Dangerous

Dangerous is a passable melodrama that coasts along on the strength of its two leads, Bette Davis, who won her first Oscar for her performance, and Franchot Tone.

Davis shines early, as a once great actress now an alcoholic after a series of failures lead to her being labeled a jinx. She plays it well, avoiding the temptation to over do it while imparting a believable degree of desperation and self-pity. Her seduction of Tone is equally well played, though her recovery and re-emergence as an actress is somewhat abrupt, lacking the bitterness or uncertainty that would likely linger after being cast to the gutter for so long.

Opposite her, Tone is good as a promising architect blinded by his ideal of Davis’ character. It’s a tricky role, as the guy essentially leaves his pleasant (if badly dressed) fiancée for a somewhat tarnished starlet, but Tone wins over the audience early and delivers a believable, and relatable, performance.

Ultimately, it’s the script that disappoints. After getting Davis and Tone together, it seems to run out of steam, introducing a forgettable new character in the form of Davis’ estranged husband and delivering a far too pat ending that’s utterly unsatisfying. Granted it does feature a rather unexpected car accident, but that’s about it.