Having finally caught up with the fascinating WICKED WOMAN (1953) I find myself curious about the actress Beverly Michaels. She plays the titular character and rarely have I seen a better example of a bitter, cynical woman using her charms to get ahead in the world. She doesn’t care who gets hurt in her quest for a better life and is ready to move on to her next mark as soon as a better option comes into view. I can easily see why this film is well thought of by noir and ‘Bad Girl’ cinema fans. Miss Michaels glides across the screen like a shark on the hunt but isn’t afraid to cut and run when a situation turns sour. She is a sight to behold and could put the fear of beautiful ladies into the heart of anyone.
It seems she made a career out of playing bad characters in
the 1950’s before she retired from the screen. I wish she had stuck around as
it would have been great to see how she (hopefully) transitioned from these dark
roles to playing different kinds of characters. She seems to have given up on
being offered less dangerous female parts and that is a shame.
In a 1954 newspaper interview, Michaels was questioned about
her choice of racy roles: "One of the penalties is that some
people, especially the wolf type, can't forget it was just a movie. She has
had, she says, to give several real-life brush-offs. However, Beverly says,
they are things you have to accept. 'I get my share of wisecracks. But I ignore
them. You have to. If you're going to play roles like I have, you have to
expect to be a target for such remarks. I just pretend I don't hear them. If
you're going to be supersensitive, you had better get out of the business. ...
I always have hope that my next picture will make me a decent woman.'"
No comments:
Post a Comment