The Company She Keeps (1951) starring Lizabeth Scott, Jane Greer, Dennis O'Keefe, Fay Baker, John Hoyt, James Bell directed by John Cromwell Movie Review

The Company She Keeps (1951)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Lizabeth Scott in The Company She Keeps (1951)

Greer Criminal

Lizabeth Scott and Jane Greer were not only beautiful actresses they were both very good actresses but unfortunately "The Company She Keeps" does either of them any favours. The trouble is that "The Company She Keeps" whilst having a great idea for a melodrama ends up doing nothing with it and so in the end ends up an ultimately dull movie with only the actresses's beauty making it worth the time.

Having served time Meredith (Jane Greer - The Big Steal) is let out on parole and allowed to change her name to Diane Stuart. Sent to Glendale she meets Joan (Lizabeth Scott - Loving You) her parole officer who picks her up at the train station, arranges her a job and a place to stay. But having been all sweetness and light on the inside Diane's true colours quickly surface on the outside. But things get messy when she falls for Larry (Dennis O'Keefe - The Fighting Seabees) as not only she doesn't tell him that she has been in prison but Larry just happens to be Joan's boyfriend.

Jane Greer in The Company She Keeps (1951)

The trouble with "The Company She Keeps" is that it never really goes anywhere or at least anywhere which really grabs your attention. Yes we have the romantic love triangle come to fruition as Diane sets out to snare Larry, Joan's boyfriend but how this plays out with Joan ending up conflicted by keeping her man and helping Diane to reform is not that exciting. It's not that deep either as it fails to dig beneath the obvious storyline and look at social aspects of the parole system.

In the end the only thing entertaining about "The Company She Keeps" are the performances with both Lizabeth Scott and Jane Greer playing against type. In fairness Greer is entertaining as Diane especially in the way she is sweetness and light to start with but soon turns scheming as soon as she is out. But Lizabeth Scott as Joan whilst supposed to be really nice and patient borders on the annoying for being overly nice.

What this all boils down to is that "The Company She Keeps" isn't a terrible movie just an incredibly ordinary one which not only does its star a disservice but also to the audience with a good idea which doesn't deliver the drama it should.


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