One Of Bette Davis's Most Memorable Performances - & Fonda Is Pretty Good Too

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Bette Davis, Richard Carlson, and Teresa Wright in The Little Foxes (1941)

Bette Davis, Margaret Lindsay, and Franchot Tone in Dangerous (1935)

Bette Davis and Claude Rains in Now, Voyager (1942)

Olivia de Havilland and Montgomery Clift in The Heiress (1949)

Ruth Chatterton and Walter Huston in Dodsworth (1936)

Bette Davis and Gig Young in Old Acquaintance (1943)

Bette Davis and Leslie Howard in Of Human Bondage (1934)

I like my convictions undiluted, same as I do my bourbon.

Bette Davis, Henry Fonda, Fay Bainter, and Henry O'Neill in Jezebel (1938)

Bette Davis and George Brent in Jezebel (1938)

Bette Davis and Henry Fonda in Jezebel (1938)

George Brent and Richard Cromwell in Jezebel (1938)

"Jezebel" George Brent and Bette Davis 1938 Warner

"Jezebel" Bette Davis and director William Wyler take a break during filming 1937 Warner Brothers

Bette Davis and Donald Crisp in Jezebel (1938)

Irving Pichel and Georges Renavent in Jezebel (1938)

Bette Davis

Henry Fonda

George Brent

Clements Ripley

Abem Finkel

John Huston

In 1850s Louisiana, a free-spirited Southern belle loses her fiancé due to her stubborn vanity and pride, and vows to win him back.

William Wyler

Jezebel

&quot;...love her most when she&apos;s her meanest, because I know that&apos;s when she&apos;s loving most...&quot;

&quot;Jezebel&quot; is a romantic drama where floral scents and shots of pride dance seductively along the edge of tragedy.

The story takes us to New Orleans in the year 1852, where a spoiled and fiercely headstrong Southern belle, Julie Marsden, devises revenge on her fiancé, banker Preston &quot;Pres&quot; Dillard, after he fails to accompany her to the final fitting of her ball gown due to business obligations.

In an act of defiance, Julie chooses a dress in a shockingly bold color, one considered scandalous for an unmarried woman. Her friends are stunned by her decision, but none manage to dissuade her. The Olympus Ball - the most important social event of the year - receives her gown with gasps and condemnation. Eventually, Julie begs Preston to take her home, while he, in silence, is already preparing a far more decisive course of action...

Director William Wyler masterfully uses close-ups to heighten the tension between characters. Julie is often filmed at an angle, half-lit, her eyes shadowed, only to briefly reveal her true emotions in passing glances. These visual choices serve to deepen her characterization.

The dialogue is not particularly sharp - except when Julie strikes back. Costume design is exquisite, particularly during the ball sequences, and Max Steiner&apos;s score, though used sparingly, punctuates moments of suspense with precision. In the second half, the powerful melodrama occasionally slips into soap-opera territory, largely due to Julie&apos;s abrupt transformation in character. Nonetheless, the film remains thematically rich, questioning a woman&apos;s place in a man&apos;s world - through symbols of pride, rebellion, freedom, shame, and submission.

The rigid codes of the Old South permeate the narrative - in titles, gestures, and colors - where deviation leads to social exile.

Wyler does not shy away from moral ambiguity, portraying Julie&apos;s &quot;curse&quot; not as evil, but as a volatile blend of stubbornness and privilege, leading toward a near-religious arc of redemption and sacrifice.

Bette Davis embodies Julie Marsden - a pampered, headstrong Southern &quot;she-devil.&quot; Her eyes flicker with pride, passion, shame, and regret. Julie is a vulnerable character, yet every action she takes is deliberate - if not entirely calculated. I expected her fiery spirit to blaze through to the end, but she suddenly transforms into a martyr. Still, the Oscar ended up in her hands - and deservedly so. Her performance is arresting.

