that make the drama more compelling. Lawrence Tierney gives an excellent performance as the hair trigger tempered Wilde. This film was supposed to be his jump to "A" features but due to his real life escapades, he never really made it. Claire Trevor is cold, evil and conniving as the "femme fatale" of the piece. Esther Howard almost steals the picture as the beer swizzling old landlady.
Also, watch for Ellen Corby and Martha Hyer in bits as maids and Tommy Noonan as a bellhop playing cards with Mrs. Kraft.
One of the best of the "film noires".
The film opens in Reno, Nevada as Helen Brent (Claire Trevor) is granted a divorce from an unnamed husband. She goes to the rooming house where she has stayed to pay her bill before returning to her home in San Francisco. At the rooming house we meet the boozy landlady Mrs. Kraft (Esther Howard) and her friend Laurey Palmer (Isabell Jewell). Laurey tells the two that she is going to step out with another man to make her boyfriend jealous.
That evening at a casino we are introduced to Sam Wilde as he plays craps. Helen and Sam lock eyes across the table. Just then Laurey and her date Danny (Tony Barrett) stop by the table. It turns out that Wilde is Laurey's boyfriend who turns out to be insanely jealous. Later as Laurey and Danny return home, they are brutally murdered by Wilde. Helen discovers the bodies later but does not call the police. It is here that we realize that she may have her own agenda.
As Helen goes to the train station to return home, she is met by Wilde who himself is going to San Francisco. They talk on the train and Helen casually agrees to see Sam, thinking that it will never happen, when they get to San Francisco. Sam unexpectedly turns up at Helen's home where she lives with her foster sister Georgia Staples (Audrey Long) a newspaper heiress. We also learn that Helen is engaged to rich socialite Fred Grover (Philip Terry). Learning of Georgia's wealth, Sam woos and weds her. You see both Sam and Helen have high ambitions.
Back in Reno, Mrs. Kraft hires a sleazy blackmailing private detective named Albert Arnett to find out who killed her friend Laurey Palmer. This is when the double crosses begin. As Arnett gets closer to the truth both Sam and Helen get nervous. Sam's friend Marty (Mart) Waterman arrives in San Francisco and is invited to move in by Helen. Marty trees to murder Mrs Kraft but is himself killed. And then Helen and Sam..............................
The sexual tension between Sam and Helen is evident although both are after money and power which they cannot give each other. The Production Code limited what could be shown so we have to imagine what is really going on. Also, there is a gentle hint of homosexuality between Sam and Marty who have lived together for five years (suggesting prison). There is one scene where both are on the one bed in their room. And Marty's devotion to Sam is a little more than just friendship, I think.
Director Robert Wise, who learned his craft under the legendary Val Lewton, gives the picture the dark shadows and atmosphere that make the drama more compelling. Lawrence Tierney gives an excellent performance as the hair trigger tempered Wilde. This film was supposed to be his jump to "A" features but due to his real life escapades, he never really made it. Claire Trevor is cold, evil and conniving as the "femme fatale" of the piece. Esther Howard almost steals the picture as the beer swizzling old landlady.
Also, watch for Ellen Corby and Martha Hyer in bits as maids and Tommy Noonan as a bellhop playing cards with Mrs. Kraft.
One of the best of the "film noires".