BORN TO KILL (RKO 1947) Warner Home Video

Two of film noir’s most trustworthy money-makers, Claire Trevor and Lawrence Tierney, teamed up with director, Robert Wise for Born to Kill (1947); a darkly twisted tale of a hot-blooded psychopath and his obsession to assuage to the good life, via the coat-tails of a newly divorced socialite. Alas, before the romance came the murder – or rather, the accidental killing of a gal/pal, having since transgressed against tall, dark and crazy with her new lover. And thus, the wheels of Eve Greene and Richard Macaulay’s screenplay, very loosely based on James Gunn’s 1943 page-turner, Deadlier than the Male, were set into motion. In Lawrence Tierney we have a troubled soul, his on camera persona to have mirrored the man, even after the cameras stopped rolling and the houselights came up. Indeed, the Brooklyn-born Tierney, by all accounts, the athletic sort, nevertheless could not hold his temper.  And thus, his brushes with the law began. After an acting coach suggested he re-channel his rage into something more productive – like the theater - Tierney joined the Black Friars, and then, the American-Irish Theatre group. Spotted by an RKO talent scout in 1943, Tierney could be observed as an uncredited extra in such offerings as Gildersleeve on Broadway, Government Girl, The Ghost Ship, and, The Falcon Out West (all, in 1943), and, Seven Days Ashore, and, Youth Runs Wild (both in 1944).

Tierney’s breakout came a year later, loaned to Monogram, a C-grade studio, for Dillinger (1945) – a movie, thinly based on the life and brief times of the infamous public enemy.  Despite being banned in Chicago and several other cities known to have harbored the fugitive, Tierney distinguished himself in the part and the picture was a success. On its strength, RKO promoted Tierney to their A-list roster, but continued to cast him as the shameless tough guy and/or baddie with an axe to grind. In Born to Kill, Tierney – as the aptly named Sam Wilde – is both suave and intimidating. It is rather easy to see how a woman like Claire Trevor’s Helen Brent could find this ‘bad boy’ image sinfully attractive. However, not everyone warmed to Tierney’s particular brand of macho menace. New York Times’ critic, Bosley Crowther was morally outraged by the character’s ability “to 'fix it so's I can spit in anybody's eye”, deemed ‘outrageous’ and ‘nasty.’  “I resented those pictures,” Tierney would later suggest, “I thought of myself as a nice guy who wouldn't do rotten things. I hated that character so much, but I had to do it for the picture.” As for Claire Trevor, while her early tenure in Hollywood was amiably spent playing déclassé females, imbued to varying degrees with that movie-land derivative of the proverbial heart of gold, unlike Tierney, Trevor managed to live through, and move beyond that well-crafted image of the cheap and devious ‘bad woman’, finishing her career with a diversity of roles.

Born to Kill begins innocuously with the arrival of Helen Brent to a Reno, Nevada boarding house, catering to newly divorced women. The place is run by Mrs. Kraft (the marvelous Esther Howard, who made a cottage industry out of playing man-hungry spinsters with a cockeyed face, referenced in another classic noir classic, as “like a tub of mud”). At present, the house is also ‘home’ to Laury Palmer (Isabel Jewell), a flirtatious blonde, trying to rid herself of a bad relationship by stepping out with another dapper ‘Dan’ (Tony Barrett). In the meantime, Laury’s ex, Sam Wilde has come back to town, asking his best friend, Marty Watermen (Elisha Cook Jr.) for a place to hang his hat for a few days. Marty obliges, knowing Sam is the sort who would likely take, rather than ask. To celebrate their newfound liberation from men, Laury suggests everyone meet up at the casino for some good times later in the evening. And although Helen turns down this invitation, bored and alone, she joins the excitement, encountering Sam in the process. He takes an immediate shine to her.  After all, she dresses like class itself.

