Confession (Warner Bros.) (1937)

You’ve seen Kay Francis as a smart society girl, as a worldfamous modiste, as Florence Nightingale—always more than adequate to the demands made upon her by the script of her picture —always suave and charming and beautifully gowned. Now— when you see “Confession,” you will see a Kay Francis you never knew. You'll see her first as a broken-down derelict, on trial for murder. All her brunette beauty has disappeared. Her hair is blonde and stragely, her face is marked by deep lines. The make-up men did their work well, and you'll have to look twice to recognize the glamorous Kay, garbed in a prison uniform. As the trial progresses, the sullen murderess finally makes an effort to defend herself. It is then that the screen flashes back to show a different Kay. Here she is a young girl—a talented opera star and dancer. And therein lies a tale! When “Confession” went into production, it was assumed that the parts of the film which called for Kay to sing and dance would be “dubbed” in. After all, Miss Francis is a dramatic actress and she could hardly be expected to step out of character. But Kay had a different idea. Her script said that she danced the Mazurka. She asked around to find out just what a Mazurka was. She was referred to Dance Director Eddie Larkin, and in less than a week he had taught her the dance. Her script called for a song—“One Hour of Romance.” Kay got a copy of it, and consulted a singing teacher. When she reported for work on “Confession,” she was ready to go! Director Joe May was flabbergasted when Kay told him that she thought she could handle the singing and dancing without any dubbing, but when he saw what she could do, his surprise turned to pure delight. “What a girl, what an actress!” was his pertinent comment. While Kay is a famous opera star she meets Ian Hunter, and falls in love with him, gladly giving up her career to marry him. Now we see her as a beloved young wife, and a young mother. Then the war tears her husband from her side, and she is a subdued young matron. She goes to a War Relief Ball one night for diversion, and there she meets Basil Rathbone, who pays her assiduous attentions. Everybody is desperately gay and there is a good deal of drinking. She drinks too much, and becomes unconscious. When she awakens the next morning she is in his apartment. She is conscience-stricken when her husband comes home a few days later. Finally she goes to Rathbone to demand that he let her alone, but her husband follows her and misunderstands. He divorces her, and gains the custody of their small daughter. Kay turns back to the stage, but her path is continually downward from that point. She becomes a hardened and bitter woman of the world and loses her looks and her talent. It is here that she gives one of the most superb performances of her career. It is when she sees her daughter at a cafe with the man who ruined her own life that she becomes a murderess. She seizes a gun and shoots him down in cold blood. It is safe to say that no actress has ever shown herself as versatile as Miss Francis does in this film. Her transition from the beau tiful, high-spirited and beloved opera star, to the haggard old woman is a brilliant piece of artistry. The principal players in addition to Miss Francis are lan Hunter, Basil Rathbone, Jane’ Bryan, Robert Barrat and Dor othy Peterson.