Review of Bad Company

Overlooked in the history of the pre-code crime film, "Bad Company" is a tight and well-made drama of graft during the depression and how one woman dealt with the violence she faced because of how it impacted her own life. That pre-code darling, Helen Twelvetrees, falls in love with handsome John Garrick, a member of the mob who works under the very violent Ricardo Cortez. Garrick is unaware that for various reasons, Cortez wants him out of the way, one of which is for Twelvetrees herself. When Garrick and Twelvetrees are married, it is only a matter of time before Cortez begins to "covet his neighbor's wife", and Garrick is violently shot down in a phone booth. Twelvetrees horrifically can see the accident in her own mind, shown to the audience in a dream-like sequence that is straight out of the later film noir genre. When Cortez's rivals confront him, more horrifying events occur, leading a vindictive Twelvetrees to confronting Cortez to settle the score.

This is one of those forgotten films that must be seen really to be appreciated. It is tightly edited with a futuristic look that combines some of the great silent movie special effects with visuals that are particularly scary and mind-blowing. When the group of gang rivals enter Cortez's hotel, they are unaware of the machine gun behind the wall that waits for people like them to make a move. The streets of New York become riddled with bullets in a final shoot-out where Cortez unaware is approached from behind by Twelvetrees with plans of her own. The final line is a gem, with a sense of irony that will bring on a sardonic smile.