Alas, their flirtation is short-lived when Sam spies Laury with Dan and elects, without their knowledge, to follow them back to the boarding house. While Laury goes upstairs to freshen up, Dan enters the kitchen to fix them a drink, unaware Sam has let himself in through the back-porch entrance. The men struggle and Sam ruthlessly murders Dan. Unaware of the attack, Laury enters the kitchen, discovers Dan’s body, and, is put out of her misery by Sam, who then flees from this double homicide. Sometime later, Helen returns and discovers both bodies in the kitchen.  However, she hesitates telephoning the police, electing instead to depart for San Francisco immediately and not get involved. Informed of the murders by Sam, Marty hastens his best friend to disappear from town with all speed while he stays behind to monitor the investigation. By pure happenstance, Helen and Sam arrive at the train depot together.  Quite unaware he has committed the murders Helen is rather eager to pick up where they left off. Intrigued by Sam’s crudely concocted confidence, Helen neglects to inform him she is already engaged to a wealthy playboy, Fred Grover (Phillip Terry) back home. Thus, when Sam makes the impromptu decision to look Helen up in Frisco, he is also introduced to Fred and Helen’s foster-sister, Georgia Staples (Audrey Long), who also happens to be rich. Wounded by what he perceives as Helen’s betrayal, Sam sets his sights on Georgia. In no time, although he does not love Georgia, Sam has conquered her heart.

Aware of Sam’s real motivations, Helen nevertheless becomes sexually involved with him too, despite his marriage and her pending engagement to Fred, even after she has pieced together the clues to identify Sam as the Reno killer.  Back in Reno, Mrs. Kraft, who always thought of Laury like her own daughter, hires detective Albert Arnett (Walter Slezak) to solve the crime. Motivated by greed, Arnett is nevertheless very good at his job and quickly takes notice of Marty acting strangely at Laury's funeral. Shortly thereafter, he decides to tail Marty to Frisco where next he witnesses Marty in attendance at Sam’s wedding. Crashing the reception, Arnett begins making his inquiries with the staff. Suspicious of this unwanted party guest, Helen speaks to Arnett, who offers no reason for his arrival, but infers he already knows Sam is guilty of the Reno murders.

Overhearing – and misinterpreting their conversation, Sam confronts Helen, who denies she is trying to frame him, and, in fact, is trying to arrange a way to buy Arnett off quietly. Marty connects the dots and realizes Kraft hired Arnett. Now, Sam and Marty conspire to lure Kraft to her death before she can learn the truth from Arnett.  But before Marty leaves to carry out the murder, he calls on Helen, imploring her to end the affair with Sam.  Having witnessed Marty exiting Helen’s room, Sam tails him to the prearranged location where Marty was endeavoring to lure Kraft, and, instead, murders Marty, for no reason, other than he suspects Marty was making a play for Helen. Highly suspicious of Helen’s affections toward Sam, Fred wisely calls off their engagement.  Arnett resurfaces and attempts blackmail. Absolutely refusing to entertain his offers, Helen is informed the police have already been tipped off and will arrive shortly to make their arrests. Now, Helen confesses everything to Georgia. But when Sam arrives, Helen plots to have him murder her half-sister. Mercifully, the police intervene. Georgia reveals to Sam it was Helen who telephoned them. Enraged at having been played the fool, Sam unleashes his rage on Helen. Mercifully, he is gunned down by the police.

Born to Kill is a densely packed, taut and exhilarating powder keg of treachery, lies, deceit and murder.  Robert Wise, a director who illustrated impeccable versatility throughout his film-making tenure, spanning virtually every genre, herein keeps the thrills fast moving and ever-evolving, relying almost exclusively on the reputations his costars have built-up elsewhere in their repertoire to buoy the back story of these characters. At only 92 min., Wise drives the Greene/Macaulay screenplay at a breakneck pace, while never appearing to be rushed for time.  The result is one wild ride with never a moment’s respite and a lot of nail-biting tension besides. Born to Kill may not be as well-known, or even as well-regarded as some of the other crime/thrillers in the noir movement, but it remains an exceptionally underrated film, definitely deserving of a second glance. The good stuff continues with Warner Home Video’s DVD. While the main titles exhibit some minor edge enhancement, amplified grit and residual softness, the rest of the image is quite free of these digital anomalies. The B&W gray scale is solid, with good tonality, a light smattering of grain looking very indigenous to its source, and, a general absence of age-related artifacts. The audio is Dolby Digital 1.0 mono, but is free from hiss and pop. Extras are limited to an audio commentary and original theatrical trailer. Bottom line: highly recommended.

FILM RATING (out of 5 - 5 being the best)

4

VIDEO/AUDIO

4

EXTRAS

1