IMDb > Born to Be Bad (1934)

Born to Be Bad (1934) More at IMDbPro »

Overview

User Rating:
6.1/10   251 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 34% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Lowell Sherman
Writers:
Ralph Graves (story)
Harrison Jacobs (continuity)
Contact:
View company contact information for Born to Be Bad on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
18 May 1934 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Romance more
Plot:
Letty, a young woman who ended up pregnant, unmarried and on the streets at fifteen is bitter and determined... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
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User Comments:
No matter how beautiful, scum is scum! more (11 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Loretta Young ... Letty Strong

Cary Grant ... Malcolm Trevor
Jackie Kelk ... Mickey Strong
Marion Burns ... Mrs. Alyce Trevor
Henry Travers ... Fuzzy
Paul Harvey ... Attoney Brian
Russell Hopton ... Steve Karns
Harry Green ... Adolph - Letty's Lawyer
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
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Runtime:
62 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)
Certification:
Australia:PG | USA:Approved | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | UK:A (original rating) | UK:U (video rating) (2005)
Company:
20th Century Pictures more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Andrew Tombes is on an early cast list playing the part of "Max Lieber." A character called "Max" is mentioned in the film, but Tombes never appeared. more

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User Comments

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5 out of 7 people found the following comment useful.
No matter how beautiful, scum is scum!, 6 February 2006
6/10
Author: Steve Haynie from Easley, South Carolina

Letty (Loretta Young) is a tramp. Early in the film she is established as a classy, attractive girl who appreciates fine things. The viewer is then given a shock when she suddenly changes in demeanor. I was impressed with the way Loretta Young was able to go from "nice" to "naughty" in one scene, giving away her character's true nature beyond a doubt. For nearly the full length of the movie we see Letty trying to cheat her way through life, convinced it is the only way to survive.

Audiences of 1934 may have been looking for escapism in motion pictures, but I do not believe they could have found Loretta Young's character appealing. Pregnant at 15, she was taken in by a kind book store owner, but as she reached her early 20's she had taught herself and her son to win at any cost. In doing so, she becomes an escort to prominent men while her son, Mickey (Jackie Kelk), learns to be "street-wise" at a very early age. You could easily imagine Mickey ending up in prison. Having a lawyer offer advice on how to commit a new scam was a nice touch. Surely no one could feel sorry for Letty losing her son as an unfit mother. Loretta played that "unfit" part perfectly.

Cary Grant really blended into the background in Born To Be Bad. His star was rising, but virtually any lead actor could have played Mal Trevor. Jackie Kelk was slightly older than his character, Mickey, at the time the movie was made. I found Mickey's change of heart to be a bit too easy, but as others have commented the movie is a bit short. Maybe with more time to show the supporting characters develop the movie would have made more sense. The only characters that really had any depth were Letty and Mickey.

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