Jezebel (1938)
WILLIAM WYLER
Bil’s rating (out of 5): BBB.5. USA, 1938. Warner Bros.. Screenplay by Clements Ripley, Abem Finkel, John Huston, based on the play by Owen Davis. Cinematography by Ernest Haller. Produced by Hal B. Wallis. Music by Max Steiner. Production Design by Robert M. Haas. Costume Design by Orry-Kelly. Film Editing by Warren Low. Academy Awards 1938.
George Brent, Bette Davis and Henry Fonda in Jezebel. Davis won her second Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance.
Bette Davis stuns the crowd again as a rebellious southern gal who shockingly wears red to her cotillion ball (gasp!) She also openly pursues a handsome gentleman (Henry Fonda) who no longer wants her because of her forward ways, and when he goes off and marries some simpering ninny, Davis does her best to get revenge on both of them. Davis’ fireball performance certainly makes up for the fact that this is a completely ridiculous exercise in misogyny that has an outspoken, individualistic young woman punished with old maid-ness and an eventually dire conclusion.
