Born to Kill (1947)

A calculating divorcée risks her chances at wealth and security with a man she doesn't love by getting involved with the hotheaded murderer romancing her foster sister.

Director:

Robert Wise

Writers:

Eve Greene (screenplay), Richard Macaulay (screenplay),

Stars:

Claire Trevor, Lawrence Tierney, Walter Slezak

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Claire Trevor	...	Helen Brent
Lawrence Tierney	...	Sam Wild
Walter Slezak	...	Matthew Albert Arnett
Phillip Terry	...	Fred Grover
Audrey Long	...	Georgia Staples
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Marty 'Mart' Waterman
Isabel Jewell	...	Laury Palmer
Esther Howard	...	Mrs. Kraft
Kathryn Card	...	Grace
Tony Barrett	...	Danny Jaden
Grandon Rhodes	...	Police Inspector Wilson
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jason Robards Sr.	...	Conductor (scenes deleted)
Stanley Stone	...	Train Conductor

Storyline

In Reno a man kills a girl he likes and her boyfriend out of jealousy; it may not be the first time. A woman whose divorce has just come through finds the bodies but decides not to become involved. The two meet next day on the train to San Francisco unaware of this link between them. They are attracted to each other, and the relationship survives his marriage to her half-sister for money and status. It even survives the woman discovering that he was the murderer, though she may not realise how easily someone who has killed this way before can do so again.

---

Plot Keywords:

foster sister | detective | murderer | divorce | killer | 

---

Taglines:

The Story of a Woman Who Loved Unwisely...and too well!

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 May 1947 (USA)

Also Known As:

Deadlier Than the Male

Filming Locations:

Ferry Building, San Francisco, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Arnett quotes the Bible twice. "I find more bitter than death the woman ...", is from Ecclesiastes 7:26, though it is not an exact quote from the standard bibles, and "... the way of the transgressor is hard..." (sic) from Proverbs 13:15.

---

Goofs

When Mrs. Kraft rolls down the hill in the desert, her head is pointing left when she comes to a stop. After the edit (when the stunt double is replaced), her head is now pointing to the right.

---

Quotes

Albert Arnett: It's quite all right, Mrs. Brent. I am a man of integrity, but I'm always willing to listen to an interesting offer.
Helen Brent: Well, I'm prepared to pay handsomely.
Albert Arnett: Good. Obstructing the wheels of justice is a costly affair.
Helen Brent: Five thousand dollars should do it.
Albert Arnett: Fifteen thousand dollars should do it.

---

Connections

Referenced in Pretty Little Liars: Stolen Kisses (2012)

---

Soundtracks

"I Haven't a Thing to Wear"
(uncredited)
Music by Harry Revel
Tune on the radio when Helen discovers the bodies

User Reviews

"You're the coldest iceberg of a woman..." and she's a thrill to watch

Born to Kill (1947)

"Has it occurred to you, neither of us looks like a scoundrel, do we?"

The smart, cutting lead female in this crime noir, Helen, played by Claire Trevor, is enough alone to make Born to Kill rise above. She's educated and calculating, far from the gutter but not at home with mere elegance and wealth, the things she's been trying to corner. The story is hers, luckily, because she's ultimately admirable, whatever her moral milkiness.

The whole thing starts with a shock, and then with a disturbing calm where all the pieces refuse to fit together. The lead male, Sam, played by Lawrence Tierney, is a ruthless, violent man with all the elegance and brains of a half-track. He's a perfect problem for Helen, and the movie only compounds and coils around a plot that never falters, whatever its complications. The detective (Walter Slezak) is too perfect in his delicate selfishness, and good old Elisha Cook Jr. is a surprising, and also perfect, good guy with too much tolerance due to his large heart.

It isn't a surprise that a good script and some talented actors are put together with such smart, fast panache by a young Robert Wise, more famous for little tidbits like West Side Story and Sound of Music. It ends up taking some astonishing twists, and some liberties with location shooting that are fabulous for 1947.

After all is said in done we are back with Claire Trevor's performance, which is large and nuanced, and very convincing. It's a good thing she has a lot to work with. A great film. Even the third time.