The Films of Bette Davis' Prime, Part II: 1940-1948

In 1940, Bette appeared in two films, both of them being exceptional. All This and Heaven Too was a fascinating melodrama with historical intrest as well. Charles Boyer also was excellent in the film. The Letter was one of Bette's best films. Playing a cold-hearted murderess who feigns to be guilty only through self-defense, she was absolutely hypnotic. The Letter also happened to usher in the film noir movement, thus solidifying its position as a milestone of the American cinema. The Bride Came C.O.D. was a decent comedy, yet it somehow fell short of expectation given that Bette and James Cagney were its two leads. That being said, it was still a good film; good, yet not great. The Little Foxes was the only film of Bette's prime that was not done at Warner Brothers ( it was a Samuel Goldwyn production distributed by RKO Radio Pictures). It also featured one of Bette's nastiest characters up to that time. Again, her performance was triumphant, but so were the performances of the entire ensemble. The Great Lie was an ideal film. Bette reportedly had a hand in the script, polishing characterization for her own character as well as those played by Mary Astor and Hattie McDaniel. It might just have paid off, as the film as exceptional in every way and won an Oscar for Astor. Bette took a supporting role in The Man Who Came to Dinner, which is just as well as Monty Wooley stole the show. It is one of the most delightful comedies of the entire decade. "Bette is so good when she is being bad!" So went the publicity tagline for In This Our Life. The tale the film was more than slightly sordid, with its insinuations of incest, racial intolerance, and revenge. Bette and Olivia de Havilland help to carry the film and to make it seem pretty entertaining overall sordidness aside. In This Our Life was completely overshadowed by Bette's next film, Now Voyager. Now Voyager is one of the finest romantic films ever to teach the screen and is this writer's favorite Davis film of all. There is not a false moment in the entire film. Watch on the Rhine featured another supporting performance by Bette. The film was top-notch and featured an exceptional performance by Paul Lukas. Old Acquaintance was a fine film with both Bette and Miriam Hopkins playing the material to the hilt as two friends with a tempermental friedship spanning several decades. The scene in which Bette shakes Miriam has been an audience favorite for decades. (The film was remade as Rich and Famous in 1981. That production was a good film in its own right.) Mr. Skeffington was another fine film, and rather daring for Bette as she looked very unglamorous in several scenes. The film has grown on me with every viewing and the ending is perfect. The Corn is Green is a very touching and moving production. It is a truly wonderful film that should be better-known today. Deception was a film noir  that grew better with every viewing. It is a very complex film that features tumultuous performances that are exactly right for the film. A Stolen Life featured two Bette Davis performances for the price of one, and remains one of her strongest films. Winter Meeting is the overlooked film more so than any other. On further research, it is pretty good, although not great, but even just plain good Bette is better than none. June Bride was the last film of Bette's Warner Brothers prime. It is a pleasant comedy with both Bette and Robert Montgomery adept in the comic situations. Bette's tenure at Warner Brothers ended the next year with the unintentionally amusing Beyond the Forest, a film that she hated. It is decidedly not a film of her prime period. Bette kept working for several more decades and gave many more wonderful performances. But her prime at Warner Brothers will always hold an important spot in the memories of all classic film lovers.