The Letter (1940)

In the opening sequence of The Letter, director William Wyler delivers a primer on film directing: at a rubber plantation, in the tropical funk of a Malaysian night, the heavy stillness is suddenly broken by shots... and a woman with a gun, descending a staircase. She is the wife of the plantation owner, and the dead man is, ahem, not her husband. Holding the gun so securely is Bette Davis, in one of her greatest performances (her acting of a big revelation, late in the film, is still an astounding piece of emotional fluency). The story is taken from one of those sturdy Somerset Maugham tales that has proved itself in many versions, but this is the keeper; it was nominated for seven Oscars®, including best picture, director, and actress, winning none. Wyler's impeccable direction, and Davis's take-no-prisoners approach to an "unsympathetic" character, make for a completely satisfying picture. --Robert Horton Amazon.com essential video

A Young, Beautiful, Talented Bette Davis

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. September 21, 2008

The Letter

Bette Davis is at her best playing scheming, manipulative characters. "The Letter" is no exception. In the very first couple of minutes, we see shots fired, a man staggering, Davis holding the gun. We know we are going to be in for a bumpy ride!

On a rubber plantation in Singapore, Leslie Crosbie (Davis) tells her husband and the police that Geoffrey Hammond was forcing himself on her. She killed him in self-defense and relates her story exactly, never once hesitating. Her husband (Herbert Marshall) and the district officer are convinced. However, lawyer Howard Joyce's nagging doubts are validated when his assistant tells him there is in existence a letter. The contents of this letter cast a doubt on Leslie's perfect recollection of the murder. The letter currently is the possession of Hammond's widow, and in an affront to Howard's ethics, she wishes to sell it. And client Leslie wishes him to buy it! What is any self-respecting lawyer to do?

The enjoyment to be had in this film is in watching Davis showing us the various facets of Leslie's personality. Her cold, wide-eyed stance in the very first moments of the film when she is staring down at Hammond's body suggests something is not quite right with the story she tells subsequently. With spectacles on, showing for all the world a picture of innocence, she relates the events just a bit too perfectly. When her perfidy is later discovered, her dutiful wife mask slips. Her lawyer starts to realize what a wench she really is, especially when she wants him to get that letter. No little law is going to stand between her and a conviction! Her frustrated desires and passions come to the fore a little later in a heated exchange with her long-suffering husband.

Davis, as always, pivots nimbly from victim to loving wife to cold-blooded viper to scorned woman. That is why I enjoy watching this film so much. September 13, 2008

With That Hide and Seek Moon !

"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. April 22, 2008

The Letter

This was one of my favorite movies with Betty Davis, I'm glad I could find it on DVD. February 8, 2008

Bette Davis has the men eating out of her hand

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. July 19, 2007

More reviews at Amazon.com ...