The Letter (1940)
Until I saw both movies back to back, I’d always confused The Letter with Deception. They both star Bette Davis and they’re both melodramas involving her shooting and killing a man. In Deception, she says, “Give me the letter” before pulling the trigger. Confusing, isn’t it?
To help you tell them apart, focus on the male actors. Deception stars Claude Rains; The Letter stars Herbert Marshall. In this one, Bette starts the movie shooting a man and getting arrested for his murder. She claims it was in defense of her honor, but it’s all a bit skeptical. Until she opens up with the flashbacks, we don’t learn the full story – and how the titular letter plays its part. As you might imagine, since he’s played this type of role a lot, Bart plays the cuckold husband. They don’t want their reputations and standing in society to be ruined, so Bette and Bart stick together in her defense story.
This movie is actually a lot darker than I thought it would be. I assumed it would be another Bette Davis melodrama like The Great Lie and Mr. Skeffington, but this one has a certain amount of creepiness to the storyline. The setting is ominous, and the plot takes shocking turns. It’s not my favorite Bette Davis or Herbert Marshall movie. But if you like their dynamic, check them out in The Little Foxes.
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thanks "Classic Movies Kristine Rose" for posting!
More Herbert Marshall movies here!
To help you tell them apart, focus on the male actors. Deception stars Claude Rains; The Letter stars Herbert Marshall. In this one, Bette starts the movie shooting a man and getting arrested for his murder. She claims it was in defense of her honor, but it’s all a bit skeptical. Until she opens up with the flashbacks, we don’t learn the full story – and how the titular letter plays its part. As you might imagine, since he’s played this type of role a lot, Bart plays the cuckold husband. They don’t want their reputations and standing in society to be ruined, so Bette and Bart stick together in her defense story.
This movie is actually a lot darker than I thought it would be. I assumed it would be another Bette Davis melodrama like The Great Lie and Mr. Skeffington, but this one has a certain amount of creepiness to the storyline. The setting is ominous, and the plot takes shocking turns. It’s not my favorite Bette Davis or Herbert Marshall movie. But if you like their dynamic, check them out in The Little Foxes.
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thanks "Classic Movies Kristine Rose" for posting!
More Herbert Marshall movies here!