Born to Be Bad

"Women hated her...but men DESIRED her!"

1950 1h 34m EN

😐

6.0

MID

★6.0TMDB · 42

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Christabel Caine has the face of angel and the heart of a swamp rat. She'll step on anyone to get what she wants, including her own family. A master of manipulation, she covertly breaks off the engagement of her trusting cousin, Donna, to her fabulously wealthy beau, Curtis Carey. Once married to Curtis herself, Christabel continues her affair with novelist Nick Bradley, who knows she's evil, but loves her anyway.

“Women hated her...but men DESIRED her!”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Joan Fontaine
Christabel
Robert Ryan
Nick
Zachary Scott
Curtis
Joan Leslie
Donna
Mel Ferrer
Gobby
Harold Vermilyea
John Caine
Virginia Farmer
Aunt Clara
Kathleen Howard
Mrs. Bolton

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Nicholas Ray
Writers: Edith R. Sommer
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

76 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Nicholas Ray, shot by Nicholas Musuraca. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Friedrich Hollaender. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Frederic Knudtson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Joan Fontaine and Robert Ryan and Zachary Scott carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Women hated her...but men DESIRED her!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0042275 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 42 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Nicholas Ray directs. Nicholas Musuraca behind the camera. Friedrich Hollaender scores. Frederic Knudtson cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

176 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Nicholas Ray, shot by Nicholas Musuraca. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Friedrich Hollaender. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Frederic Knudtson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Joan Fontaine and Robert Ryan and Zachary Scott carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Women hated her...but men DESIRED her!".
7IMDB entry: tt0042275 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 42 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.