Jezebel

Hell hath no fury like Bette Davis when studio boss Jack Warner refused to let her go to Selznick to play Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind; in appeasement she was given this too obviously similar story of a wiful, bitchy Southern belle.

The studio publicity proclaimed that Davis was "half angel, half siren - all woman!", but really there's not much of an angel at all, and she's more catty than siren.  However, her fine performance - her first as a brunette - leads you to think that she could have done an excellent job in Gone With the Wind. Davis was an actress that needed to be restrained from getting carried away with melodrama and histrionics - the man on the job was William Wyler, directing this film with atmosphere in mind and great attention to detail, and he keeps Davis simmering just below boiling point: their combined efforts on Davis' performance made the film.

George Brent is there, but rather wasted, seeming lost. Henry Fonda, however, shines as the unfortunate fiance Davis is trying to make jealous.

The budget of more than $1,000,000 was expensive for its day, yet this was justified in its box office success, and Miss Davis won a Best Actress Oscar - her second of four.

Review by Martin Hunt
Taken from EUFS Programme 1993-94