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Bette Davis Collection 3 (6 Discs) - DVD

SKU: 16592741 | Release Date: 4/1/2008

Rating: NR

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Rating: NR
Format: DVD
Length: 666 minutes
Genre: General Dramas
Studio: Warner Home Video

Synopsis

Includes:

The Old Maid (1939)

All This and Heaven Too (1940)

The Great Lie (1941)

In This Our Life (1942), MPAA Rating: NR

Watch on the Rhine (1943)

Deception (1946)

The Old Maid
When Zo� Akins' play The Old Maid (based on a novel by Edith Wharton) won the 1934-1935 Pulitzer Prize, the selection was roundly condemned by critics, who felt that Lillian Hellman's The Children's Hour was more deserving, but had lost because of its lesbian theme. Certainly, Akins' story of the relationship between two Southern cousins in the years between 1833 and 1854 is nothing spectacular. Delia Lovell marries James Ralston, leaving her old beau Clem Spender out in the cold. Delia's cousin Charlotte comforts Clem by spending the night with him. Charlotte becomes pregnant, secretly farming out her daughter, Tina, to another family. The years pass; Charlotte sets up a day nursery so that she may remain close to her daughter (still in the dark as to the true identity of her mother). Meanwhile, Charlotte has become engaged to Ralston's brother Joseph. The troublesome Delia, who discovers her cousin's secret, contrives to prevent Charlotte from marrying Joseph, then arranges to have Charlotte raise Tina as her niece rather than her daughter. More years pass; Tina regards Delia as her mama and Charlotte as just an "old maid." At Tina's wedding, Charlotte almost reveals the truth to her daughter, but.....It's all slick romance-magazine stuff, and hardly worthy of the Pulitzer. On the other hand, the film version of The Old Maid, starring Bette Davis as Charlotte and Miriam Hopkins as Delia, is a classic of its kind, and one of Davis' best vehicles. The story is given additional substance by moving the early scenes up to the time of the Civil War, making Clem Spender (George Brent) less of a cad by killing him off at Vicksburg, thus rendering it impossible for Clem to make an honest woman of Charlotte. From the vantage point of the 1990s, when film stars find it difficult to turn out more than one picture a year, it is incredible that The Old Maid was but one of four first-rate Bette Davis films to be released in 1939; the others were Dark Victory, Juarez, and The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

All This and Heaven Too
An incredibly long but never dull adaptation of the Rachel Field best-seller, All This and Heaven Too was based on a once-notorious European scandal. Star Bette Davis, playing Henriette Deluzy-Desportes, is first seen as a French schoolteacher in a 19th century American seminary. When her supervisor, Reverend Henry Mortyn Field (Jeffrey Lynn), has questions to ask about her tainted past, Henriette relates her story in flashback. She had been hired by French duke De Praslin (Charles Boyer) to be the governess for his children. De Praslin's wife (Barbara O'Neil) was insanely jealous, so much so she inadvertently threw De Praslin and Henriette together. Henriette was willing to leave rather than cause more discord, but the influential wife vengefully refused to write a letter of recommendation (a bravura scene). Later, the impoverished Henriette was arrested as an accomplice in the murder of De Praslin's wife. The latter's position in French society stirred up volatile political ramifications, with Henriette innocently in the center of the storm. De Praslin committed suicide, exonerating Henriette on his deathbed, but she had already been condemned in the court of public opinion. Disgraced, she left for America to start life anew, which brings the story back to the present. Unable to continue running away from herself, Henriette confesses her past indiscretions to her students -- who promptly forgive her. Casey Robinson had a hell of a job adapting Rachel Field's cumbersome novel, but, by golly, he pulled it off. The performances in All This and Heaven Too are enhanced immeasurably by the lush Max Steiner musical score. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Great Lie
The Great Lie is Soap Opera Deluxe from Bette Davis' peak period at Warner Bros. Davis plays a socialite who is madly in love with playboy aviator George Brent. Brilliant but bitchy concert pianist Mary Astor (who won a well-deserved Academy Award for her chain-smoking histrionics) is also in love with Brent, going so far as to marry him in a secret ceremony. When it appears that the marriage may be invalid, Astor is too devoted to her art to take the necessary corrective steps, so Brent returns to Davis, who is too proud to be picked up on the rebound. While flying an important government mission, Brent disappears and is presumed killed. Davis meets Astor, who had been impregnated by Brent before the question of their marriage's validity came up. Since her first marriage had been in secret, Astor is terrified that her career will be ruined by the sudden appearance of an unexplained child, so Davis, out of love for Brent, agrees to claim the baby as her own. When Brent, who of course has not been killed after all, resurfaces, Astor demands that the child be returned to her, hoping that the child will forever bind Brent to her. Davis tells Brent the whole sad story, whereupon our long-absent hero declares his love for Davis and his willingness to give up the child to Astor. At the last moment, Astor returns the kid to Davis and Brent, and the film ends on a splendiferous musical chord courtesy of overworked Warner Bros. composer Max Steiner. In lesser hands, The Great Lie would have been outrageous hokum, but somehow Bette Davis and Mary Astor (and, to a lesser extent, George Brent) make you want to believe that the story has some resemblance to Real Life. The film was based on the novel January Heights by Polan Blanks, which was not governed by Hollywood censorship and thus didn't have to bend over backwards to "legitimize" the baby in the story. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In This Our Life
In This Our Life is not a "for the ages" classic of the Golden Age of Cinema, but as a highly effective and entertaining melodrama, it more than fits the bill. Howard Koch's screenplay is a trifle predictable, but it's well structured and provides the requisite juicy roles for its pair of female stars. It also provides a number of little surprises -- a sympathetic and (for the time) non-stereotypical portrayal of a black character and two characters living not only in sin but adulterously so -- that give it some distinction. The script's main drawback is its initial lack of focus; it doesn't seem to quite know exactly what its story is and where the real conflict will lie. Ultimately, this doesn't really matter, for John Huston knows where it's going, and he shepherds the story along very efficiently, throwing in a little social commentary here, heightening the atmosphere there, tossing in a hint of the unsavory elsewhere. Although he doesn't really know what to do with the male actors (save for Charles Coburn and Frank Craven, each of whom is just right in entirely different ways), he handles the women in exactly the right way, including Billie Burke as the coddling, neurotic mother. It's Bette Davis, of course, who gets the showiest role, and she sinks her teeth into it and plays it for all it's worth. It's a great Davis performance, but she's still outdone by Olivia de Havilland, whose quiet, understated work anchors the film and ultimately makes the greater impression. It's terribly fine film acting, and immensely satisfying. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide

