Review of The Damned Don't Cry

This is no mere Joan Crawford vehicle. It's a riveting tale of a woman's ambitious climb up a ladder she doesn't understand soon enough. Leaving her oil-town home and husband, Ethel (Crawford) eventually goes from low-rent fashion model (with implied duties as prostitute) to girlfriend of a meek accountant, pushing him onto a powerful mob boss as business manager. From there things go into high gear and the drama never lets up. Crawford's at her best, with great support from Kent Smith, excellent David Brian and super-charged Steve Cochran. We also see Selena Royle and Jacqueline DeWit (later the monstrous wife in the classic Twilight Zone, "Time Enough at Last"), as a model cohort. The title appears to be derived from an O'Neill play and it's very apt here. Surprisingly violent and expertly directed, this is a top-notch Film Noir that deserves more recognition.