Wicked Woman

WICKED WOMAN is an essential "bad girl" B movie of the 1950's. Beverly Michaels was the first blonde to crack this market that decade and while she never reached the public fame and popularity of the slightly later Cleo Moore and Mamie Van Doren, she's one of the genre's major divas even with her tiny filmography. Michaels is at her bad girl best in WICKED WOMAN as Billie Nash, who blows into town with a mysterious past and no references, ending up in a cheap furnished room boarding house. Billie quickly vamps one of her neighbors Percy Helton into sharing his steaks, "loans", and a reference when she applies for a job at a local bar. Owner Evelyn Scott is dubious but agrees to give the girl a break. That first night Michaels meets Scott's hunky, slightly younger husband Richard Egan and all her gratitude toward Scott is forgotten as she quickly sets her trap to seduce Egan - and persuade him to sell the bar (which was Scott's to begin with) out from under Scott without her knowledge and for them to make a getaway to Mexico with the loot.

The cast is sensational for a B movie. Michaels is superb as the tough blonde who can get even tougher when in a foul mood or cornered. Richard Egan, just before his brief stint as a leading man/star in major motion pictures, is excellent as the good husband who can be had; it's a pleasure to see a sexy B movie bad girl have a hunky, sexy leading man which wasn't often the case. (Egan also appears to be the only person in the cast taller than the 5'9" Michaels, who towers over nearly every other costar.)

Evelyn Scott is terrific as well as a bloozy-floozy Myrna Loy-lookalike and there is a sensational featured turn from Percy Hilton, a highly distinct and recognizable character actor of the era who generally played bits on television as a sheepish but lovable nerd; here Percy is still the sheepish imp but able to be just as sleazy and predatory as those who cross his path. This is a truly fascinating look at the clawing and desperation of very-low income 1950's with dumpy, sparsely furnished rooms and one bathroom per floor in the boarding house.

The ending, as another reviewer noted, is a misfire alas and as someone else mentioned, a plot twist one is expecting never develops. Still, WICKED WOMAN is well worth tracking down (it can currently be seen on youtube) for a rare chance to see Beverly Michaels at her "baddest" best.