Watch on the Rhine
An expansion of, and improvement upon, Lillian Hellman's stage play of the same name, Watch on the Rhine stars Paul Lukas, recreating his Broadway role of tireless anti-fascist crusader Kurt Muller. As the clouds of war gather in Europe in the late 1930s, Muller arrives in Washington DC, accompanied by his American wife Sara (top-billed Bette Davis) and their children Joshua (Donald Buka), Bodo (Eric Roberts) and Babette (Janis Wilson). The Mullers stay at the home of Sarah's wealthy mother Fanny Fannelly (Lucille Watson), who lives in her own world of society get-togethers and can't be bothered with politics. Also staying with Fanny is Rumanian aristocrat Teck de Branovis (George Coulouris) and his American wife Marthe (Geraldine Fitzgerald). To protect his family, Muller keeps his "underground" activities a secret from Fanny and her guests, but de Branovis is suspicious of the mild-mannered visitor. It turns out that de Branovis is actually a Nazi sympathizer, willing to betray Muller for a price. Using blackmail as one of his weapons, de Branovis threatens to destroy all that Muller has been fighting for. To prevent this, Muller kills de Branovis in cold blood. Now technically a murderer, Muller bids his family a reluctant goodbye, heading back to Europe to continue his vital work. If ever there was a justifiable homicide in a motion picture, it was the killing of the odious de Branovis in Watch on the Rhine. Still, the Hollywood production code dictated that a murderer must always pay for his crimes, thus a coda is added, alluding to Muller's death-providing a golden opportunity for a nifty smiling-through-the-tears curtain speech by Bette Davis. Scripted by Lillian Hellman's lover Dashiel Hammett, Watch on the Rhine earned several Academy Award nominations, as well as a "best actor" Oscar for Paul Lukas. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Deception
Deception is an operatic rehash of the 1929 film Jealousy. Music teacher Bette Davis--who evidently has a large student pool, judging by the size of her penthouse apartment--is reunited with her cellist lover Paul Henreid, whom she believed to have been killed in the war. Henreid wants to marry Davis, but he is unaware that she has, for the past several years, been the "protege" of composer Claude Rains. Rains agrees to keep quiet about his affair with Davis, but takes sadistic delight in tormenting the woman and working behind the scenes to sabotage Henreid's career. When Rains tells Bette of his plans to publicly humiliate Henreid, she shoots her ex-lover dead. Henreid agrees to stand by Davis no matter what is in store for her. Director Irving Rapper had originally wanted to treat the hoary plot twists of Deception comically, with the three principals walking off together at the end with a "what the hell?" attitude. He was tersely told to stick to the script; after all, people didn't pay to see Bette Davis but to see her suffer. Like the 1929 version of Jealousy, Deception was based on a play by Louis Verneuil. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Version Details

