Bette Davis gets my vote for all-time best female actress. I have many of her films on DVD...but I'm not tempted to purchase this one. But, it's not because of Bette Davis.
One reason is that, in my view, the film sort of wanders. I got to thinking that if someone asked me what the film was about in ONE sentence, I couldn't tell them. It would take a paragraph...or more.
But importantly, this film finally answered a question I have long had. Was Miriam Hopkins a really good actress? After watching this film a couple of times, I have come to the conclusion that the answer is NO! NO! A thousand times NO! I think she is horrible and over-the-top in this film, and frankly I have grown tired of her frequent performances as a foolish ninny. Perhaps some others agreed, since after this film she didn't make another movie for 6 long years. If you want to watch a horrid performance, perhaps this is a good reason for you to watch this film. And the famous scene where Bette Davis violently shakes her (which even Davis claims she enjoyed doing in a realistic manner)...shaking her was not enough. She should have slapped her a few times, as well.
Davis' performance her is quite good. Isn't it always? This is the "good Davis" you'd probably enjoy knowing.
Gig Young has a supporting role here, and it's nice to see another of his early films where he showed a flair for drama, rather than his later films where he seemed to always show up as the lead male actor's best pal. John Loder, as Hopkin's husband, is very pleasant here, and he's in a role that is very sympathetic. And, Esther Dale is wonderful, as always, playing the maid.
In terms of plot, in my view it wanders. You're unlikely to be able to get a grasp of where the story is going. At first this is refreshing when you assume Mariam Hopkins book is going to be awful and she will hate Bette Davis for telling her so. Instead, Hopkins goes on to write pop books that sell, while Davis writes deeper books that don't sell, but impress the critics. And so the film takes off in a different direction than you expect, and continues to do so throughout.
I enjoyed Bette Davis here, and most of the rest of the cast, but Mariam Hopkins is so awful it's entertaining...but for all the wrong reasons. Still, it's worth watching at least once.
One reason is that, in my view, the film sort of wanders. I got to thinking that if someone asked me what the film was about in ONE sentence, I couldn't tell them. It would take a paragraph...or more.
But importantly, this film finally answered a question I have long had. Was Miriam Hopkins a really good actress? After watching this film a couple of times, I have come to the conclusion that the answer is NO! NO! A thousand times NO! I think she is horrible and over-the-top in this film, and frankly I have grown tired of her frequent performances as a foolish ninny. Perhaps some others agreed, since after this film she didn't make another movie for 6 long years. If you want to watch a horrid performance, perhaps this is a good reason for you to watch this film. And the famous scene where Bette Davis violently shakes her (which even Davis claims she enjoyed doing in a realistic manner)...shaking her was not enough. She should have slapped her a few times, as well.
Davis' performance her is quite good. Isn't it always? This is the "good Davis" you'd probably enjoy knowing.
Gig Young has a supporting role here, and it's nice to see another of his early films where he showed a flair for drama, rather than his later films where he seemed to always show up as the lead male actor's best pal. John Loder, as Hopkin's husband, is very pleasant here, and he's in a role that is very sympathetic. And, Esther Dale is wonderful, as always, playing the maid.
In terms of plot, in my view it wanders. You're unlikely to be able to get a grasp of where the story is going. At first this is refreshing when you assume Mariam Hopkins book is going to be awful and she will hate Bette Davis for telling her so. Instead, Hopkins goes on to write pop books that sell, while Davis writes deeper books that don't sell, but impress the critics. And so the film takes off in a different direction than you expect, and continues to do so throughout.
I enjoyed Bette Davis here, and most of the rest of the cast, but Mariam Hopkins is so awful it's entertaining...but for all the wrong reasons. Still, it's worth watching at least once.