Movies - Born to Kill

Home > Listing Index > Movies > Born to Kill (1947 film)

	Movies - Born to Kill

Born to Kill, a 1947 black and white film, was the first film noir directed by Robert Wise, who later directed The Set-Up
(1949), The Captive City
(1952), and Odds Against Tomorrow
(1959).

The film's working title was Deadlier than the Male (from the pulp novel by James Gunn). Director Wise was disappointed that RKO changed the name of the film from Deadlier than the Male, which he felt helped described the film better, but which the studio thought gave away too much. This was Tierney's first "A" picture, but because of his dangerous and volatile reputation, he never made another big film as a movie lead.

The scenes in San Francisco prominently feature the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. This bridge is used more often in film noir than the more famous Golden Gate Bridge, because it's easier to shoot with the city in the background.

Plot

Helen Brent (Claire Trevor) has just received a Reno divorce. That night, she discovers one of her neighbors, Laury Palmer, and a gentleman caller murdered in their home. The killer is her neighbor's other boyfriend, Sam Wilde (Lawrence Tierney), an insanely jealous man who won't abide anyone "cutting in" on him. Helen discovers the bodies, but says nothing to the police; she's leaving town and doesn't want to be impeded. She meets Sam on the train, and she is instantly attracted to his self-confidence and brutality, but she is engaged to marry a wealthy boyfriend. Helen's foster sister (Audrey Long) is also rich, and Sam soon shifts his attentions to her, marrying her for her money after a whirlwind romance. Neither Helen's engagement nor Sam's marriage is an impediment to their beginning an affair.

Meanwhile, back in Reno, the owner of the boarding house where Helen lived has hired a mercenary, verse-quoting detective, played by Walter Slezak, to find out who killed Laury. The detective follows Sam's friend, Marty (Elisha Cook Jr.), to San Francisco, and soon begins to make blackmailing overtures to Helen. Marty finds out who hired the detective and attempts to kill her, but Sam thinks he's trying to cut in on his action and kills him. Helen's rich boyfriend begins to see through her shell and breaks it off. Sam and Helen face off in a fatal confrontation as their schemes begin unraveling.

Influence

In the commentary for the 2005 DVD release of Born to Kill, film noir historian Eddie Muller suggests that the character of Laury Palmer--a party girl who spends most of the movie as a murder victim--may have been an inspiration for Laura Palmer in David Lynch's TV series Twin Peaks.

Quotes

"As you grow older, you'll discover that life is very much like coffee - the aroma is always better than the actuality." --Albert Arnett (Slezak)

"You can't just go around killing people when the notion strikes you. It's just not feasible." --Marty Waterman (Cook)

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Born to Kill (1947 film) ]

This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article Born to Kill (1947 film); it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.

Searches on eBay