Henry Fonda plays Preston Dillard - a man guided by reason, standing tall along the spine of moral integrity. Preston is not vengeful, only disillusioned, for his beloved has become too toxic for the just world he envisions.

George Brent as Buck Cantrell exudes Southern charm, vanity, and masculine bravado. He flirts with honor itself, unaware that the game may end in deadly consequences. Fay Bainter as Aunt Belle Massey brings warmth, justice, and emotional clarity. She is Julie&apos;s conscience - the moral compass within a divided household. Donald Crisp as Dr. Livingstone serves as the voice of reason, the wisdom of an older generation - though even he realizes that logic alone cannot mend what has broken.

&quot;Jezebel&quot; is a potent romantic drama about characters caught between pride and passion, morality and desire - where every whim and vendetta demands its price.

A must-see stop for every true lover of the genre.

Theatrical Trailer from Warner Bros. Pictures

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMzY4ZTNlMjMtNDk5NC00MGY2LTg3OTgtNmYzMDcyZDkyNjExXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzU1NzE3NTg@._V1_.jpg

"...love her most when she's her meanest, because I know that's when she's loving most..."

"Jezebel" is a romantic drama where floral scents and shots of pride dance seductively along the edge of tragedy.

The story takes us to New Orleans in the year 1852, where a spoiled and fiercely headstrong Southern belle, Julie Marsden, devises revenge on her fiancé, banker Preston "Pres" Dillard, after he fails to accompany her to the final fitting of her ball gown due to business obligations.

In an act of defiance, Julie chooses a dress in a shockingly bold color, one considered scandalous for an unmarried woman. Her friends are stunned by her decision, but none manage to dissuade her. The Olympus Ball - the most important social event of the year - receives her gown with gasps and condemnation. Eventually, Julie begs Preston to take her home, while he, in silence, is already preparing a far more decisive course of action...

Director William Wyler masterfully uses close-ups to heighten the tension between characters. Julie is often filmed at an angle, half-lit, her eyes shadowed, only to briefly reveal her true emotions in passing glances. These visual choices serve to deepen her characterization.

The dialogue is not particularly sharp - except when Julie strikes back. Costume design is exquisite, particularly during the ball sequences, and Max Steiner's score, though used sparingly, punctuates moments of suspense with precision. In the second half, the powerful melodrama occasionally slips into soap-opera territory, largely due to Julie's abrupt transformation in character. Nonetheless, the film remains thematically rich, questioning a woman's place in a man's world - through symbols of pride, rebellion, freedom, shame, and submission.

The rigid codes of the Old South permeate the narrative - in titles, gestures, and colors - where deviation leads to social exile.

Wyler does not shy away from moral ambiguity, portraying Julie's "curse" not as evil, but as a volatile blend of stubbornness and privilege, leading toward a near-religious arc of redemption and sacrifice.

Bette Davis embodies Julie Marsden - a pampered, headstrong Southern "she-devil." Her eyes flicker with pride, passion, shame, and regret. Julie is a vulnerable character, yet every action she takes is deliberate - if not entirely calculated. I expected her fiery spirit to blaze through to the end, but she suddenly transforms into a martyr. Still, the Oscar ended up in her hands - and deservedly so. Her performance is arresting.

Henry Fonda plays Preston Dillard - a man guided by reason, standing tall along the spine of moral integrity. Preston is not vengeful, only disillusioned, for his beloved has become too toxic for the just world he envisions.

George Brent as Buck Cantrell exudes Southern charm, vanity, and masculine bravado. He flirts with honor itself, unaware that the game may end in deadly consequences. Fay Bainter as Aunt Belle Massey brings warmth, justice, and emotional clarity. She is Julie's conscience - the moral compass within a divided household. Donald Crisp as Dr. Livingstone serves as the voice of reason, the wisdom of an older generation - though even he realizes that logic alone cannot mend what has broken.

"Jezebel" is a potent romantic drama about characters caught between pride and passion, morality and desire - where every whim and vendetta demands its price.

A must-see stop for every true lover of the genre.

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