''Born to Be Bad'' is a 1934 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorshi ...

drama film starring

Loretta Young Loretta Young (born Gretchen Young; January 6, 1913 – August 12, 2000) was an American actress. Starting as a child, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1953. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the fil ...

and

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one o ...

, and directed by Lowell Sherman. This film was rejected by the

Hays Office The Motion Picture Production Code was a set of industry guidelines for the self-censorship of content that was applied to most motion pictures released by major studios in the United States from 1934 to 1968. It is also popularly known as the ...

twice before it was finally approved.''Born to be Bad''
tcm.com; accessed August 9, 2015. Young's character, an unwed mother who entertains wholesale buyers to secure contracts for her friend, had to be re-written and re-filmed, so that her occupation is only hinted at. Zanuck had to cut as much as possible shots of Young in her underwear and of her legs exposed to the hips. The box-office return was poor, with a loss of $50,000.

Plot

An unwed mother named Letta Strong (

) was raised in a healthy family environment, but she became pregnant at the age of fifteen and ran away from home. Letta was eventually taken in by an elderly man named Fuzzy (

Henry Travers Travers John Heagerty (5 March 1874 – 18 October 1965), known professionally as Henry Travers, was an English film and stage character actor. His best known role was the guardian angel Clarence Odbody in the 1946 film ''It's a Wonderful Life' ...

). In due course, Strong gave birth to Mickey (

Jackie Kelk John Daly "Jackie" Kelk (August 6, 1923 – September 5, 2002) was an American stage, radio, film, and television actor and stand-up comedian. He is best known for portraying the role of Homer Brown on the radio series '' The Aldrich Family'' ...

) in the back room of Fuzzy's bookstore. Surviving life as a grifter, Letta taught her son Mickey to be streetwise, so that he would not be mistreated like she was. All the while, Fuzzy strongly disapproves of how Letty is raising her son. At age seven, Mickey decides to skip school and wander aimlessly around town. Meanwhile, Letty earns a living by entertaining buyers in order to prop up her friend Steve Karns (

Russell Hopton Harry Russell Hopton (February 18, 1900 – April 7, 1945) was an American film actor and director. Biography Hopton was born in New York City, New York. He appeared in 110 films between 1926 and 1945, often playing streetwise characters f ...

). One day a milk truck driven by Malcolm "Mal" Trevor (

) hits Mickey as he is roller-skating in the street. When Letty's acquired lawyer, Adolphe (Harry Green), learns that Mal is the wealthy president of Amalgamated Dairies, he talks Letty into seizing an emerging opportunity in the form of money. Both Adolphe and Letty convince Mickey to lie about the extent of his injuries. However, during the trial, Mal's attorney (

Paul Harvey Paul Harvey Aurandt (September 4, 1918 – February 28, 2009) was an American radio broadcaster for ABC News Radio. He broadcast ''News and Comment'' on mornings and mid-days on weekdays and at noon on Saturdays and also his famous ''The Rest o ...

) produces films showing a fully recovered Mickey. The irate judge has Mickey taken from Letty and put in an institution for boys. Mal and his wife Alyce (

Marion Burns Marion Burns (August 9, 1907 – December 22, 1993) was an American film actress of the 1930s. She is best known for having starred opposite John Wayne in the 1935 film ''The Dawn Rider'' and opposite him again that same year in '' Paradis ...

) have no children. Mal offered to adopt Mickey and with Letty's approval. She was able to visit with her son frequently. Mickey thrived on Mal's country estate, as he was in a loving environment. Mickey enjoyed having a stable home, of which consisted of a doting father and mother. Letty is not satisfied with this arrangement and she wants her son back. At Adolphe suggestion, Letty seduces Mal into falling in love with her, while recording the whole scheme. Since her objective is the return of her son Mickey, Letty has no love for Mal, but he falls for her and they spend the night together. However, the next morning Mal informs a surprised Letty that he has already told his wife about their affair. Alyce is willing to sacrifice herself for Mal's happiness. Letty comes to realization of her true feelings for Mal, and breaks off the relationship, all the while pretending to have only been toying with him. She returns to Fuzzy and asks for her old job back at the bookstore.

Cast

as Letty Strong *

as Malcolm "Mal" Trevor *

as Mickey Strong *

as Alyce Trevor *

as Fuzzy *

as Attorney Brian *

as Steve Karns *

Etienne Girardot Etienne Girardot (22 February 1856 – 10 November 1939) was a diminutive stage and film actor of Anglo-French parentage born in London, England. Biography The son of French painter Ernest Gustave Girardot, he studied at an art school, but le ...

as J. K. Brown - Claim Adjustor *

Geneva Mitchell Geneva Doris Mitchell (February 3, 1908 – March 10, 1949) was an American actress. After beginning her entertainment career as a chorus girl at the age of twelve, she became more well known for her roles in several Hollywood films. Earl ...

as Miss Crawford - Malcolm's Secretary *

Guy Usher James Guy Usher (May 9, 1883 – June 16, 1944) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 190 films between 1932 and 1943. Born in Mason City, Iowa, Usher acted on stage before venturing into films. Billed as James Guy Usher, h ...

as Judge McAffee * Charles Coleman as Trevor's Butler *

Wade Boteler Wade Boteler (October 3, 1888 – May 7, 1943) was an American film actor and writer. He appeared in more than 430 films between 1919 and 1943. Biography He was born in Santa Ana, California, and died in Hollywood, California, from a heart ...

as Guard at Trevor Estate * Harry Green as Adolphe - Letty's Lawyer

Reception

Kingsley Grace, a reviewer from the

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

wrote "this film is a lapse of taste and hardly expected" and noted that the "affair" between Letty and Mal was underdone Another film critic, Mae Tinee, who worked at the

Chicago Daily Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television are ...

remarked on how the persona Letty taught her son to break laws. Born to be Bad was defined as a picture that inspired the anti smut campaign. Tinee stated that "this film is thoroughly reprehensible and should have never been made into a feature film."

References

# Tinee, Mae (30 June 1934).

External links

* * * * {{Darryl F. Zanuck 1934 films American black-and-white films Films scored by Alfred Newman Films directed by Lowell Sherman 1934 romantic drama films American romantic drama films Films produced by Darryl F. Zanuck Twentieth Century Pictures films United Artists films 1930s American films