The Damned Don't Cry (1950)

The Damned Don't Cry has the perfect film noir opening scene: A black sedan drives on an empty desert road and takes an abrupt turn off the beaten path. It slows to a halt. Two men get out, take a body from the back seat, and toss it down a sand dune, where it rolls to the bottom of the camera's frame.

What follows is a combination of film noir and melodrama, starring Joan Crawford. In flashback, we see Crawford as Ethel Whitehead, a poor woman, still living at home, married to an abusive man who is too cheap to buy their six year old a bike. After the son dies, she leaves in search of the life she deserves.

Once in New York, Ethel quickly transforms herself from neophyte to a player with spunk. She meets a straight-arrow accountant, and quickly sees that his skills with money are a path to success. She introduces her new friend to the owner of a restaurant and backroom gambling joint, and before long, Martin (Kent Smith) is hired by kingpin George Castleman (David Brian) to run the books for the whole operation. Martin takes the job to please Ethel, but it's a no-win situation.

Rather than a happy, Leave it to Beaver, 1950s wallflower, Crawford plays a powerful woman who has no trouble standing up for herself. However, it's still a man's world, so she can only hope to satisfy her ambition through the men around her. From Martin the accountant to George the married kingpin to Nick (Steve Cochran) the man who is set to take over the operation, Ethel, now transformed into socialite Lorna Hansen Forbes, climbs the ladder by attaching herself to ever more powerful - and dangerous - men.

Crawford is a bit old to play the part, but is effective with each of her three conquests. Martin is timid with women, and is easily taken by her affections. George has no interest in her, until she matches his power and brains. Nick wants her for her (recently manufactured) status among the elite.

Before long, the film returns to its pure noir roots. Intrigue and romance are replaced with threats, fights and gunfire.

If you don't mind the leading role being played by the femme fatale, like strong female characters, and enjoy a movie that combines its romance with manipulation, this is your kind of film noir. It's seen from the dark side, rather than from the eyes of a detective, so it's more than a little provocative for its time.

I give The Damned Don't Cry eight of ten stars. It was only released on DVD recently, so it's a bit of a sleeper. It never got the chance to build the reputation it deserves.