Friday, June 01, 2018

TCM's Film Noir of the Week at Midnight ET Saturday Night-Sunday Morning (and 10 a.m. Sunday) is The Letter (1940), starring Bette Davis in One of Her Greatest Roles!

 

 

By David in TN
Thursday, May 31, 2018 at 10:36:00 P.M. EDT
 

 

TCM's Film Noir of the Week at Midnight ET Saturday Night-Sunday Morning (and 10 a.m. Sunday) is The Letter (1940).

 

Bette Davis and a sap
 

This is one of Bette Davis' best roles. She plays the unfaithful wife a rubber plantation manager in what appears to be Malaya, circa 1930. The film begins with Davis emptying a revolver into a man she claims was sexually assaulting her.
 

Davis between two saps
 

The police don't believe it, and arrest her for murder. James Stephenson plays her lawyer-family friend who is approached by blackmailers with a letter indicating the man she killed was her lover.
 

Davis between three saps
 

Stephenson reluctantly breaks ethical rules and buys the letter from the victim's Eurasian wife, played by Gale Sondergaard. The plot is a complex mystery.
 

Trailer
 

Davis and Herbert Marshall between scenes
 

Bette Davis chews the scenery with Stephenson, the conflicted attorney, Herbert Marshall as the cuckolded husband, and Victor Sen Young, as Stephenson's tricky sometimes assistant.
 

 

 

The Letter repeats at 10 a.m. ET Sunday morning, June 3.

 

 

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed watching The Letter.I'm a fan of Betty Davis,but was not aware of this film.Thanks for posting.

David In TN said...

TCM's Film Noir of the Week at Midnight ET Saturday Night-Sunday Morning (and 10 am Sunday) is Conflict (1945), starring Humphrey Bogart, Alexis Smith, and Sydney Greenstreet.

Humphrey Bogart is probably the actor most identified with film noir, but his role in Conflict is unusual in having him as the villain. Bogart's character is in love with him sister-in-law (Smith). His wife (Rose Hobart) knows but refuses to divorce him. Bogie tries to solve this problem in typical noir fashion by killing his wife, hiding the body, and proclaiming her "missing."

Ironically, when Bogart pursues Alexis Smith, she has no interest in him. Suddenly it appears Hobart may still be alive. Bogie's doubt and paranoia increase.

Sydney Greenstreet plays a psychiatrist friend of the family who investigates.

Conflict is based on a story by veteran noir director Robert Siodmak and directed by Curtis Bernhardt.