The Damned Don't Cry (1950)

A New York socialite climbs the ladder of success man by man until a life among rich gangsters gives her what she thought she always wanted.

Director:

Vincent Sherman

Writers:

Harold Medford (screenplay), Jerome Weidman (screenplay),

Stars:

Joan Crawford, David Brian, Steve Cochran

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Joan Crawford	...	Ethel Whitehead / Loran Hansen Forbes
David Brian	...	George Castleman / Joe Caveny
Steve Cochran	...	Nick Prenta
Kent Smith	...	Martin Blankford
Hugh Sanders	...	Grady
Selena Royle	...	Patricia Longworth
Jacqueline deWit	...	Sandra
Morris Ankrum	...	Jim Whitehead
Edith Evanson	...	Mrs. Castleman
Richard Egan	...	Roy Whitehead

Storyline

The murder of gangster Nick Prenta touches off an investigation of mysterious socialite Lorna Hansen Forbes, who seems to have no past, and has now disappeared. In flashback, we see the woman's anonymous roots; her poor working-class marriage, which ends in tragedy and her determination to find "better things." Soon finding that sex appeal is her only salable commodity, she climbs from man to man toward the center of a nationwide crime syndicate...a very perilous position.

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Plot Keywords:

gangster | socialite | flashback | murder | secret past | 

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Taglines:

She's the Private Lady of a Public Enemy!

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Genres:

Drama | Film-Noir | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 May 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

Im Solde des Satans

Filming Locations:

Palm Springs, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,233,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title comes from Eugene O'Neill's "Mourning becomes Electra", in which a brother tells his sister: "Don't cry... the damned don't cry."

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Quotes

Ethel Whitehead: Don't talk to me about self-respect. That's something you tell yourself you got when you got nothing else. What kind of self-respect is there living on aspirin tablets and chicken salad sandwiches?
[beat]
Ethel Whitehead: Look Marty, the only thing that counts is that stuff you take to the bank, that filthy buck that everybody sneers at, but slugs to get.
[beat]
Ethel Whitehead: I know how you feel. You're a nice guy. But the world isn't for nice guys. You've got to kick and punch and belt your way up because nobody's going to ...

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Connections

Featured in The Damned Don't Cry: The Crawford Formula - Real and Reel (2005)

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Soundtracks

"Make Love with a Guitar"
(uncredited)
Music by María Grever
Played by the band at Grady's

User Reviews

Crackerjack Film Noir - Crawford at her best!

I have to say that this is one of my very favorite films. A truly entertaining movie. Briefly, Joan Crawford plays a good woman who's world is turned upside down by a tragic event. She decides to climb her way out of poverty by using everyone she comes in contact with and falling in with a lot of shady characters. She makes her way to a life of glamour and wealth, only to see it all fall apart when her bad karma comes back to haunt her. For all the Joan Crawford jokes - this is actually quite a good movie. The dialogue is crackling and all the actors are very good. Joan does not go over the top and gives a convincing portrayal of a woman who has lost her moral compass - but then regains it in the end. There are of course some melodramatic moments, but not too many. The production values are top notch - lots of location shooting - mainly in Palm Springs, to really get you into the setting of the film.

I would classify this film as a film noir - it starts out as who-done-it and features noir stalwart Steve Cochran. If you are looking for an entertaining flick - you can't go wrong with this one!