Bad To The Bone-Loretta Young’s Born To Be Bad

DVD Review

From The Pen Of Frank Jackman

 

Born To Be Bad, starring Loretta Young, Cary Grant, 1934

 

Loose women, you know, tramps, have never had an even break in the cinema as the film under review, Born To Be Bad, once again demonstrates. And that is rather a shame since as an old reprobate corner boy who got mixed up in his fair share of trouble just for having grown up on the wrong side of the tracks and had been dragged into “the life” of the simple reason that it looked interesting, more interesting than whatever was being prescribed for the poor working people in the old neighborhood, including my parents, can sympathizes with a girl who has to do what a girl has to do.

So yes, I could sympathize with Letty (played by a too beautiful Loretta Young) as she does what a gal has to do to keep a roof over her head. Oh yeah, and here is the twist line on this one, and keep a roof over her very young son’s head. See Letty was attracted by the bright lights early, got caught up with something, someone who promised her the moon and then left her high and dry. Not a very good fate now, but probably worse back in the time of this film in the 1930s.     

The way this familiar story goes is that once Letty had crossed the line (had a child out of wedlock) she was damaged goods, she was any man’s woman. And she played that part to a tee she since she still had some dreams of turning her good looks and world-weary and wise ways into a pot of gold. And she got a chance, a fortuitous chance when her son Mickey, at seven going on eight already heading on the wrong road, got hit by a truck. Got hit by a truck owned by rich and prosperous Mal (played by Cary Grant). So she does what any self-respecting corner cutter would do, hires a lawyer to milk the situation for what it is worth. No go though since guys like Mal do not become rich and prosperous by being conned by little tramps. Mickey’s so-called injuries were exposed as a hoax in court by Mal’s high priced legal team. Worse, the judge tried to move might and main to have Mickey taken from her and had him placed in an institution. While Letty might have been less than the ideal mother she did really in her own way love her son and so she maneuvered her way into having childless Mal and his wife take the boy in. But that was only for starters since her real plan was to seduce Mal and use that evidence to blackmail him into giving up Mickey. But if you were paying attention you know that Mal did not get where he was by playing the fool, well fully playing the fool. Sure he fell for Letty, fell hard, but two things got in the way. Mickey liked his new set-up and Mal really wanted to set up a life with her. In the end though she gave him the air, and after some anguish left Mickey in place too. Like I said Hollywood has been tough on loose women, you know, little tramps.