disgusting, overrated, pointless

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

Already a major star for nearly 25 years as the 1950's rolled in, a maturing Joan Crawford was more handsome than beautiful, which isn't bad for a movie star if she's not afraid of becoming a camp icon. Crawford gets some great monologues and a fairly decent story, but the script and direction are not at their best in this rising from the gutter mob moll Cinderella story. The film opens up with the discovery of a corpse and the search for a socialite (Crawford) mixed up with him. The wealthy society widow, having no tax returns filed with the IRS, turns up in a factory town, banging on the door of an elderly couple who turn out to be her estranged parents. From here, the film flashes back to her life there, an unhappy marriage to factory worker Richard Egan, the sudden shocking end of that marriage thanks to the final straw breaking, and her entrance into big city society through modeling, through political connections and through mob boss David Brian who has his finger in every political pie. Biting off more than she can chew, she refuses to get out, and an intelligence you don't get in a factory town makes her a rare female entry in a man's world, and one that could destroy her life...or worse.Nineteen years before this, the young and beautiful Joan Crawford escaped from a factory town in the MGM pre-code drama "Possessed" and became a politician's mistress under the respectability of being a young widow. That film had the benefit of Crawford's youth and earthiness, a young Clark Gable, the solid direction of Clarence Brown, but most importantly, the MGM gloss. This has the benefit of Crawford's toughness (mixed with hidden vulnerability), an interesting film noir set-up and a fairly glossy atmosphere. It's obvious that even as stunning as Crawford still is, she wouldn't have it as easy as her character of Ethel/Lorna has it here, and that she'd become so tough in only a short period of time. Steve Cochran as a nasty thug who aggressively pulls Crawford into his web and Selena Royle as a society matron with shady contacts are decent in supporting roles. It's an amusing melodrama that Crawford makes more tolerable, but also an example of why she faced decline as the 1950's marched on. Vincent Sherman directs with the determination to make this rise above what it is, but that's simply just an impossible task.

...So announces Joan Crawford, as Ethel Whitehead, or is it Lorna Forbes? to gentleman no 1, who then dies mysteriously in a car accident. Her new suitor, played by David Brian is head of a racket involving gambling, vice and narcotics and who's fortune is in oil. Then, she gets involved in a conspiracy to eliminate him....Will Steve Cochran, as Nick Prenta become gentleman No.3?This greatly-titled melodrama's story falls a little short of that dramatic title, though. The often cliché-ridden rags-to-riches theme is a Hollywood stalwart that can get predictable, unless there's a knockout performance or other redeeming feature.Joan Crawford IS that redeeming feature. She's the woman on the way to the top, though the top of what is the question. Utilising her sexuality she uses men who are easily swayed, men who are on the shady side of virtuous. These men are portrayed as humourless puppy dogs that moodily and meanly leave their lines in Ms Crawford's lap. Only she gets to smile, laugh, cry and dominate the picture. Meanwhile director Vincent Sherman does a steady job with both cast and camera.For lovers of Joan Crawford, this is an absolute must. For the rest of us, it's not as good as her best - Mildred Pierce and Grand Hotel; not by quite a margin. Hence my 7 instead of 8 or even 9/10. I watched the DVD as part of the 5 disc Joan Crawford Collection. Other films included in that are: Mildred Pierce, Possessed, Humoresque and Grand Hotel.

"The Damned Don't Cry" released in 1950, stars Joan Crawford in the type of film she was famous for throughout much of her 'second' career at Warner Brothers. Crawford plays Ethel Whitehead, a working-class mother married to a loser. She stays with him because of their son; the son is then tragically killed, and Ethel leaves her dumbell husband and her parents behind. Ethel get hired as a "model," one who is also expected to entertain the male clientele. There she meets a dull but honest accountant, Martin (Kent Smith). He loves her and wants to marry her, but Ethel has her eyes on a new man, a handsome -- and dangerous --wealthy hotshot named George (David Brian). He introduces her to a world of riches beyond her wildest dreams, but at a price. The film gets involved and complicated, with George wanting Ethel (who has now changed her name to Lorna!) to seduce his rival, Nick, (Steve Cochran) to gain access to all his connections and secrets. The film has some implausible situations, to say the least. Crawford, at age 45, was a tad bit too old for the role, although she looks great. The character of slimeball Nick (Cochran) has wealth built on ruthlessness. He is obviously a good 12 - 15 years younger than Crawford, and his immediately falling for her seems a stretch, considering he could likely have any woman he wanted. Nevertheless, this is Crawford's show, and she does not disappoint, although the script is somewhat routine of movies of that era. The supporting players are fine in their respective roles. David Brian and Steve Cochran play their roles with all the appropriate sleaze required of them. Kent Smith, playing a milquetoast, turns out to be the real deal: his love for Ethel, in the end, does not waiver.

Very good performance by the cast especially Joan Crawford. There are times we care little about a film because we care little about the main characters. In this film the characters are not likable but there is recognition that the disdain we feel for them is part of the point. These are people who are part of a shady and dark underworld, prone to betrayal and violence. After tragically losing her young son to a bike accident, Crawford's character abandons not only her husband but also her parents. She quickly descends into the aforementioned underworld with reckless aspirations which eventually paints her into a corner. This is a movie with a moral message. This is a movie which unlike so many movies in today's world does not glamorize crime and make heroes out of thugs but instead shows us that there are consequences for the decisions we make, and that the consequences not only affect ourselves but also loved ones and others around us. If you love old classics you will enjoy this film especially if you are a Crawford fan. The DVD I watched has a commentary track by the director who irritatingly told us more about what was happening in the film than inside information and behind the scenes happenings.