Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Jezebel (1938) ****

Jezebel_(1938)

(This is my contribution to the William Wyler Blogathon.  Please check out all of the wonderful blogs participating in this great event, which is hosted by The Movie Projector and runs June 24-29.)

Of all the directors screen legend Bette Davis worked with in her storied Hollywood career William Wyler was her favorite.  They worked together three times: Jezebel (1938), The Letter (1940), and The Little Foxes (1941)—she received an Academy Award nomination for all three films.  No other director knew how to handle 500fullDavis like Wyler. As an actress Davis was known for her uncompromising dedication to her roles, no matter if she were playing a complete shrew in Of Human Bondage (1934) or an alcoholic actress in Dangerous (1935). She was also known for her ability to hijack a picture from a weak-willed director. And, this is the main reason she and Wyler worked so well together: he was anything but weak-willed.  He, like Davis, was a perfectionist.  The difference is he knew perfect when he saw it, while she had the habit of assumption.  What I mean by this is that she often thought if she held nothing back and gave the most honest and raw take that she could then it must have been perfect.  Yet, Wyler knew there was more to capturing cinematic greatness and that is what he taught Davis when they worked together on Jezebel

Based on the 1934 Owen Davis play of the same name, Jezebel, which was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, tells the tragic story of headstrong New Orleans debutante, Julie Marsden (Davis, in a role that was originated on the stage by her not BFF Miriam Hopkins). When Julie decides to test the love and patience of her longtime on-and-off-again beau Preston Dillard (Henry Fonda) on the cusp of the jezannouncement of their engagement by wearing a red dress to the Olympus Ball (where all unwed women wear white) she sets in motion a series of events that lead to her eventual downfall.  There are three things that make Jezebel such a memorable picture: the costume design, the Olympus ball scenes, and Davis’ performance. 

The story takes place in 1850s New Orleans, so when the first glance we get of our heroine is her riding a hellish horse and wearing a riding habit we should know she’s a bit progressive for the times in which she lives.  The fact that she would wear said riding habit into greet a roomful of “properly” dressed guests to a party she’s late for only compounds the fact that Julie Marsden is obviously a feminist.  Still, the riding habit is by far the least memorable of the costumes Davis wears in Jezebel when one remembers the infamous red dress and the virginal white gown she wears to beg Press to take her back.  Designed by Orry-Kelly, every costume Davis wears is perfectly matched to the scene in which it is worn.  The dress most remember is the red gown that gets poor Julie into all kinds of trouble.  To answer Julie’s question upon seeing it: yes, it was saucy!  What most people don’t know about the dress is that it was first made out of red satin but when photographed in black and white it looked dull, so the color had to be changed to rust-brown to appear red on film.  Still, it is a rather startling dress, especially when it is contrasted against all the white gowns at the Olympus Ball.  It fits Davis perfectly and matches Julie’s fiery personality at Jezebel-26that point in the movie.  The other standout gown is the frilly, virginal white dress that Julie wears when she greets Press at Halycon Plantation.  At this juncture in the film Julie is filled with humility and repentance and is more than willing to lower herself before her beloved.  This is a key point, because when Orry-Kelly designed this dress he had to make sure it showed well when Julie literally kneels at Press’s feet and begs him to take her back. She is enveloped by the dress and it shows just how small Julie feels about the way she’s behaved. 

That bad behavior, of course, is on full display at the Olympus Ball.  After Julie refuses to change her red dress bf5_1_b_114_1efore going to the ball Press decides he’s going to teach her a lesson in humility. For a sequence that was originally scheduled for only a half-day of shooting the ball scenes turned out to be some of the best in the film.  A half-day soon turned into five excruciating days of extensive takes and camera movements.  The ballroom was huge and had a massive chandelier that hung oppressively overhead. Countless couples (all “properly” attired) are dancing as a full orchestra plays a waltz when Press and Julie enter the ballroom.  When Press removes Julie’s cloak to reveal her scandalous dress all eyes are shockingly focused on the young couple for a moment.  They literally walk the gauntlet as they slowly walk past a line of men who Press warningly glares at. It is at this moment that Wyler and Oscar-nominated cinematographer Ernest Haller focus in on Julie’s eyes, which go from defiant to humiliated in a matter of seconds. Things become even more intense when Press forces her to dance, even as the entire floor of dancers leave the floor, repulsed by the couple’s impropriety. The overhead shot 21of the empty dance floor, sans Press and Julie, is almost unbearable to watch. The scene itself is what I like to refer to as a theatre of tragedy.  Press and Julie are the actors, while the other attendants are the audience.  As his grip tightens around her waist while she begs him to take her home, you see them encircled by those white dresses in a domineering overhead shot. A spotlight literally shows the complete disintegration of their relationship.  It is one of the most powerful, almost completely non-verbal scenes I recall ever watching. 

