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I just love Bette Davis. It’s hard to say that this film is Davis at her best, because that would undermine her amazing work in ALL ABOUT EVE, JEZEBEL and WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? Her transformation in this film is drastic, but the testament to her skills is that never for a second do you believe she isn't the same character.
In this film, Davis plays Charlotte Vale, a woman in her late twenties to mid-thirties who has become a meek spinster under the tyrannical authority of her traditional mother (Gladys Cooper, MY FAIR LADY). One day, Charlotte’s sister-in-law June (Bonita Granville, THESE THREE) brings psychiatrist Dr. Jaquith (Claude Rains, NOTORIOUS) to the house to help Charlotte, who is on the brink of a mental breakdown. Charlotte ends up at Dr. Jaquith’s sanitarium where she learns to come out of her shell and become her own person.
June works it out that once she is well she will go on a cruise to South America. On the trip, she meets married architect Jerry Durrance (Paul Henreid, CASABLANCA), who is in a loveless marriage. Jerry is kind and makes Charlotte feel special for the first time in her life.
The film deals with so many explosive emotional terrains as mother-daughter relationships, impossible romances, feelings of insignificance and mental health. The film could be called a melodramatic romance, but its too honest and heartfelt to ever become maudlin. At its core, Charlotte is a fabulously crafted character, who Davis makes full and real. The rest of the cast is overshadowed. This is not to say that the other performances are bad, but to say just how wonderful Davis is.
The story plays out in unexpected ways that never play to conventions. I give major kudos to director Irving Rapper (THE GLASS MENAGERIE) for reining in the more melodramatic moments and not letting the scoring to undermine the emotional truths with heavy-handed sappiness. I had never heard of this film until it was named #23 on the AFI 100 Passions list. I thank the American Film Institute for leading me to such a treasure. The films that appear on the list higher than this one are for the most part all wonderful films, but to me this film is how you do honest (somewhat sad) romance right. This film deserves to be called a classic just as much as Bette Davis deserves to be called a legend.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
