There are a number of surprises in BORN TO KILL, but the biggest one for me was seeing that the director of this film noir masterpiece was Robert Wise, who gave the world THE SOUND OF MUSIC. I never suspected he was this versatile, although he did do several other "creepy" stories earlier in his career.
Most of the other surprises relate to the twisted elements in the plot. Thanks to a superb cast, the script never lets anyone down and is played to the hilt by the leads, LAWRENCE TIERNEY (even though he only has two expressions) and CLAIRE TREVOR, in full Barbara Stanwyck mode.
PHILIP TERRY is Trevor's stable fiancé who finally realizes that she's a bit too complex for him to handle, in a role much like the one he had in THE LOST WEEKEND where he's Ray Milland's steady and sincere brother.
AUDREY LONG is Trevor's wealthy sister who is attracted immediately to Tierney, who is attracted immediately to her wealth. It's the perfect set-up for a story of corruption, greed and murder among an upper crust society invaded by the likes of Tierney and his friend, ELISHA COOK, JR., who has a more substantial role than usual as Tierney's loyal henchman.
Among other surprises: ESTHER HOWARD as a boozing old lady who knows too much about the murder of a young woman, in a fine performance that almost steals the show. Amusing to see young TOMMY NOONAN as a bellhop playing cards with her, unbilled in a brief scene.
WALTER SLEZAK fails to do much with the role of a corrupt detective with his eye on making a few bucks, surprisingly colorless in what might have been an interesting role.
CLAIRE TREVOR walks off with the acting honors and it's easy to do since she has most of the footage for the length of the film. She's every inch the perfect woman for a femme fatale role, the kind that Barbara Stanwyck could play in her sleep. But Trevor adds a lot more dimension to the role with a very complex portrayal of a woman whose conscience is not yet dead but finds the lure of crime and passion too much to resist. She's perfect.
Summing up: Well worth your time if you're in the mood for a good, tough film noir.
Most of the other surprises relate to the twisted elements in the plot. Thanks to a superb cast, the script never lets anyone down and is played to the hilt by the leads, LAWRENCE TIERNEY (even though he only has two expressions) and CLAIRE TREVOR, in full Barbara Stanwyck mode.
PHILIP TERRY is Trevor's stable fiancé who finally realizes that she's a bit too complex for him to handle, in a role much like the one he had in THE LOST WEEKEND where he's Ray Milland's steady and sincere brother.
AUDREY LONG is Trevor's wealthy sister who is attracted immediately to Tierney, who is attracted immediately to her wealth. It's the perfect set-up for a story of corruption, greed and murder among an upper crust society invaded by the likes of Tierney and his friend, ELISHA COOK, JR., who has a more substantial role than usual as Tierney's loyal henchman.
Among other surprises: ESTHER HOWARD as a boozing old lady who knows too much about the murder of a young woman, in a fine performance that almost steals the show. Amusing to see young TOMMY NOONAN as a bellhop playing cards with her, unbilled in a brief scene.
WALTER SLEZAK fails to do much with the role of a corrupt detective with his eye on making a few bucks, surprisingly colorless in what might have been an interesting role.
CLAIRE TREVOR walks off with the acting honors and it's easy to do since she has most of the footage for the length of the film. She's every inch the perfect woman for a femme fatale role, the kind that Barbara Stanwyck could play in her sleep. But Trevor adds a lot more dimension to the role with a very complex portrayal of a woman whose conscience is not yet dead but finds the lure of crime and passion too much to resist. She's perfect.
Summing up: Well worth your time if you're in the mood for a good, tough film noir.