Of Davis’ many great performances, Julie Marsden is most probably the most subtle.  Davis had Wyler to thank for this, as well as for her Best Actress Oscar statuette. Perhaps one of the reasons most people don’t remember Julie as a bitch is because of the way Wyler asked Davis to play her.  Instead of speaking aggressively and dealing death glances with her eyes, Davis was asked to play Julie with a smile on her face and a sweet lilt in her voice.  She may have been giving Press hell or inciting duels, but she did it with a sweet Southern smile and a coquettish twinkle in her eye. At first when Wyler asked Davis to play her character like this she didn’t understand and was vbette-davis-jezebel-4ery off-put, but after watching the rushes she soon realized that her director was right. I think that is what makes Julie one of her most memorable characters—she was so different from the roles Davis usually played.  I mean, really, who can ever forget how she looked as she knelt before Press—completely humble and innocent—begging for his forgiveness and love.  How often did Bette Davis kneel before any man?  And, then, of course, you have that indescribably baffled look on her face when Press introduces his new wife (Margaret Lindsay) to her.  As she takes a moment to take in what he’s said you can see her internal struggle to understand what has just taken place. Her only response, obviously dumbfounded, “Your wife?”  Priceless.

Oddly enough, Jezebel had as much drama happening behind the scenes as it did in front of the camera.  For one thing, Wyler and Davis started a torrid affair that reportedly resulted in a pregnancy. And, perhaps to fully encompass the role of Jezebel, who in the words of Aunt Belle (Best Supporting Actress winner Fay Bainter) was “a woman who did evil in the sight of God,” Davis also conducted an affair with Fonda after having a fight with Wyler.  It Jezebel (1938)took a phone call from Fonda’s pregnant wife (she was carrying Jane) to make Davis end the fling.  In addition, at one point Jack Warner was seriously considering replacing Wyler with William Dieterle because Wyler was so far behind schedule and over budget. Davis had to plead with Warner to keep Wyler and promised to work until midnight every night if that’s what it took to finish the film with Wyler.  In the end, the film finished a month late and nearly $400,000 over budget.  Ah, but it was all worth it, as Jezebel made Bette Davis a superstar and William Wyler a top-tier director. 

40 comments:

  1. Can't wait to watch this, I taped it! Great contribution to the blogathon!

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  2. Nice, post, Kim. Oh that Bette - she sure tortured Willie, didn't she? But I guess she was worth it. Their collaborations had such spark, you know those sparks were flying off-screen, too! This movie really is just perfection What more can you say? And thanks for spotlighting the costumes, which add to the perfection. So nice when it all comes together, isn't it?

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    1. I think they worked really well together on Jezebel. Things got progressively more difficult with each successive film. I personally think she was bitter about how their romantic relationship ended and she took it out on him.

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  3. This is such a great film - I was lucky enough to see it on the big screen when it got a brief rerelease in the UK for Bette Davis' centenary, and it really does have an epic quality to it there. I love your point about the dance scenes and the white dresses surrounding the red/black one - also fascinates me that the dress looks black to us although it is red to Julie, showing how she is dooming herself with her rebellion. A great posting which has me wanting to watch the film again soon!

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    1. Judy, you are so lucky to have seen this on the big screen. Funny thing about that dress, even though I know the film was shot and B&W I always remember seeing it as red.

