NICHOLAS RAY

Bil’s rating (out of 5):  BBB

USA, 1950.  RKO Radio Pictures.  Screenplay by Edith R. Sommer, additional dialogue by Robert Soderberg, George Oppenheimer, adaptation by Charles Schnee, based on the novel All Kneeling by Anne Parrish.  Cinematography by Nicholas Musuraca.  Produced by Robert Sparks.  Music by Friedrich Hollaender.  Production Design by Albert S. D’Agostino, Jack Okey.  Costume Design by Hattie Carnegie, Michael Woulfe.  Film Editing by Frederic Knudtson.

Joan Fontaine has a great time in this smaller version of All About Eve. She plays a social-climber who moves from her aunt’s home to the big city of New York to begin work for her uncle as his editing assistant at his publishing firm.

The woman who currently holds the job (Joan Leslie) is about to marry a millionaire (Zachary Scott) and won’t be holding the position much longer; as soon as Fontaine gets it into her head to snag Scott, however, Leslie will find herself without a fiancé as well.

Fontaine isn’t all ambition, however, and her plans are almost foiled when sexy Robert Ryan comes along and makes her blood boil. Nicholas Ray’s steamy social drama is a bit cheesy at times, but it’s also very enjoyable and juicy, with a full-throttle performance by its lovely lead.