The Damned Don't Cry: The Crawford Formula - Real and Reel (2005)

The Joan Crawford crime thriller, The Damned Don't Cry (1950), is the topic of discussion for various interviewees, which include the film's director, Vincent Sherman. The film's story was loosely based on Bugsy Siegel's real-life gun moll, Virginia Hill. The producer, Jerry Wald, who came out of journalism, was naturally attracted to the script's sensationalism. The interviewees discuss the brisk pace and snappy dialogue, a common feature of Warner Bros. pictures during the Golden Age. They explain why Joan Crawford's character was a mirror image of the actress's own life and why the character uses sex to get what she wants. And they explain why they aren't talking about a film with Joan Crawford; they're talking about a Joan Crawford film.