 |
Rhonda Fleming & Arlene Dahl as sisters, one good & one unhealthy, and each are
“Barely Scarlet!” |
Barely Scarlet,
a latter day movie noir from ’56, groups starlets Rhonda Fleming and Arlene Dahl
as sisters, with John Payne because the mister who makes their heartbeats flutter. I all the time received Fleming and Dahl combined up, extra
for what they’d in widespread than any actual resemblance: purple hair and creamy
pores and skin; born two years aside with lengthy lives (Fleming, 97 & Dahl, 96); six
marriages; profitable enterprise careers; and everlasting glamour.
 |
The celebrities of 1956’s “Barely Scarlet”: Arlene Dahl, John Payne, and Rhonda Fleming.
Fleming’s good sister has good purpose to look involved! |
A
genial main man for a lot of the ‘40s, John Payne turned a dour movie noir or
western hero in his ‘40s, very similar to Dick Powell. Barely Scarlet is loosely based mostly on a James M. Cain novel, Love’s Pretty Counterfeit. The film
performs like a mashup of Cain’s Mildred
Pierce and plenty of crime noirs the place the hero, like Payne’s Ben Grace, will get
his arms soiled taking part in either side to the center. On the political facet, Ben
tries to butter up an area hero who’s operating for workplace. On the flip prison facet
is “Solly” Caspar, a thug whose mood turns out to be useful, and who Ben tries to
deal with him with care, with combined outcomes.
 |
| The above tawdry tagline just about sums up the stakes of 1956’s “Barely Scarlet.” |
The
opening of Barely Scarlet reminds
me of a Douglas Sirk cleaning soap opera. Every member of the love triangle will get their very own
dramatic close-up. The great sister-bad sister trope was certainly one of Hollywood’s
favourite movie plots. The great sister was a bit shady on this movie, although
Rhonda Fleming performs June Lyons extra like a lamb. Frankly, the ladies’s angle is
extra entertaining than the gangster noir, the plot of the anti-hero in over his
head with gangsters has been achieved 100 instances earlier than. The massive shoot out
finale entails the 4 leads, with unhealthy sister Dorothy Lyons dropping her grip,
good sister June struggling nobly, unhealthy boy Ben dying nobly, and Solly taking pictures
everybody in sight.
 |
| The opening titles of 1956’s “Barely Scarlet” remind me of a Douglas Sirk cleaning soap! |
 |
Rhonda Fleming’s June Lyons arrives to select up troubled sister from jail,
in 1956’s crime noir, “Barely Scarlet.”
|
 |
| Arlene Dahl as Dorothy Lyons, simply sprung from her cage, in 1956’s “Barely Scarlet.” |
 |
| John Payne as Ben Grace, jail paparazzi, in “Barely Scarlet.” |
 |
Rhonda Fleming’s sis later sees Ben Grace’s expertise at capturing these particular moments,
in 1956’s “Barely Scarlet.” |
Rhonda
Fleming does nicely sufficient as the nice sister, who appears a bit
self-rationalizing, and a very profitable
secretary to her sugar daddy boss. Fleming is glam always—even her nightgown
straps have rhinestones on them! Rhonda appears to be like gorgeous in her tailor-made
secretary apparel and a va-va-va-voom doll in her informal put on. Then there’s the
unhealthy sister, performed by Arlene Dahl. A precursor to Kitten with a Whip, Dahl’s Dorothy Lyons does all the pieces however roar. “Dor”
blames her troubles on her sister, but all the time depends on June to bail her out.
Dorothy is excessive since she embodies all the three “O’s”: Klepto,
nympho, and psycho! An ex-con simply out of jail, as quickly as Arlene opens her
mouth, each tawdry line is an accusation or an insinuation. I stored wishing for
Eleanor Parker’s dramatic chops! The camp worth comes from Dahl’s misguided
efficiency of deranged Dorothy. Her taking part in jogs my memory of Lucy Ricardo
pretending to be a vamp. Each sisters fall instantly in love with weary John
Payne, which appears ludicrous. At the very least the loopy sister has an excuse for her
lack of judgment, however Fleming’s June, with a cake job and silver daddy
boss—what’s up, sister? Even when Dahl’s alone, she’s posturing and purring.
When she steals a pearl necklace, Dahl’s doll drapes them over her head,
jutting out her jaw and emoting like Norma Desmond as Salome. The scene the place
Dorothy is utilizing a again scratcher like a intercourse toy is an amusing eyebrow raiser.
Arlene is attractive in the identical overt manner that Jennifer Jones and Bette Davis performed
in King Vidor’s Duel within the Solar and Past the Forest. What’s fascinating is
that Rhonda Fleming received certainly one of her massive breaks in 1945’s Spellbound, the place she performed—yep—an unhinged nympho!
 |
| Arlene Dahl’s a campy scream as unhinged sister “Dor” in 1956’s “Barely Scarlet.” |
 |
| Arlene Dahl’s psycho sister is an actual cutup in 1956’s crime noir, “Barely Scarlet.” |
The
director of Barely Scarlet is Allan
Dwan, who has a faithful following of followers, with regard his 50 12 months historical past in
Hollywood, with some 125 movies to his credit score. And Dwan lived so long as his
main girls—96. The gorgeous shade and visuals, the musical rating, and beautiful
main girls are well-utilized by this previous professional right here. Barely Scarlet is mainly a B film upgraded to a B+ due to
Dwan’s strong fashion and the star watching.
 |
John Payne as unhealthy boy Ben Grace all the time appears to be like like he has a headache, in 1956’s
“Barely Scarlet.” |
 |
| Hey, eyes up right here, John Payne! Rhonda Fleming upstages Payne in “Barely Scarlet.” |
John
Payne acted till the mid-70s and whereas Fleming and Dahl have been simply of their
early 30s, their greatest days onscreen had already handed, in keeping with ‘50s
Hollywood knowledge. Nevertheless, all three stars turned profitable enterprise individuals,
as they phased out of full-time performing, but sometimes carried out onstage and in
tv, to their followers’ appreciation. Barely
Scarlet could also be campy, however it’s extremely colourful enjoyable.
 |
When the main woman brushes her hair silently, one thing’s up! Rhonda Fleming
in 1956’s colourful noir, “Barely Scarlet.” |
 |
Arlene Dahl was thought-about certainly one of Hollywood’s nice beauties within the Fifties,
seen right here in 1956’s crime noir “Barely Scarlet.” |
