1950·Drama·1h 34m
7.0
★
Christabel Caine has the face of angel and the heart of a swamp rat. She'll step on anyone to get what she wants, including her own family. A master of manipulation, she covertly breaks off the engagement of her trusting cousin, Donna, to her fabulously wealthy beau, Curtis Carey. Once married to Curtis herself, Christabel continues her affair with novelist Nick Bradley, who knows she's evil, but loves her anyway.
Directed by Nicholas Ray
film noir
home wrecker
manipulative woman
homewrecker
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Where to Watch
Cast
Joan Fontaine
Christabel
Robert Ryan
Nick
Zachary Scott
Curtis
Joan Leslie
Donna
Mel Ferrer
Gobby
Harold Vermilyea
John Caine
Virginia Farmer
Aunt Clara
Kathleen Howard
Mrs. Bolton
Bess Flowers
Mrs. Worthington
Joy Hallward
Mrs. Porter
Irving Bacon
Jewelry Salesman
Gordon Oliver
Lawyer (uncredited)
Crew
Nicholas Ray
Director
Friedrich Hollaender
Original Music Composer
Nicholas Musuraca
Director of Photography
Charles Schnee
Adaptation
Albert S. D'Agostino
Art Direction
Michael Woulfe
Costume Design
C. Bakaleinikoff
Music Director
Hattie Carnegie
Costume Design
Popular Reviews
13 reviews
angie
5.0★ · 12/21/25
personne connait le bro code dans ce film
personne connait le bro code dans ce film
SofiaPRO
7.0★ · 04/08/25
you can’t even blame her. they were so easy to manipulate she barely had to do anything
you can’t even blame her. they were so easy to manipulate she barely had to do anything
Bekah
7.0★ · 12/12/24
Nicholas Ray loves kissing so much lol
Nicholas Ray loves kissing so much lol
Miguel
6.0★ · 07/23/24
I love you so much I wish I liked you.
Joan Fontaine I mean wow, a masterclass. Quickly becoming one of my favorite performers. A true masterclass in persuasion. A suave conniving cat and mouse game. A predator sneaking on the prey. A wolf in sheep’s clothing. I think the thing I like the most about how Nicholas Ray made this film is that Joan is the engine. However there are certain gaps and missing pieces he leaves behind for the audience to infer and ponder upon how we filled those in. We never see Christabel cave in, not once. She stays cool, calm, and collected towards stealing what she wants by all means necessary. Multiple times leaving her beautiful but haunting innocent smile on the screen before fading to black or the next step of her taking exactly what she wants. A very mechanical razor sharp character study and it’s so fun in the way it’s shyfully pokes at all the other people in her path of destruction. Very very fun. Non formulaic in a manner that indulges in its fun, not diminishing of it.
Joan Fontaine I mean wow, a masterclass. Quickly becoming one of my favorite performers. A true masterclass in persuasion. A suave conniving cat and mouse game. A predator sneaking on the prey. A wolf in sheep’s clothing. I think the thing I like the most about how Nicholas Ray made this film is that Joan is the engine. However there are certain gaps and missing pieces he leaves behind for the audience to infer and ponder upon how we filled those in. We never see Christabel cave in, not once. She stays cool, calm, and collected towards stealing what she wants by all means necessary. Multiple times leaving her beautiful but haunting innocent smile on the screen before fading to black or the next step of her taking exactly what she wants. A very mechanical razor sharp character study and it’s so fun in the way it’s shyfully pokes at all the other people in her path of destruction. Very very fun. Non formulaic in a manner that indulges in its fun, not diminishing of it.
I love you so much I wish I liked you.
Joan Fontaine I mean wow, a masterclass. Quickly becoming one of my favorite performers. A true masterclass in persuasion. A suave conniving cat and mouse game. A predator sneaking on the prey. A wolf in sheep’s clothing. I think the thing I like the most about how Nicholas Ray made this film is that Joan is the engine. However there are certain gaps and missing pieces he leaves behind for the audience to infer and ponder upon how we filled those in. We never see Christabel cave in, not once. She stays cool, calm, and collected towards stealing what she wants by all means necessary. Multiple times leaving her beautiful but haunting innocent smile on the screen before fading to black or the next step of her taking exactly what she wants. A very mechanical razor sharp character study and it’s so fun in the way it’s shyfully pokes at all the other people in her path of destruction. Very very fun. Non formulaic in a manner that indulges in its fun, not diminishing of it.
Joan Fontaine I mean wow, a masterclass. Quickly becoming one of my favorite performers. A true masterclass in persuasion. A suave conniving cat and mouse game. A predator sneaking on the prey. A wolf in sheep’s clothing. I think the thing I like the most about how Nicholas Ray made this film is that Joan is the engine. However there are certain gaps and missing pieces he leaves behind for the audience to infer and ponder upon how we filled those in. We never see Christabel cave in, not once. She stays cool, calm, and collected towards stealing what she wants by all means necessary. Multiple times leaving her beautiful but haunting innocent smile on the screen before fading to black or the next step of her taking exactly what she wants. A very mechanical razor sharp character study and it’s so fun in the way it’s shyfully pokes at all the other people in her path of destruction. Very very fun. Non formulaic in a manner that indulges in its fun, not diminishing of it.
LF
8.2★ · 11/08/22
I can’t believe how evil but how Joan Fontaine-ish Joan Fontaine is being
I can’t believe how evil but how Joan Fontaine-ish Joan Fontaine is being