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.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.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.
- Awards
- 1 win
- Woman in Casino
- (uncredited)
- Mr. Fredericks - Syndicate Boss
- (uncredited)
- Castleman's Assistant
- (uncredited)
- Mrs. Sullivan
- (uncredited)
- Rewrite Man
- (uncredited)
- Castleman's Secretary
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaLoosely based upon the life of sharp-tongued moll Virginia Hill and her secretive relationship with gangster Bugsy Siegel.
- 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 give you a lift. You've got to do it yourself, cuz nobody cares about us except ourselves.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Movie Star (2002)
Watch her climb up the ladder from cheap model to gambler's moll to phony socialite, chewing up men the whole way. So what if she puts one foot into organized crime in the process. Men do it all the time. No doubt about it, she's a female shark who knows what she wants and gets it. But we sympathize anyway knowing what her past has been like. Yes indeed, this is a Crawford role, in spades.
Okay, so maybe dear Joan is a ripe 45, a time when most female stars have drifted into wife and motherhood roles. But she's still got fire in those big liquid eyes, and besides, at her age, she knows the tricks in how to seduce a man. I like the way the screenplay toys with that touchy angle.
Then too, it's quite a collection of male stars she works her way through—a smooth David Bryan, a sexy Steve Cochran, a dour Richard Egan. But I especially like the bland Kent Smith whose colorless personality perfectly suits a bookkeeper's role. You might even say that in the end he scores an odd moral victory over the more dashing types.
Anyway it's Crawford at the height of her golden period, 1945-1955, when she, almost single-handedly, flew the colors of middle-aged women everywhere. It's also golden age Hollywood, when lush studio hokum is hitting on all eight cylinders.
- dougdoepke
- Jul 23, 2012
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Details
Box office
- Budget
- $1,233,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 43 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1