Languages/Sound

Eng

Additional Features

Expert commentaries Warner night at the movies extras - select music/sports/patriotic shorts, cartoons, newsreels and trailers from the film's release year

Chapters

Disc #1 -- The Old Maid
1. Credits [1:11]
2. Delia's Wedding Day [4:49]
3. Unexpected Return [4:43]
4. Something Blue [6:23]
5. So Much Left Unsaid [4:32]
6. Remarkable Occassion [3:37]
7. Curious about Clementina [3:55]
8. Secrets Revealed [5:50]
9. Realease from Marriage [5:16]
10. Hard Feelings [5:25]
11. Aunt Charlotte [5:56]
12. Young Delia's Wedding Day [4:27]
13. I Don't Dance [3:46]
14. Defiant Daughter [4:30]
15. I Know her Better [4:23]
16. Sour old Maid [4:50]
17. Adopting a New Plan [3:42]
18. Like a Princess [3:58]
19. Heaven Knows What Thoughts [1:53]
20. Just for Tonight [3:08]
21. The Mother She Wants [4:08]
22. Last Kiss Goodbye [3:20]
23. Cast List [:44]
Disc #2 -- All This, and Heaven too
1. Credits [1:12]
2. New Teacher [5:43]
3. Mademoiselle D. [2:56]
4. Crumbs of Happiness [3:01]
5. The Prasins [5:34]
6. Attraction and Aversion [4:43]
7. Peace in the House [3:58]
8. Clash of Authority [4:28]
9. Nursing Reynald [4:32]
10. Bedside Vigil [3:11]
11. God Will Visit his Revenge [4:39]
12. Woman's Right to Expect [2:47]
13. Back From the Country [2:16]
14. Night at the Theatre [6:25]
15. Slanderous Gossip [5:01]
16. Five Reasons to Stay [2:54]
17. For Appearance's Sake [3:14]
18. Other Kind of Love [3:50]
19. Snow Globe Memory [2:18]
20. Caught in the Net [1:39]
21. We Can't Go on [4:03]
22. All Hallows Eve [4:29]
23. Full of Understanding [3:13]
24. So Easy to Replace [4:10]
25. How it had to End [4:12]
26. Goodbye [6:14]
27. Henriette's Visitors [1:33]
28. Hatred will Follow [4:11]
29. I Alone am Guilty [5:35]
30. More than One Answer [7:13]
31. You have a Friend [4:33]
32. House of Peers [3:02]
33. Nothing I Need to Say [2:57]
34. She is my Heart [4:34]
35. End of her Story [1:42]
36. Heaven on this Earth [4:36]
37. Cast List [1:29]
Disc #3 -- The Great Lie
1. Credits [:54]
2. Morning After [4:08]
3. Not Quite Married [2:21]
4. Violet Bodyguard [3:25]
5. Tired of Being your Haven [4:57]
6. Let's get Remarried [6:18]
7. Maggie and Sandra [6:38]
8. Pete's News [4:04]
9. Wedding Night [4:41]
10. Letter from Washington [3:27]
11. Sandra's News [3:46]
12. Missing [2:59]
13. Something of his [3:53]
14. Baby Bargain [4:20]
15. Cabin Fever [5:13]
16. Breaking Point [5:25]
17. Safe-and-Sound Delivery [4:08]
18. Man of the Family [3:38]
19. Homecoming [5:31]
20. Our Son [2:21]
21. Home Movies [2:14]
22. New York Encounter [2:28]
23. Surprise Guest [4:19]
24. Toast to my Hostess [2:50]
25. Something Between us [3:31]
26. Liar's Fear [4:07]
27. With his Mother [4:58]
28. Cast List [:46]
Disc #4 -- In This Our Life
1. Credits [1:05]
2. Hard Times [4:00]
3. No Time for Sentiment [4:49]
4. What's Happened to us? [3:06]
5. No Strings [4:58]
6. Missing [3:50]
7. Just as Hard [2:15]
8. We've got to be Happy [2:30]
9. Between Ourselves [4:13]
10. Wedding Celebration [5:14]
11. Unexpectantly Good Wife [2:13]
12. Setting Another Fire [3:08]
13. Unhappy Couple [2:09]
14. Offers Refused and Accepted [3:49]
15. Sad news [2:58]
16. Sister's Comfort [4:20]
17. Other People's Happiness [1:45]
18. What we Want we Get [3:12]
19. Hit and Run [5:28]
20. Pointing to Parry [4:03]
21. All this Defense [3:55]
22. The Truth [3:00]
23. No Use in this World [3:59]
24. Confession [2:58]
25. Die for all I Care [4:40]
26. Speeding Toword Death [4:13]
27. Cast List [4:03]
Disc #5 -- Deception
1. Credits [1:36]
2. Master Cellist [3:43]
3. Reunion [4:06]
4. Christine's Apartment [4:36]
5. Too Good to be True [4:56]
6. Call from California [3:29]
7. Wedding Guest [4:30]
8. Shattered Mood [4:10]
9. So Many Lies [6:13]
10. Don't Provoke me [4:16]
11. Great Man's Vanity [2:53]
12. Playing the Player [4:05]
13. He Knows What he's Doing [5:12]
14. Simple Meal [6:08]
15. Capable of Anything [6:01]
16. Suddenly Trapped [3:54]
17. Understudy [2:38]
18. Leave the Stage [4:06]
19. His Own Weakness [5:03]
20. Did you Mean it? [2:18]
21. Finale Ultimo [6:03]
22. Cello Concerto [4:04]
23. An End to Jealousy [5:51]
24. Confession [4:47]
25. You'll Never Lose me [4:21]
26. Cast List [2:17]
Disc #6 -- Watch on the Rhine
1. Credits and Foreword [1:35]
2. In America [3:19]
3. Breakfast Bell [5:10]
4. Refugees [4:20]
5. That is my Trade [2:15]
6. Shopping and Chattering [4:07]
7. Fanny's Feelings [2:55]
8. Man who Sells Things [5:39]
9. The Mullers Arrive [4:45]
10. Welcome to your Home [4:03]
11. Anti-Fascist [6:37]
12. Suspicions [3:38]
13. Would you? [3:18]
14. Learn to be Frightened [3:07]
15. Contents of the Case [4:42]
16. Uncomfortable Memories [7:53]
17. Kurt's Work [5:43]
18. What if? [2:32]
19. Rules for Joshua [3:34]
20. The way I Must Live [3:14]
21. Men in Trouble [5:05]
22. Teck's Terms [3:17]
23. Better Without Words [5:08]
24. That Willingness to Fight [5:11]
25. Machts Gut [4:16]
26. In for Trouble [3:14]
27. When the Time Comes [2:55]

