Home
search
more | tips
IMDb > The Company She Keeps (1951) > IMDb user comments
Filter: Hide Spoilers:
Index 5 comments in total 

8 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
Jane Greer best thing about soft-hearted "sequel" to Caged, 2 March 2002
7/10
Author: bmacv from Western New York

The Company She Keeps might be viewed as John Cromwell's soft-hearted "sequel" to his great Caged of the same year (some of the same cast members reappear in small parts in both). Taking over the Eleanor Parker role -- the embittered parolee with a chip-on-the-shoulder attitude -- Jane Greer finally goes "freeside." Lizabeth Scott meets her at the train, not as a mentor into the world of vice but wasted as Greer's saintly parole officer. Greer makes it plain that she's none too happy with the constraints (a night-shift job, frumpy clothes, no drinking) imposed upon her, and promptly sets her hat for Scott's fiance Dennis O'Keefe, who tumbles right into it.

And this is where Ketti Frings' script loses whatever edge it had. The hard, manipulative Greer goes soft around the edges, conflicted and vacillating. Scott, meanwhile, magnanimously cedes O'Keefe to her rival and continues to advocate on her behalf with redoubled passion (an opposite change of heart would have furnished welcome friction).

Luckily, a few goblins still hover in the shadows, and, in a brief scene set in Los Angeles' municipal lockup, Cromwell manages to reprise some of the black magic of Caged. But the syrupy social messages and Frings' earnest kind-heartedness almost sink the movie, which nonetheless preserves one of Greer's rare appearances in the noir cycle, particularly savory at the movie's start and near its end. Just don't expect another Kathie Moffat from Out of the Past.

Was the above comment useful to you?

5 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Parolee, 30 September 2006
6/10
Author: jotix100 from New York

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Diane Stewart has had a lot of obstacles to get over in her life. She started on the wrong side of the law early in life, something that lands her in jail. As her case is reviewed, she is granted a parole status and she must be monitored during this important period of her rehabilitation. Diane ends up working in a hospital where another woman, Tillie, also a parolee is also sent. While Diane rebels, at first, she undergoes a change of heart, while Tillie, a hardened petty criminal goes back to his old tricks.

The kind Joan Wilburn, a parole officer, is in charge of Diane's case. As soon as Diane is out, she sets her eyes on the hunky Larry Collins, who happens to be Joan's boyfriend. It's clear the feeling is mutual. What can Joan do, fight for her man, or give up her relationship with Larry? That decision makes Joan a better person and Diane finally understands her mentor's sacrifice.

John Cromwell directed with his usual style. By going against typecasting, he achieves some interesting acting from his two leading ladies. Lizabeth Scott, who usually played tough women, is seen as Joan Wilburn, a nice person who understands Diane Stewart's tragic life. Jane Greer, on the other hand, starts as a rough girl until she falls in love for Joan's man. Dennis O'Keefe is Larry, the man between these two different women. Fay Baker and John Hoyt, have some good moments in the film.

Although seldom seen these days, "The Company She Keeps" shows some interesting locations in Los Angeles that have a nostalgic look as seen by the lens of Nicholas Musuraca, one of the best camera men working in Hollywood of that era.

Was the above comment useful to you?

7 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
Much better than one would expect!, 25 May 2001
7/10
Author: pyamada from U.S.A.

Scott and Greer are very good in this "woman gets out of prison" movie that could have been awful. Cromwell directs crisply and many shots are well lit and evocative. This may or may not be film-noir, depending on the viewer's perspective, but it holds up well. If you can find it on TV, it is well worth taping, since it is not easy to find on video.

Was the above comment useful to you?

3 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Fairly standard melodrama with a fine performance by Jane Greer., 23 July 2002
6/10
Author: dwiurx2 from Long Island

Lizabeth Scott is OK here, & I'm a big fan of hers, but I would have liked her better in the role of Diane (played by Greer). Scott is just too sugary sweet in her role as a Parole Officer Angel. On the other hand, I kept waiting for Greer's character to wake up & smell the coffee, but she really never did, & that's what makes this film a cut above similar soapers of this kind. Greer is excellent as a sneering, eye-rolling bad girl who just doesn't care about those trying to help her or society, & really doesn't even care about herself. I rate it 6/10. I would have rated it higher if not for Scott's too sweet character & the happy pat en

Was the above comment useful to you?

Jane Greer and Lizabeth Scott fight over a man, 5 February 2009
7/10
Author: blanche-2 from United States

Jane Greer and Lizabeth Scott star in 1951's "The Company She Keeps," directed by John Cromwell and also starring Dennis O'Keefe. O'Keefe is columnist Larry Collins involved with parole officer Joan Wilburn (Scott), who has Diane Stuart (Greer) as a client. Stuart makes a play for Collins and gets him. The two fall in love, and Joan finds out about it, making her position rather difficult.

This isn't a big movie and provides a different sort of role for Scott. Here she's a good girl with shorter hair, and she almost reminds one of June Allyson. She's quite beautiful and does a good job, though I prefer her as a '40s bad girl. O'Keefe is a serviceable leading man.

The film belongs to the fabulous Greer. In the beginning, at her parole hearing, she's shy, soft and sweet. Once she's out - whoa! The angry, bitter tough gal comes through, only showing her vulnerable side once she falls for Larry.

Worth seeing for Greer.

Was the above comment useful to you?

Add another comment

Related Links

Plot summary Ratings Plot keywords
Main details Your user comments Your vote history