Born to Kill (1947)

[Kitty]

I just watched Born to Kill.

I was excited to see Walter Slezak as the detective. I know Slezak from The Inspector General when he played Yakov the gypsy.

Now about the movie. I enjoyed the movie, but my biggest complaint is that I just don't believe any of the characters. The best actor in the film is Georgia. I think the acting is flat from the main characters, and that could be the directing, though it's directed by a big name, Robert Wise.

The best character was that of Mrs. Kraft played by Esther Howard. At first, I thought she was going to be an obnoxious character à la screaming lady in Invisible Man. Her character was written as a little bit over the top drunk lady, but it's not as bad as I originally thought it was going to be. When Mrs. Kraft stupidly meets Marty, I actually found myself yelling at the screen when she puts up a fight, and when she took that hatpin out I was like YEAH! Stab him! I was so glad she got away. That was the best part of the movie in my opinion.

I recognized Philip Terry and Elisha Cook, but I'm not really sure from where.

I thought it was weird that all the girls liked Sam Wilde so much, because he was just plain to me, nothing dreamy about him at all. He was also a dunce, obviously not a very intelligent man, almost a simpleton. His stalkerish qualities should have made the girls run screaming. What's up with that? And why was Georgia, who could have had any man in the world, so desperate that she should marry this penniless simpleton? To me, this didn't make any sense, and I kind of think that she and Fred would have been a better match.

The end result was a little surprising to me, but maybe if I'd seen more noirs I would have known it was coming.

[Mrs. Danvers]

Oh darn wished you would have liked it more, if you enjoyed Ester Howard you will also like her in Murder My Sweet, where she essentially plays the same type, a somewhat lovable old lush. Or as Phil Marlow (Dick Powell) says about her: "She was a charming middle-aged lady with a face like a bucket of mud. I gave her a drink. She was a gal who'd take a drink, if she had to knock you down to get the bottle. "

Also Claire Trevor is in Murder My Sweet too, where she is another femme fatale, she was good at being bad, Claire Trevor was.

Back to Born To Kill I agree with just about everything you said, especially about Sam Wilde, he was certainly no prize was he. Not sure why Helen Trent was so hot for him to begin with, they were drawn to each others badness. Also agree having Georgia fall in love with him was hard to swallow. But that's the way noirs usually are, the way people act towards each and the rules they follow are not anywhere near what normal decent folks live by.

I bet you'd enjoy Murder My Sweet it's a good, complicated story with every bit as many disreputable people and crackling hard-core noir dialogue.

[Kitty]

I bet you'd enjoy Murder My Sweet it's a good, complicated story with every bit as many disreputable people and crackling hard-core noir dialogue.

I'll put it on the list. I'm hoping I like Roadhouse more.

[Mrs. Danvers]

I bet you'd enjoy Murder My Sweet it's a good, complicated story with every bit as many disreputable people and crackling hard-core noir dialogue.

I'll put it on the list. I'm hoping I like Roadhouse more.

Oh me too, I hope you like Roadhouse especially Richard Widmark and chain smoking, ivory tickling chanteuse and not a bad bowler, Ida Lupino. Can't really remember how her bowling skills were, but she sure didn't have a clue what was appropriate attire for bowling.