Dangerous

Directed by Alfred E. Green, Dangerous details the tumultuous relationship that ensues between a straight-laced, prominent architect (Franchot Tone’s Don Bellows) and Joyce Heath (Bette Davis), an alcoholic, has-been actress. Filmmaker Green, armed with a screenplay by Laird Doyle, delivers a palpably erratic endeavor that doesn’t, at the outset, contain much in the way of promise or compelling attributes, with the slow-going bent of the picture’s first half generally preventing the viewer from working up much interest in or enthusiasm for the characters’ soapy exploits. It’s clear, then, that Dangerous, in its less-than-enthralling stretches, benefits substantially from the engrossing, tour-de-force efforts of star Davis, as the performer offers up a dynamic turn that goes a long way towards compensating for the narrative’s bumps and lulls. The picture finally does transform into an engaging melodrama once it progresses into a second half overflowing with tawdry, salacious plot developments, including a fairly shocking third-act development, and Dangerous, which builds towards a satisfying conclusion, consequently manages to confirm its place as a hit-and-miss piece of work that boasts a seriously compelling Davis performance at its core.

**1/2 out of ****