With Charlton Heston and Lizabeth Scott heading up the cast od "Bad For Each Other", I expected more. It was presented as a film noir by Columbia Pictures, but it is not. What it is is a slow moving life among the rich and elite drama.
Heston plays Dr. Tom Owen, an army Colonel who is returning to his hometown of Coalville, Pennsylvania on leave. He goes home where he tries to console his mother (Mildred Dunnock) over the recent death of his brother. Later, as he walks through town, a burly miner Pete Olzonski (Chris Alcaide) socks him on the jaw over Tom's brother's mismanagement of mine safety that had caused an accident at the mine. Tom visits local doctor SCobee (Rhys Williams) who offers him a job once he leaves the service. Not wanting to remain in his dusty coal town, he decides to stay in the service.
Tom decides against his mother's objections to seek out mine owner Reasonover (Ray Collins) to find out what really happened. Tom learns that his brother had been caught up in the society life style and had embezzeled company funds and had skimmed off funds intended for safety equipment. At that meeting at a society party, Tom meets Reasonover's twice divorced daughter Helen Curtis (Lizabeth Scott). She sets her sights on Tom. When a party guest attempts suicide, Tom steps in and treats her, impressing the rich and elite present. Helen sets yup a meeting with socialite Doctor Gleeson (Lester Mathews) who offers him an associate job with his firm. Wanting only the best in life, Tom accepts.
An old acquaintance from his army days the now Dr. Jim Crowley (Arthur Franz) pays Tom a visit asking for a job. Tom decides to send him to Coalville and Dr. Scobee. Tom's recently hired nurse, the efficient Joan Lasher (Dianne Foster) takes a liking to Crowley. Meanwhile, Helen and Tom become engaged. Her father cautions against a marriage to his spoiled rich daughter. Tom doesn't listen. Helen's aunt, Mrs. Nelson (Marjory Rambeau) takes ill and requires an operation. Dr. Gleeson is unable to perform the surgery and has Tom do it for him. For this, Tom is offered a partnership which would mean riches beyond his wildest dreams. Joan is not impressed with Tom's ethics and quits him going to Coalville to join Crowley.
Tom is quire happy living the life of a socialite until he receives an urgent phone call from his mother informing him of a cave in at the mine. Tom comes to his senses and breaks off the engagement with Helen when she refuses to go with him to Coalville. Tom rushes to the mine where Crowley and Joan are trying to free trapped miners including Olzoneski. Tom joins them but........................................................................................
Heston basically sleepwalks through his role as the ambitious doctor and Scott, whose best days were behind her, is anything but the expected femme fatale here. Franz is essentially Tom Owens' conscience as the dedicated all for medicine small town doctor. Mildred Dunnock is the best thing in this film as the distraught mother. Foster looks lovely but has little to do other than be Owen's other conscience.
I'm sure that both Heston and Scott hadn't considered this film as one of their favorites.
Heston plays Dr. Tom Owen, an army Colonel who is returning to his hometown of Coalville, Pennsylvania on leave. He goes home where he tries to console his mother (Mildred Dunnock) over the recent death of his brother. Later, as he walks through town, a burly miner Pete Olzonski (Chris Alcaide) socks him on the jaw over Tom's brother's mismanagement of mine safety that had caused an accident at the mine. Tom visits local doctor SCobee (Rhys Williams) who offers him a job once he leaves the service. Not wanting to remain in his dusty coal town, he decides to stay in the service.
Tom decides against his mother's objections to seek out mine owner Reasonover (Ray Collins) to find out what really happened. Tom learns that his brother had been caught up in the society life style and had embezzeled company funds and had skimmed off funds intended for safety equipment. At that meeting at a society party, Tom meets Reasonover's twice divorced daughter Helen Curtis (Lizabeth Scott). She sets her sights on Tom. When a party guest attempts suicide, Tom steps in and treats her, impressing the rich and elite present. Helen sets yup a meeting with socialite Doctor Gleeson (Lester Mathews) who offers him an associate job with his firm. Wanting only the best in life, Tom accepts.
An old acquaintance from his army days the now Dr. Jim Crowley (Arthur Franz) pays Tom a visit asking for a job. Tom decides to send him to Coalville and Dr. Scobee. Tom's recently hired nurse, the efficient Joan Lasher (Dianne Foster) takes a liking to Crowley. Meanwhile, Helen and Tom become engaged. Her father cautions against a marriage to his spoiled rich daughter. Tom doesn't listen. Helen's aunt, Mrs. Nelson (Marjory Rambeau) takes ill and requires an operation. Dr. Gleeson is unable to perform the surgery and has Tom do it for him. For this, Tom is offered a partnership which would mean riches beyond his wildest dreams. Joan is not impressed with Tom's ethics and quits him going to Coalville to join Crowley.
Tom is quire happy living the life of a socialite until he receives an urgent phone call from his mother informing him of a cave in at the mine. Tom comes to his senses and breaks off the engagement with Helen when she refuses to go with him to Coalville. Tom rushes to the mine where Crowley and Joan are trying to free trapped miners including Olzoneski. Tom joins them but........................................................................................
Heston basically sleepwalks through his role as the ambitious doctor and Scott, whose best days were behind her, is anything but the expected femme fatale here. Franz is essentially Tom Owens' conscience as the dedicated all for medicine small town doctor. Mildred Dunnock is the best thing in this film as the distraught mother. Foster looks lovely but has little to do other than be Owen's other conscience.
I'm sure that both Heston and Scott hadn't considered this film as one of their favorites.