Wicked as They Come

This priceless British copy of an American crime film comes to you courtesy of rising young director Ken Hughes with a tongue-in-cheek tone set from the outset by shots of fifties London accompanied by a noisy jazz score provided by Malcolm Arnold, with noirish photography by Basil Emmott.

Set in the days when travel by plane was considered the high of glamour, the presence of Sid James as Arlene Dahl's stepfather serves as a visual reminder of Miss Dahl's humble beginnings (early on she's seen wielding a broken bottle) before she rises in the world while wreaking havoc on all the men in the cast,

Wicked as they come is the suggestive title of this 1956 British drama, with Arlene Dahl as the protagonist. It is the story of a beautiful woman, who reveals symptoms of misandry from an early age, but ruthlessly uses men as means of social and financial advancement.

The film portrays this life path, with a refusal of emotional involvement, which accumulates enemies and seems destined for a tragic end.

It's an interesting, original, well-paced film, a little melodramatic for some people's tastes, but one that can be enjoyed until the end, as a result of the plot's ongoing developments.

With Philip Carey, Michael Goodliffe and veteran Herbert Marshall, among the actors who embody the suitors passed over by the Machiavellian Kathy.

This film almost gets to the finish line but for it's final minute. The end lacks a master touch but gets to that point with a creative plot. The Camera work is among the very best and drives the story almost flawlessly.

Following the success of All About Eve, there were many knock-offs to give other actresses their day in the sun. "I could have been Eve Harrington!" they all cry. If you want to see Arlene Dahl being "as wicked as they come," then check out the aptly titled drama.

Beautiful, and with a sensational figure, Arlene finds out early on that when men are attracted to her, they lose their good judgment. They'll do anything for her, and she learns to take advantage. Starting with her stepfather and his friends when she's young, Arlene gets a warped view of love and romantic relationships. They're nothing but a way for a woman to get ahead, she believes. And she wants to go straight to the top. Along the way, she steps on and over Herbert Marshall, Philip Carey, and a string of other foolish men.

The witty screenplay has lines that will make you chuckle even though the situation is tense. "How much do you love my husband?" Faith Brook asks Arlene, while extracting her checkbook from her purse. Poor Philip Carey falls in love with Arlene and thinks she could be different if she learns to love in return. When she repeatedly disappoints him, he quips, "You could try the want-ads. Wanted: rich husband, preferably someone else's." If you're an Arlene Dahl fan, don't miss this dramatic thriller. It's spicy and fun.

Kiddy warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, since there's a rape scene, I wouldn't let my kids watch this movie.

Arlene Dahl does a nice turn as a cold, manipulative woman, who will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Along the way she goes a bit off the deep end of the morality scale, and inflicts some unnecessary punishment on some over-optimistic suitors. The director, who was also the writer, Harris, does a pretty good job of story-telling and framing most of the scenes. The emotional battles we see raging on the screen are ones that many viewers will have experieinced at one time or another. This character could have been formulated, however, without the last-minute copout rationalization given by the story line. Despite thiis one convenient mechanism, the film still holds up pretty well as a solid soap.