The Bad Sister (1931)

54% User Rating

1h 8min

"The girl who wanted everything!"

Marianne falls in love with con man Valentine who uses their relation to get her father's endorsement on a money-raising scheme. He runs off with the money and Marianne, later dumping her. Her sister Laura loves Dr. Lindley although she knows he loves Marianne. Marianne returns and marries a wealthy young man, and Lindley turns his love toward Laura.

Hobart HenleyDirector

Reviews (1)

All Reviews

CinemaSerf

Rating 60%

June 13, 2022

Sidney Fox ("Marianne") is the rather over-indulged daughter who falls for con-artist "Valentine Corliss" (Humphrey Bogart). When he manipulates her into forging her father's signature on a document endorsing his rather dodgy business venture, he absconds with the money raised from his life-long friends and colleagues and the girl - before abandoning the girl. Conrad Nagel ("Dr. Lindley") meantime has always had a soft spot for the spoiled girl even though he is loved from afar by her younger sister "Laura" (Bette Davis) so the deceit has a bit of a love triangle to it, too. It's an interesting example of both Davis (still only 23) and Bogart as youngsters learning their craft, and Fox is really the star - though her character is rather unattractive - with a gentle moral that offers little indication of just we ought to expect.