THE GREAT LIE (Warner Brothers, 1941) directed by Edmund Goulding, teams Bette Davis and George Brent for the tenth time. Though DARK VICTORY (1939) is often hailed as their finest achievement on film, THE GREAT LIE is most memorable not so much for their fine chemistry, but for Mary Astor, whose performance not only steals it from her leading performers but won the Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress for her fine achievement playing the other woman to her husband.
The story opens with Peter Van Allen (George Brent), an aviator and wealthy playboy, married to Sandra Kovak (Mary Astor), a famous concert pianist. Called by his attorney, Jeffrey H. Thompson (Jerome Cowan), Peter is given the news he's not legally married to Sandra. Her divorce from her previous husband has not been finalized at the time of their wedding. Though Peter is willing to wed her all over again, Sandra refuses to marry the day of her upcoming concert in Philadelphia and insists their wedding will have to be postponed to another date. Finding her career more important than their lives together, Peter, who earlier had taken his plane to Maryland to visit with his former fiancée, Maggie Patterson (Bette Davis), her outbursts prevent him from giving her the news of his freedom. Eventually Maggie learns of the matter and becomes his wife after all. Later Peter is called away on an assignment to Brazil. During his absence, Maggie meets with Sandra in New York with startling news she's pregnant with Pete's child and intends on getting him back. Receiving news of Peter being killed in an airplane crash in the jungle, Maggie comes to Sandra with a cash settlement allowing her to have her baby in a secluded Arizona ranch on the condition she can return to Maryland and raise the child as her own. Time passes. Maggie is now the "mother" of little Pete while Sandra is free to go on her world concert tours. With the surprise news of Pete having survived the crash and returning home to her, their lives together are happy until Sandra returns wanting Maggie to tell Pete the truth so she can claim back both him and their child.
Also in the supporting cast are Lucile Watson (Aunt Ada); Hattie McDaniel (Violet); Grant Mitchell (Joshua Mason); J. Farrell MacDonald (Doctor Ferguson) and Sam McDaniel (Jefferson).
Though an interesting concept, THE GREAT LIE might have failed had it not been for its three veteran performers making the story better for what it is. George Brent plays his usual caught between two women husband while Bette Davis and Mary Astor are equally matched as "friendly" rivals out for the affection of the man they both love. The year 1941 proved to be a turning point for Mary Astor's career with this and her outstanding role opposite Humphrey Bogart in THE MALTESE FALCON being the two movies she is best remembered. As much as I always felt Astor should have at least been nominated as Best Supporting Actress for her wonderful performance in DODSWORTH (United Artists, 1936), at least the award she won for THE GREAT LIE makes up for that oversight. The truth about THE GREAT LIE is how Mary Astor makes her self-centered role so likable. Along with her shorter hair-cut to appear older yet appealing to her character without losing her attractiveness, her high point is not so much her piano playing to Tchaikowski's Piano Concerto # 1 in B Flat Minor, but how her tense and slightly amusing confrontation with her rival and former husband, good enough for that well-deserved Academy Award win.
Available on both video cassette and DVD format, THE GREAT LIE can be seen occasionally on Turner Classic Movies cable channel. (***)
The story opens with Peter Van Allen (George Brent), an aviator and wealthy playboy, married to Sandra Kovak (Mary Astor), a famous concert pianist. Called by his attorney, Jeffrey H. Thompson (Jerome Cowan), Peter is given the news he's not legally married to Sandra. Her divorce from her previous husband has not been finalized at the time of their wedding. Though Peter is willing to wed her all over again, Sandra refuses to marry the day of her upcoming concert in Philadelphia and insists their wedding will have to be postponed to another date. Finding her career more important than their lives together, Peter, who earlier had taken his plane to Maryland to visit with his former fiancée, Maggie Patterson (Bette Davis), her outbursts prevent him from giving her the news of his freedom. Eventually Maggie learns of the matter and becomes his wife after all. Later Peter is called away on an assignment to Brazil. During his absence, Maggie meets with Sandra in New York with startling news she's pregnant with Pete's child and intends on getting him back. Receiving news of Peter being killed in an airplane crash in the jungle, Maggie comes to Sandra with a cash settlement allowing her to have her baby in a secluded Arizona ranch on the condition she can return to Maryland and raise the child as her own. Time passes. Maggie is now the "mother" of little Pete while Sandra is free to go on her world concert tours. With the surprise news of Pete having survived the crash and returning home to her, their lives together are happy until Sandra returns wanting Maggie to tell Pete the truth so she can claim back both him and their child.
Also in the supporting cast are Lucile Watson (Aunt Ada); Hattie McDaniel (Violet); Grant Mitchell (Joshua Mason); J. Farrell MacDonald (Doctor Ferguson) and Sam McDaniel (Jefferson).
Though an interesting concept, THE GREAT LIE might have failed had it not been for its three veteran performers making the story better for what it is. George Brent plays his usual caught between two women husband while Bette Davis and Mary Astor are equally matched as "friendly" rivals out for the affection of the man they both love. The year 1941 proved to be a turning point for Mary Astor's career with this and her outstanding role opposite Humphrey Bogart in THE MALTESE FALCON being the two movies she is best remembered. As much as I always felt Astor should have at least been nominated as Best Supporting Actress for her wonderful performance in DODSWORTH (United Artists, 1936), at least the award she won for THE GREAT LIE makes up for that oversight. The truth about THE GREAT LIE is how Mary Astor makes her self-centered role so likable. Along with her shorter hair-cut to appear older yet appealing to her character without losing her attractiveness, her high point is not so much her piano playing to Tchaikowski's Piano Concerto # 1 in B Flat Minor, but how her tense and slightly amusing confrontation with her rival and former husband, good enough for that well-deserved Academy Award win.
Available on both video cassette and DVD format, THE GREAT LIE can be seen occasionally on Turner Classic Movies cable channel. (***)