Drama

Wicked as They Come

- What she wanted out of life... she got out of men!

A ruthless woman takes advantage of gullible men to climb up the social ladder.

Release Date : 1956-05-22

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Columbia Pictures

Production Country : United Kingdom

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Kathleen 'Kathy' Allen, nee Alanborg

Original Name : Arlene Dahl

Gender : Female

Character Name : Tim O'Bannion

Original Name : Philip Carey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Stephen Collins

Original Name : Herbert Marshall

Gender : Male

Character Name : Larry Buckham

Original Name : Michael Goodliffe

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sam Lewis

Original Name : David Kossoff

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mike Lewis

Original Name : Marvin Kane

Gender : Male

Character Name : Frank Allenborg

Original Name : Sid James

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chuck (as Gilbert Winfield)

Original Name : Gil Winfield

Gender : Male

Character Name : Willie

Original Name : Patrick Allen

Gender : Male

Character Name : John Dowling

Original Name : Ralph Truman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Virginia Collins

Original Name : Faith Brook

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mr. Reisner

Original Name : Frederick Valk

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Page, Chief Accountant

Original Name : John Salew

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chuck

Original Name : Gil Winfield

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miss Russell

Original Name : Totti Truman Taylor

Gender : Female

Character Name : T.V. Announcer

Original Name : Larry Cross

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hotel Receptionist

Original Name : Paul Sheridan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Business Man on Plane

Original Name : Tom Gill

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hotel Porter

Original Name : Frank Atkinson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Connor

Original Name : Alastair Hunter

Gender : Male

Character Name : Inspector Caron

Original Name : Jacques Brunius

Gender : Male

Character Name : Guest pushing past chair

Original Name : Anthony Sharp

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dowling's Chauffeur

Original Name : Guy De Monceau

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dowling's Butler

Original Name : Raf De La Torre

Gender : Male

Character Name : Wedding Dress Fitter

Original Name : Selma Vaz Dias

Gender : Female

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Portrait in Smoke. Wicked as They Come is directed by Ken Hughes who also co-writes the screenplay with Sigmund Miller and Robert Westerby. It stars Arlene Dahl, Philip Carey, Herbert Marshall, Michael Goodlife and Ralph Truman. Music is by Malcolm Arnold and cinematography by Basil Emmott. Adapted from the Bill S. Ballinger novel, story has Dahl as a poor but beautiful girl who realises that her sexuality will get her all the finer things in life - at whatever cost. Efficient little British Noirer that makes up for a lack of originality with some strong psychological smarts. We are all guilty of it, film fans and critics that is, in how we often compare a film recently viewed with something of a similar ilk that is far better. One such case is Wicked as They Come, a piece coming late in the original film noir cycle that sticks a major league femme fatale out there front and centre. Dahl's Kathy Allen (nee Allenbourg) is hot to trot, a viper of the highest order, her beauty and sexuality is stunning, thus men line up to eat out of her hands. Where once was sane and astute business men, now sit lap dogs soon ready to fall into the vipers nest. If that sounds familiar then of course it is, even from the pre code days there were film makers exploring the sex as a weapon angle, toying with bad girl persona's as a course of cinematic titillation. Ken Hughes knows his draw card is Dahl, who even in black and white is heart achingly gorgeous, a smouldering vixen to literally die for. The story trajectory is nothing new, Kathy tramples on every man she can to feather her own nest, but sooner or later things have to come to a head, where the reason for the distorted psyche will out and the crossroads of life ominously appears at film's closure. Better films out there that deal with the same themes? Yes, absolutely. That doesn't mean this should be readily dismissed as a viable option to those with an interest in such femme fatale dalliances. Dahl is super, her male co-stars equally so, and Hughes steers it safely to a perfectly ambiguous finale. Welcome to noirville, men enter at your own risk. 7/10