 ""My Baby, She Wrote Me a Letter. . ." The Boxtops" | 2009-08-04 |
| - Reviewed By hornrimmed-glasseslassie |
| We see the dramatic noir scenes of Bette descending the staircase of the plantation house. When we finally get a close-up, I realize the year the movie was probably made. My mother wore that exact hairstyle in the years 39-41, as is evidenced by many family photographs. I am in love with the exotic cinematography of this film. Again there are blades of light coming through louvres and casting upon faces and mysterious forms. I am also delighted by the tinkling of wind chimes and the moody soundtrack, sometimes big band-y and sometimes oriental in theme. Our "totally innocent Bette" has surprises laying beneath the surface and she releases these gradually, dramatically and beautifully. "What charge would that be?" She asks her attorney casually. He drops the bomb: "Murder." It would have all turned out okay if she had not found it necessary to empty the entire gun. That would tend to raise some questions about self-defense vs. anger and jealosy as a motive. The answer to all the puzzles is in "the letter." Gale Sondergaard is perfect as the wronged woman. Even though she is the wronged one, she personifies evil so well onscreen. What other gems has she done this in? (I believe Homicidal was one but there are many more) As sad as it is, and as desperate as she is for revenge, she has the where-with-all to get the money, too. She sees to it that Miss Priss will not interfere in another marriage. There have been many adaptations of Wm. Somerset Maugham's great story, "The Letter," but this is probably the best. As for the lace? "A stitch in time, saves nine." |
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 "For Fans Of Classic Movies" | 2009-03-12 |
| - Reviewed By ccthemovieman |
How one views this movie depends, I would think, on how one generally views classic-era films. For those who enjoy them, this is one to see since it stars one of the great actresses of all time, Bette Davis. For those who prefer faster-paced, modern movies, this would not be recommended.
Myself, I enjoyed Henry Stephenson and his character, "Howard Joyce" in here the most. He got better and better as the film went on, and for me, was the star of the film. Sadly, Stephenson died about a year after this movie came out.
Most people will enjoy yet another sterling performance from Davis, who plays a shady character, "Leslie Crosbie, " a woman trying to get away with murder. Davis is good at playing despicable, scheming liars and she does that well here in this film.
William Wyler's direction and Tony Gaudio's photography give us good atmosphere, which I why I wanted to see this on DVD after seeing a so-so VHS tape. |
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| "A Young, Beautiful, Talented Bette Davis" | 2008-09-21 |
| - Reviewed By lakotawinter |
| THE LETTER, after all these years (it was made in 1940), continues to mesmerize. A very young, thin, Bette Davis is a revelation. The black and white format gives the film the mystique and the photography is wonderful. The lighting is superb throughout the film. The story line is difficult to imagine, but she pulls it off. When she says, "Is it because I'm evil?" you find it difficult to accept. The widow of the man she murdered is chilling. When she is on the screen you forget about Ms. Davis and everyone else in the frame. No doubt this happened somewhere in Malaysia at one time. I watched it again last night and the chills are still there after all these years. It is difficult to accept Ms. Davis was born 100 years ago. Her work is as fresh as yesterday. She was in her early 30's when she made this. She could not have fantasized in her wildest dreams what was in store for her in the future. Awards, heartbreak, illness. There was only one Bette Davis. There will never be another actress who will come close to her genius. Ever. |
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| "With That Hide and Seek Moon !" | 2008-04-22 |
| - Reviewed By bethandowen |
| "The Letter" is set in pre-WW2 British Malaya. In the opening scenes, Bette Davis kills a man and smartly, smoothly claims self-defense. Why the demised, a family acquaintance, would "make advances" to BD is left unexplained. BD appears in the clear; a family friend and connected attorney, James Stephenson, will defend her. The local Law shows no urge to investigate. And then? And then the plot thickens with a slight complication! It seems BD had written the dead guy a love letter. They had had an affair. He was visiting to tell her he was marrying another woman. Davis' response was to off the poor guy! The plot thickens more when Stephenson, a highly principled barrister, receives a mysteriously Asian offer to ransom the letter. Clearly against his conscience, Stephenson buys and buries the lethal message. The seller is not revealed here, but his/her identity thickens the suspense. Davis is cleared at her murder trial but the viewer will realize that her problems are far from done. What happens? A good review will not reveal resolutions. The curious will just have to watch for themselves but will be happy they did. "The Letter" is boosted by a wonderful musical score and sharp black and white photography- a vanished art. Those shots of the lurking moon are positively eerie. High honors go to Stephenson as the reluctant lawyer and Gale Sondergard as the wife of the deceased. Her contempt for Davis is so visceral it burns through the screen. This reviewer is not a big BD fan but she is perfectly cast here. Other reviewers have credited 7 Academy nominations to "The Letter" but Tom O'Neil's encyclopedic "Movie Awards" lists 4: Best Picture, Director (William Wyler), Actress (Davis) and Supporting Actor (Stephenson). None won a 1940 statuette. Winners were "Rebecca", John Ford for "The Grapes of Wrath", Ginger Rogers for "Kitty Foyle" and "Walter Brennan for "The Westerner". Bob Hope won a Special Award that year-they should have given one to that moon! "The Letter" is a classic, so smoothly done that the movie outshines the cast. In closing amazoners can be assured there are far more sub-plots, suspense, and mystery in "The Letter" than outlined here. The air of intrigue is maintained until the very fadeout. The sudden, slamming of the door resolution will remind viewers that "The Letter", for all its' other virtues, is also solid film noir in every detail. A final helpful hint: This viewer watched "The Letter" over 3 sittings. New viewers are urged to allocate the time to see it in one. Doing so will bring the full impact of those nocturnal scenes as the moon dances and the fates spin their web around the cast. |
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 "Bette Davis has the men eating out of her hand" | 2007-07-19 |
| - Reviewed By joepauljr |
Moody, atmospheric romantic drama and light mystery with a powerhouse performance by Bette Davis that runs the gamut from extremely subtle to explosive. The plot revelations are pretty modest, though, so it's best to go into this without reading a lot about the movie beforehand. Warner Home Video does its usual professional job with the DVD: you get a sharp print of the film and a nice selection of special features.
As a treat to my wife, we're watching everything available on DVD that features the great Bette Davis, and "The Letter" so far has been one of the better among Ms. Davis's early classics. Echoing Ms. Davis' performance in the film, William Wyler's expertly directed opening scene starts out moody and subtle and then explodes into what is probably the most memorable Bette Davis entrance among all her films. |
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| "The Letter" | 2007-06-25 |
| - Reviewed By jfarr02 |
| Adapted from a story by W. Somerset Maugham, "The Letter" is a taut, captivating film. After the huge success of 1938's "Jezebel," director Wyler teamed again with Davis for this juicy melodrama, crafting a dark, sultry atmosphere that complements the scandalous intrigue. Davis is tops as a lady we love to hate, and Sondergaard's wordless turn as the wronged woman nearly steals the show. |
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