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Actors: Claire Trevor, Lawrence Tierney, Walter Slezak, Audrey Long, Elisha Cook Jr., Esther Howard
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Born to Kill |
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BORN TO KILL is a movie directed by Robert Wise in 1947.
Helen Brent, a freshly divorced woman, comes back to her lodging house in Reno one night, only to find her neighbor Laury Palmer and one of her boy-friends lying on the floor, dead. Without notifying the police, Helen takes the first train to San Francisco in order to join up with her fiancé, the industrialist Fred Grover, and with her half-sister Georgia Staples, the heiress of an important press empire.
Laury Palmer has been murdered by Sam Wilde, a psychopathic guy, prone to violent outbursts of anger when he thinks that one is making fun of him. So he killed Laury Palmer simply because he couldn't bear to see her flirting with another guy. Sam Wilde and Helen Brent meet then in the train to San Francisco and both immediately fall in love with each other. Helen is violently attracted by this man and his way to look at life.
In San Francisco, Sam Wilde understands quickly that Helen won't give up her wealthy fiancé for him so he decides to seduce Georgia Staples in order to join the high society of the city. When the newly weds come back from their honeymoon, things get complicated as Georgia refuses to grant Sam's desire to become the new manager of the newspaper she owns. Furthermore, a private detective has just arrived from Reno and starts to ask embarrassing questions about Sam. Finally, Helen doesn't know anymore what to do as she's still attracted by Sam even though she knows now for sure that he's a cold-blooded killer.
--Daniel Staebler, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of Born to Kill |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about
books by breaking them down into many different literary
elements, all of which are searchable (click here). |
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 1930's-1950's
Romance/Love/Hugging
Yes
Kind of romance:
- romancing for business purpose
Crime & Scandal
Yes
Story of
- stalker with romantic feelings for victim
Lover is...
- criminal/bad doer
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- criminal
Age:
- 40's-50's
Eccentric:
Yes
- mentally ill
Hair type
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- (man) muscular
Events of movie makes character more...
- irritated
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor?
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- very athletic
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Hair style
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn wavey
Body type
- (woman) ample bosom & buttocks
How much in movie?
- 90%-100%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- private investigator
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 40%
Hair type
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- (man) fat
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- West
- California
City?
Yes
City:
- San Francisco
Misc setting
- fancy mansion
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
Movie makes you feel...
- in awe
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- kissing
Check here if B&W
Yes
Any profanity?
- None
If soundtrack VERY NOTICEABLE...
- Orchestra/classical
Is this movie based on a
- book
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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