Bette Davis Collection 3 (6 Discs): AMG Review
AMG

Includes:

The Old Maid (1939)

All This and Heaven Too (1940)

The Great Lie (1941)

In This Our Life (1942), MPAA Rating: NR

Watch on the Rhine (1943)

Deception (1946)

The Old Maid
One of four superior Bette Davis vehicles from 1939, The Old Maid features Davis at her embittered best as a Civil War-era spinster and mother squaring off with her selfish cousin over the child's love. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning Zoe Akins play from Edith Wharton's novel, Davis and co-star Miriam Hopkins's fractious off-screen relationship lent an extra dash of realism to the onscreen rivalry between Davis's wallflower Charlotte and Hopkins's flighty, conniving Delia over Charlotte's daughter by Delia's spurned suitor Clem. A victim of societal limits as well as Delia's jealousy, Charlotte's transformation into a harsh old maid to preserve illegitimate daughter Tina's reputation amply displays Davis's actorly range, from the palpable rage in her confrontations with the simperingly malicious Hopkins, to the restrained grief over her daughter's cruelty. Edmund Goulding's elegant direction keeps the Davis-Hopkins cat fight in control without losing any of the melodramatic punch, heightening the emotional payoff of the final rapprochement between mother, daughter and rival mother. Praised for its polished production and Davis's poignant, complex performance, The Old Maid became a popular hit and might have garnered Davis an Oscar nomination-but that honor came for Dark Victory (1939) instead. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide

