Born To Be Bad (1950)

Set in San Francisco, a scheming young woman (Joan Fontaine) gives the appearance of an angel while plotting to break up the impending nuptials of her room mate (Joan Leslie) to a wealthy man (Zachary Scott) in order to get the millionaire for herself. A couple of months before ALL ABOUT EVE made its debut, Fontaine's Christabel Caine gives the notorious schemer Eve Harrington a run for her money. It lacks the stylish wit and dialogue of EVE though Robert Ryan as a rugged novelist does have one great line, he tells Fontaine "I love you so much that I wish I liked you". But it's not very inventive. It's just a matter of watching Fontaine ruin lives until she gets her comeuppance but it's tawdry fun watching Fontaine, normally the fragile and demure heroine of films like REBECCA and LETTER FROM AN UNKNOWN WOMAN, taking a stab as a femme fatale. Directed without much enthusiasm by Nicholas Ray from the novel ALL KNEELING by Anne Parrish. With Mel Ferrer and Kathleen Howard.