Simply A Masterpiece

Fantastic!

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

Already a major star for nearly 25 years as the 1950's rolled in, a maturing Joan Crawford was more handsome than beautiful, which isn't bad for a movie star if she's not afraid of becoming a camp icon. Crawford gets some great monologues and a fairly decent story, but the script and direction are not at their best in this rising from the gutter mob moll Cinderella story. The film opens up with the discovery of a corpse and the search for a socialite (Crawford) mixed up with him. The wealthy society widow, having no tax returns filed with the IRS, turns up in a factory town, banging on the door of an elderly couple who turn out to be her estranged parents. From here, the film flashes back to her life there, an unhappy marriage to factory worker Richard Egan, the sudden shocking end of that marriage thanks to the final straw breaking, and her entrance into big city society through modeling, through political connections and through mob boss David Brian who has his finger in every political pie. Biting off more than she can chew, she refuses to get out, and an intelligence you don't get in a factory town makes her a rare female entry in a man's world, and one that could destroy her life...or worse.Nineteen years before this, the young and beautiful Joan Crawford escaped from a factory town in the MGM pre-code drama "Possessed" and became a politician's mistress under the respectability of being a young widow. That film had the benefit of Crawford's youth and earthiness, a young Clark Gable, the solid direction of Clarence Brown, but most importantly, the MGM gloss. This has the benefit of Crawford's toughness (mixed with hidden vulnerability), an interesting film noir set-up and a fairly glossy atmosphere. It's obvious that even as stunning as Crawford still is, she wouldn't have it as easy as her character of Ethel/Lorna has it here, and that she'd become so tough in only a short period of time. Steve Cochran as a nasty thug who aggressively pulls Crawford into his web and Selena Royle as a society matron with shady contacts are decent in supporting roles. It's an amusing melodrama that Crawford makes more tolerable, but also an example of why she faced decline as the 1950's marched on. Vincent Sherman directs with the determination to make this rise above what it is, but that's simply just an impossible task.

This is a Crawford star vehicle from start to finish; the only scene she isn't in is the short opening. After five minutes sans Crawford she from then on dominates every scene, every shot, every dialogue. Which gets a bit grating if you don't think she's the most riveting performer in cinema history. At least her great rival Bette Davis had the nerve to act opposite other great actors. Joan's co-actors here are all nonentities, bland scene fillers who get out of her way to let her emote and flutter those famous eyelashes. And suffer. Oh how she suffers! From her poor beginnings as a drudge slaving in the kitchen, seeing her only son dying under a speeding lorry; this poor woman is spared nothing. Fortunately she has her stunning (well.....) looks to help her get ahead ( men are constantly raving about her throughout the movie; it was probably in her contract). The men she meets are either pathetic weaklings or violent misogynists. Saintly Joan endures and suffers, and her public loved her for it. Personally the Crawford Cult is a complete mystery to me, and this movie a total, hammed-up ego trip. Girl Power? Star Power, more like.

...So announces Joan Crawford, as Ethel Whitehead, or is it Lorna Forbes? to gentleman no 1, who then dies mysteriously in a car accident. Her new suitor, played by David Brian is head of a racket involving gambling, vice and narcotics and who's fortune is in oil. Then, she gets involved in a conspiracy to eliminate him....Will Steve Cochran, as Nick Prenta become gentleman No.3?This greatly-titled melodrama's story falls a little short of that dramatic title, though. The often cliché-ridden rags-to-riches theme is a Hollywood stalwart that can get predictable, unless there's a knockout performance or other redeeming feature.Joan Crawford IS that redeeming feature. She's the woman on the way to the top, though the top of what is the question. Utilising her sexuality she uses men who are easily swayed, men who are on the shady side of virtuous. These men are portrayed as humourless puppy dogs that moodily and meanly leave their lines in Ms Crawford's lap. Only she gets to smile, laugh, cry and dominate the picture. Meanwhile director Vincent Sherman does a steady job with both cast and camera.For lovers of Joan Crawford, this is an absolute must. For the rest of us, it's not as good as her best - Mildred Pierce and Grand Hotel; not by quite a margin. Hence my 7 instead of 8 or even 9/10. I watched the DVD as part of the 5 disc Joan Crawford Collection. Other films included in that are: Mildred Pierce, Possessed, Humoresque and Grand Hotel.

Joan Crawford revitalized a flagging career when she left MGM and signed with Warner Brothers in the '40s. "The Damned Don't Cry" is just one of the very entertaining films she made for Warners, which include "Mildred Pierce," for which she won an Oscar and "Flamingo Road." The formula usually follows the rags to riches line, something Crawford was very good at indeed.Here, she's Ethel Whitehead, a wife and mother of a young boy who dies in an accident, at which point Ethel takes off seeking money, nice things, and the fun she's never had in life. She soon comes to the attention of a clothes manufacturer who has her model the clothes and encourage the buyers to spend their cash after hours. She rides the coattails of a bland CPA (Kent Smith) into the mob domain of George Castleman (David Brian), who gives her a life she only dreamed of - a society name, expensive digs, great trips, clothes and jewels - and no ring on third finger, left hand. Not that anyone has mentioned if she divorced her first husband (Richard Egan). Castleman, suspicious of Nick Prenta (Steve Cochran) who runs his western territory sends Ethel - now "Lorna Hanson Forbes" out to investigate and inveigle her way into Prenta's life to find out what he's planning. It's then that "Lorna" realizes she's just another thing that Castleman uses.This is a slick, fast-moving noir that is basically all Joan all the time. Surrounded by a strong cast, she's the only real star, and she looks it in her beautiful clothes and jewels. She's at her glamorous best here in 1950, right before she hardened into almost a caricature of herself in the '50s and '60s. I can't agree that Crawford's age (46) gets in the way and that Ava Gardner would have been better. Ethel/Lorna is the type of role at which Joan excelled. It was believable, to me at least, that these men were all attracted to her - her character has guts, intelligence, beauty and sexuality. David Brian is her brutish boyfriend, and the scene where he surprises her out west is quite violent, even by today's standards. Steve Cochran is handsome, boyish, and thug-like as Prenta, and he comes on strong."The Damned Don't Cry" is directed with great spirit by Vincent Sherman and will keep the viewer involved throughout.