All This and Heaven Too
All This and Heaven Too may not be great drama, but it's a jim-dandy melodrama -- the kind of "women's picture" that's a real guilty pleasure. It has all the ingredients that a romance flick of this kind needs, from a tortured but noble heroine who suffers for the sins of others to a charming and unfortunate hero to an incredible harridan of a wife who makes life miserable for the both of them. Throw in some snotty schoolgirls who learn a valuable lesson in life, some adorable children, a few crises narrowly averted, a suicide, and a close call with the law, and there's more than enough to keep one glued to the screen, even when things stretch credulity a bit. Casey Robinson's screenplay is a great deal of fun, as well as being very well structured and providing the stars with some juicy parts to sink their teeth into. Bette Davis and Charles Boyer are near perfect as the lovers-that-cannot-be, but it's Barbara O'Neil as the wicked wife that gets highest marks for her deeply committed and immensely enjoyable performance. As a matter of fact, of the cast, only the annoying Jeffrey Lynn -- whose subtext for almost every line seems to be "Gee whiz! Isn't that exciting!" -- fails to satisfy. Anatole Litvak has directed with style and panache, assisted by Ernest Haller's dramatic lensing and Max Steiner's glorious score. Heaven is ultimately a little too artificial (by design) to be a great film, but it's thoroughly entertaining. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide

The Great Lie
Despite star Bette Davis's initial reluctance about the soap opera screenplay, she and co-star Mary Astor turned The Great Lie (1941) into a deliciously outrageous yet emotionally involving woman's melodrama. Bowing to the content restrictions of the Production Code while preserving the original novel's central struggle over George Brent's aviator Pete between Maggie, Davis's genteel Southern heiress, and Sandra, Astor's bitchy concert pianist, screenwriter Lenore Coffee justified Sandra's impregnation with a mistaken marriage. Allegedly displeased with the scripted interplay between Maggie and Sandra, Davis worked with Astor to devise a relationship that seethes with witty jealousy, yet reaches a twisted sisterhood in the central sequences in which Maggie looks after the pregnant Sandra as they await the birth in desert isolation. Smoothly directed by Edmund Goulding with the high style afforded Davis's Warner Bros. star vehicles, Davis has her signature moments of sweetness, grief, and steely strength, yet she also steps back to let Astor strut her histrionic stuff as the Tchaikovsky-playing, brandy-swilling diva. A box office success, The Great Lie earned Astor a much-deserved Supporting Actress Oscar. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide

In This Our Life
No reviews available.

Watch on the Rhine
Although unashamedly propagandistic -- and to modern audiences, at least, sometimes didactic and preachy -- Watch on the Rhine, nonetheless, continues to stir and impress viewers. It's hard to deny charges that Dashiell Hammett and Lillian Hellman's screenplay is melodramatic, or that the authors stack the deck in favor of their point -of-view, or that parts of the film belie its stage origins. However, these shortcomings also add to the ultimate impact of the movie, which carries the power of its convictions to the fullest. If the dialogue occasionally comes across as stilted, much more of it is compelling and moving; the various set piece speeches accorded the characters are filled with the kind of glorious turns of phrase and construction with which Hellman excelled. The movie also benefits from a superb cast. Top-billed Bette Davis is in rare form, turning in a finely nuanced performance that is more restrained than usual, yet still commanding. She makes the most of the opportunities given her in the script, particularly her final tug-at-the-heartstrings monologue. Even better is Paul Lukas, whose weariness is constantly at war with his dignity and his responsibility. He navigates the difficult transitions for his character with admirable ease, and creates a character that fully warrants the audience's depth of feeling. Lucile Watson is quite believable in her efforts to deny unpleasant truths as well as her willingness to fight once she comes to terms with reality, and George Coulouris is appropriately villainous. Despite its flaws, Rhine still packs an impressive wallop. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide

Deception
Melodramas don't come much soapier than Deception. If that means the film doesn't qualify as art, it doesn't prevent it from being a rollicking good time -- provided one is willing to let oneself get in the right mood. That mood might be called "Bette Davis on the Loose," for Deception is one of those pictures in which Davis is called upon to suffer nobly and hints of glycerin tears in the eyes; to use halting body language to disguise her ill-concealed past; and to vent her wrath in a no-holds-barred manner that shakes the heavens. It's not one of Davis' great performances, but it has the sound and fury that is so rewarding. The same cannot be said of Paul Henreid, whose performance is lifeless and annoying. But Claude Rains is another matter. Whereas Davis is simply playing to the balcony, Rains gives a truly fine performance. He's a cold and manipulative monster, but the actor understands that a veneer of warmth, a tendency to underplay and an ability to keep the fires on the inside rather than belching out can add definite layers of interest to a character. Irving Rapper's direction is nowhere near as fine as in Now, Voyager, but he hits the high points in an audience-friendly manner. Ernest Haller's cinematography enhances the picture, but modern viewers are likely to find Erich Wolfgang Korngold's score a bit too much for their tastes. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide

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Bette Davis Collection 3 (6 Discs) - DVD

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