The Movies ... and the People Who Make Them (1940)

"The MOVIES 1940” Bette Davis Herbert Marshall “THE LETTER’* THE LETTER: Produced and distributed by Warner Brothers Director: William Wyer Screenplay: Howard Koch Play: W. Somerset Maugham Photography: Tony Gaudio Editor: George Amy Leslie Crosbie Bette Davis Robert Crosbie Herbert Marshall Howard Joyce James Stephenson Dorothy Joyce Frieda Inescort Mrs. Hammond Gale Sondergaard John Withers Bruce Lester Adele Ainsworth Elizabeth Earl Prescott Cecil Kellaway Ong Chi Seng Sen Yung Mrs. Cooper Doris Lloyd Chung Hi Willie Fung Hed Boy Tetsu Komai A brilliantly directed, powerfully performed tragic drama based on the play by Somerset Maugham; unfolded in an irresistible atmosphere of mounting evil, the story tells of an English rubber planter’s wife who murders her lover when he loses interest, wins acquittal, after the frantic recovery of an incriminating letter, by insisting that she acted to protect her honor, and then finally meets death at the hands of the murdered man’s Eurasian wife. (Adults) (Running time, 97 minutes) This second screen version of Somerset Maugham’s play is a somberly compelling study of frustration and revenge carried out in a brooding atmosphere which imbues the tale with a sinister, almost terrifying suspense. A grim script drives to' ward the tragic climax with a relentless momentum which plays on the taut thread of tension for all of its dramatic, torturing effects. Director William Wyler’s sure guidance places the correct emphasis on each situation, superbly interpreting the adaptation and scoring again and again with subtle, carefully staged scenes which enforce a maximum of malevolent appeal. Tony Gaudio’s photography focuses with eloquent lens on actor and country alike. The initial setting is the shadowy, brooding atmosphere of a Malay rubber plantation at night. Suddenly a shot rings out. Then another and another. Leslie Crosbie, sheltered wife of a rubber planter, stands gazing at the body of the man she has just killed. To her husband and to Howard Joyce, a sympathetic lawyer, she explains that she has acted in self-defense, to protect her honor. Her acquittal seems certain until Joyce learns that the dead man’s widow, a half-Asiatic woman, has in her possession a letter written by Leslie to tbe deceased inviting him to visit her on the night of the murder — when she was certain her husband would be away. Leslie, after a frantic interval, manages to buy back the note — but only by draining her husband’s bank deposits and by humbling herself before the native woman. Howard Joyce realizes her guilt, but risks his reputation in order to help save her. Robert, the naive husband, believes his wife innocent, but at length discovers the missing funds, demands an explanation. Leslie, in a tremendously dramatic scene, admits she killed the man who deserted her for an Eurasian wife, demonstrates that she still loves him. The widow learns of the confession, murders Leslie by luring her into a garden. Bette Davis plays the role performed by Katharine Cornell and Jeanne Eagles with faultless artistry. As Leslie she seems an incarnation of incurable neurotic evil, a passionate, frustrated woman whose desires knew no quenching. With masterful skill Miss Davis reflects the outward surface calm and the churning inward fires which make Leslie Crosbie a creature of fascinating paradoxes, striving by means of cool detachment to smother the searing confusion which finally erupts. James Stephenson as Howard Joyce, the respected lawyer who regretfully descends to sordid procedure in order to save the life of a friend, contributes an exceptional performance which ranks easily next to Miss Davis’ own. Herbert Marshall as the trustful husband seems convincingly negative. The menacing Eurasian wife is portrayed by Gale Sondergaard with just the right display of lacquered venom, while Sen Yung scores as a canny Oriental clerk. GUN CODE: Produced by Sigmund Neufeld for Producers Releasing Corp. Director: Peter Stewart Screenplay: Joseph O’Donnell Photography: Jack Greenhalgh Editor: Holbrook N. Todd Tim Hammond Tim McCoy Betty Garrett Inna Gest Curly Lou Felton James M. Bradley Alden Chase Slim Doyle Carleton Young Sheriff Kramer Ted Adams Tim McCoy as a Federal agent cracks down on western badmen running a cutthroat “protective association”; it’s another western and that’s about all. (Adults 8C Young People) (Running time, 43 minutes) When capable Tim McCoy lopes into a western town and learns that it is being bled by a phony protective outfit, he determines there and then to mess up the clip scheme. He defies the association, tangles almost at once and emerges triumphant once the script men have worked in the standard quota of fist-slinging and fast-riding sequences. The plot developments seem somewhat implausible, but incidents move at a fair pace. The cast includes Ted Ames, Carleton Young and Alden Chase, standard sagebrush performers. Inna Gest fills the girl role, although attempts to generate romance aren't very successful. 57