Slightly Scarlet

A real curio, this is a most likable technicolor, late noir. Well almost. Based upon one of James M Cain's lesser works, this is unsurprisingly more a mixture of noir and melodrama. From the opening scenes the lush and brilliant colours of John Alton's cinematography, dazzle. The scenes in the baddies' lair are darker and there are some of the familiar dark shadows we rather expect to see in a noir but overall this is a full on shiny bright full colour extravaganza with noir elements. Arlene Dahl plays the kleptomaniac nymphomaniac and plays the part with some style and much overdrive. Difficulties with the censors at the time ensure there is nothing too explicit but nothing can stop young Arlene playing this to the hilt and her scene, legs akimbo on the settee as she attempts to seduce a hood she's never met has to be seen to be believed. Not really a gangster movie or a noir or a romance but something of all these and well worth catching and much easier to enjoy than classify.

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.