This entertaining but over-the-top melodrama is based on Anne Parrish's novel called "All Kneeling" and features a malicious woman whose lust for wealth and power is so strong that she doesn't care who she hurts as she strives to achieve her selfish ambitions. Christabel Carey (Joan Fontaine) leaves a number of casualties in her wake and is certainly not the type of woman to see the error of her ways. In fact, by the end of the story, it becomes very clear that the reason that she acts as she does, is simply because she's hard-wired to do so.
When his niece, Christabel, is due to attend Business School in San Francisco, publisher John Caine (Harold Vermilyea) arranges for her to live with his assistant Donna Foster (Joan Leslie). Christabel is a small town girl who was brought up by her aunt Clara (Virginia Farmer) and gives the impression of being rather innocent and demure. Christabel soon gets to know Donna's fiancé, Curtis Carey (Zachary Scott), her artist friend Gabriel "Gobby" Broome (Mel Ferrer) and Nick Bradbury (Robert Ryan), a novelist who's under contract to John Caine's firm.
Christabel is powerfully attracted to Nick and his feelings for her are just as passionate but she also recognises that Curtis' considerable wealth could enable her to leave her modest background behind forever. In order to achieve her aim, Christabel tricks Curtis into suspecting that Donna is only interested in him for his money and his lack of trust in his fiancée soon leads to the end of their engagement. Shortly after the break-up, Curtis and Christabel get married and Nick, who recognises her for the duplicitous gold-digger that she is, leaves for Boston.
Christabel revels in her newly found wealth and social status and immerses herself in charity work. Her commitment to this leaves little time for her and Curtis to develop the more intimate side of their relationship and Christabel's continuing interest in seeing Nick only makes matters even more complicated. Bigger problems follow when the extent of her scheming and her cruelty to Aunt Clara are fully recognised but typically, this doesn't lead to any form of contrition from Christabel.
"Born To Be Bad" has a great title, some amusing dialogue and a lively pace. Joan Fontaine lacks credibility in her role as it's impossible to ignore that she looks too old for the part she's playing. Robert Ryan, on the other hand, is convincing as "no-nonsense Nick" who knows precisely how two-faced Christabel is, but still finds her irresistible. Joan Leslie and Mel Ferrer are particularly good in their roles and the remainder of the cast also provide creditable performances.
When his niece, Christabel, is due to attend Business School in San Francisco, publisher John Caine (Harold Vermilyea) arranges for her to live with his assistant Donna Foster (Joan Leslie). Christabel is a small town girl who was brought up by her aunt Clara (Virginia Farmer) and gives the impression of being rather innocent and demure. Christabel soon gets to know Donna's fiancé, Curtis Carey (Zachary Scott), her artist friend Gabriel "Gobby" Broome (Mel Ferrer) and Nick Bradbury (Robert Ryan), a novelist who's under contract to John Caine's firm.
Christabel is powerfully attracted to Nick and his feelings for her are just as passionate but she also recognises that Curtis' considerable wealth could enable her to leave her modest background behind forever. In order to achieve her aim, Christabel tricks Curtis into suspecting that Donna is only interested in him for his money and his lack of trust in his fiancée soon leads to the end of their engagement. Shortly after the break-up, Curtis and Christabel get married and Nick, who recognises her for the duplicitous gold-digger that she is, leaves for Boston.
Christabel revels in her newly found wealth and social status and immerses herself in charity work. Her commitment to this leaves little time for her and Curtis to develop the more intimate side of their relationship and Christabel's continuing interest in seeing Nick only makes matters even more complicated. Bigger problems follow when the extent of her scheming and her cruelty to Aunt Clara are fully recognised but typically, this doesn't lead to any form of contrition from Christabel.
"Born To Be Bad" has a great title, some amusing dialogue and a lively pace. Joan Fontaine lacks credibility in her role as it's impossible to ignore that she looks too old for the part she's playing. Robert Ryan, on the other hand, is convincing as "no-nonsense Nick" who knows precisely how two-faced Christabel is, but still finds her irresistible. Joan Leslie and Mel Ferrer are particularly good in their roles and the remainder of the cast also provide creditable performances.