Slightly Scarlet

...with John Payne as an ambitious wheeler dealer working within a crime organization who manages to work his way to the top, while at the same time helping an honest politician running for mayor win that office. He then looks for favors.

Alan Dwan directed and John Alton photographed this production which some have labeled a Technicolor film noir. The cast is a good one. Aside from Payne, the film features Ted De Corsia as the head of the crime organization, Kent Taylor as the newly elected mayor and, in a stunning treat for the eyes, the only screen pairing of two of the most celebrated redheads of '50s films, Rhonda Fleming and Arlene Dahl.

Fleming is the secretary of the future mayor, living in a spacious home about half the size of an average castle and with a maid, to boot (some secretary!), and Dahl plays her sister, just released from prison, with a predilection towards kleptomania and men. Dahl's character is the more interesting of the two and the actress is effective in her role, bringing a flirtatious kittenish irresponsibility to many of her scenes. As the film progresses it becomes apparent that she suffers from a few mental health issues, as well.

But Rhonda - in tight shorts and a torpedo bra - competes with Dahl in her own special way, and I don't mean shorthand skills. Payne, perhaps a little overshadowed by the screen activity of the two lovely redheads, is still a credible tough guy, the film predictably leading up to his final confrontation with De Corsia and his mob.

Aside from the noteworthy contributions of Dahl and Fleming, Slightly Scarlet, based upon a novel by James M. Cain, may draw a bit of a surprise for some by the ambiguity of its ending.

James M. Cain's first Hollywood fusillade went off in the mid-1940s, with Double Indemnity, Mildred Pierce and The Postman Always Rings Twice, all adapted from his books, helping to set the tone and the parameters for the noir cycle just getting up steam. In the mid-50s, he had a second wind, with Serenade and, from Love's Lovely Counterfeit, Allen Dwan's Slightly Scarlet. While not one of Cain's better works or one of the better movies made from them, it has its ample fascinations. Legendary noir director of photography John Alton works in color here, and startlingly enlivens his customary dark trapezoids with bursts of lime green, flame orange and orchid. (The rare films noirs done in color seem even more decadent: see Leave Her to Heaven and Desert Fury). John Payne reprises his solid, sullen self as a fence-straddling minor mobster who sees his chance to take control of the machine in a mid-sized midwestern city. His twin carrot-topped temptations are sisters Rhonda Fleming, as the mayor's gal Friday, and Arlene Dahl, who has just been released from prison -- she's a loony, man-devouring klepto (and Dahl does her proud. There's even a scene when Fleming finds the message "Goodbye Sister" scrawled in lipstick on her bedroom mirror). Too bad there was a lot of (unnecessary) rewriting of Cain's story; the ending is sourly ambiguous. But this is late noir in garish overdrive, and movies aren't much more fun than that.

I am a trained psychotherapist, so when I watched "Slightly Scarlet", I saw things some others might not see. I mention this because one of the main characters, Dorothy (Arlene Dahl), is a psychological mess. She's a compulsive thief and a girl who craves excitement...all in the worst way. Today, she'd almost certainly be diagnosed with a Borderline Personality...meaning she possesses many qualities of a variety of personality disorders. Antisocial behavior, addictive behaviors and highly volatile mood swings...these are typical of such an individual...and Dorothy is very clearly dealing with these issues.

The film begins with Dorothy being released, yet again, from prison for shoplifting. Her enabling sister, June (Rhonda Fleming), tries her best to help Dorothy but it's clear Dorothy doesn't want saving....she's hell-bent on self destruction, good times and chasing men. Sadly, June is an idiot when it comes to Dorothy and she makes excuses for her wayward sister...and in many ways she enables and encourages Dorothy's actions. How far will all this go? And, how long will June put up with her sister's horrible behaviors? And, how long does Ben (John Payne) fit into all this?

This is a very exciting film that you'll either love or hate. Dorothy's behaviors and June's reactions to them can feel very frustrating....and I could see viewers hating BOTH sisters. But, if you can look past this, the film is fun to watch and worth your time. In some ways, it's like film noir...but the color cinematography make it hard to call it noir. Still, I enjoyed it despite its shortcomings.

Any story by James M. Cain should automatically command one's attention. Though probably not as famous as his other stories, this one manages to hold the viewer's interest. A curious thing to me is that, once again, the male lead is playing a far from sympathetic character (Ben). John Payne does a good good job, though sometimes it is not easy to figure out what Ben is up to or why. The success of the film rests upon the performance of the two female leads, Rhonda Fleiming and Arlene Dahl, especially the latter, whose acting was way beyond what I expected and almost carries the film, the ending of which might be a bit surprising. A tad slow in spots, 'Slightly Scarlet' nevertheless is a pretty entertaining film.

This movie showed Rhonda Fleming in a subdued part as a secretary to a town politico. She's one of my favorite actresses from the 50's, and was one of the most beautiful ever to grace the screen. John Payne was lucky enough to have a couple romantic scenes with her.

Back in the 50's, kissing scenes were far more romantic and tantalizing than today. Wish I could have bottled Rhonda Fleming!