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  4. I always wondered how Wyler thought about using George Brent here. People like to make fun of George, but I think he's just fine here, as he is in his other Davis films. He never overshadows her, which is why I think she liked working with him. But I wonder if Wyler wanted someone with a bit more edge to him.

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    1. Kevin, I'm not sure. This was the only time Brent got to work with Wyler. Most critics consider his turn here as his best.

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  5. This is a one of my favorite period films and maybe.. one of Bette Davis' most memorable performances. Fay Bainter, also, gives a wonderful performance as Aunt Belle. loved seeing a very young, Henry Fonda.

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    1. Definitely one of Davis' most memorable performances, Dawn! Fay Bainter as Dumplin' Aunt Belle is a treat. I just love it when she says of Julie, "I'll love her most when she's meanest, because I know that's when she's lovin' most." As for Fonda, I liked seeing him, but I think he's just a blip on the radar when it comes to everyone else in Jezebel (except Margaret Lindsay, who was the absolute worst!).

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  6. "Jezebel" was a turning point in my appreciation of Bette Davis. Until I saw "Julie" I think I accepted Bette Davis as someone special because everyone said she was. After "Julie" I knew it for myself.

    It is interesting that Bette could stand back and appreciate what director Wyler added to her performance. It says something humble about her personality.

    Wonderful article. I can't wait to see "Jezebel" again - soon.

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    1. CW: Davis said that Jezebel was the film that made her a superstar. She was quite proud of the work and was intensely pleased to win the Oscar for it. Davis always wanted to be a better actress, if you were able to help her accomplish this, as Wyler so clearly did, she would trust and respect what you said.

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  7. One of Davis' best performances and one she herself considered a personal favorite, probably second after her Judith Traherne in DARK VICTORY. JEZEBEL did indeed serve as the springboard for the short Davis-Wyler romance, one that Davis admitted later, gave her the happiest times of her life. JEZEBEL was Davis's "GONE WITH THE WIND", and as you note Wyler had much to do with the way the role was negotiated. Kim you've written a wholly fascinating and thorough treatment of an exceedingly important film for both it's star and the director who was by this time really coming of age.

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    1. Sam, thanks for the kind comments. Davis thought Wyler the love of her life. She was bitterly disappointed (for her entire life) that he disregarded her feelings so quickly. Perhaps if she'd married him her feelings would have been altered--the whole forbidden fruit/what might have been surely played on her mind.

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  8. Thanks for your insightful post about one of Bette Davis' best films. You give a really perceptive analysis of her relationship with Wyler and how it inflected her performance. Fascinating background info!

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    1. Thanks for commenting. Had it not been for Wyler I doubt Davis would have turned into the actress that she did.

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  9. Really interesting info about the Orry-Kelly gowns. What a fabulous movie - you've made me want to see it again right away!

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    1. Ah, the dresses are nice, but not nearly as nice as Bette's performance. A must-see soon!

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  10. I've always thought of JEZEBEL as a consolation prize for Bette not getting the role of Scarlet O'Hara. It's a shame the film wasn't shot in color; t would have made the famous "red dress" scene is more effective. Still, it's the part of the film I remember best, as it best represents the defiance of Bette's characters.

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    1. It was a very big disappointment when she didn't get GWTW. Still, I think she made her point about her ability to play a temperamental southern belle with Jezebel. Wyler wanted to film in color but Warner had other ideas. Oh, well...

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  11. Fabulous review Kim! Bette Davis gives one of her greatest performances here. Wonderful background information and details!

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    1. Thanks, John. Julie is probably my second favorite performance, right behind Charlotte Vale in Now, Voyager. Davis turned in many standout performances, but certain ones hold a special place in my heart.

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  12. Kim, I'm floored by your wonderfully focused post. Also by the fact that you gave the film 4-stars. I know that you reserve this for exceptional films, so that tells me how highly you think of "Jezebel"!

    I loved your concise and lucid discussion of each of the three things in the film you singled out for attention. Costume is usually dealt with in a general way, but here it really plays a key role in defining Julie's character and her attitudes, and I thought you captured that beautifully. I watched "Jezebel" again just recently for the first time in a long while, and I have to say the Olympus ball is one of the great set pieces of cinema. How right you were to analyze this scene as an example of Wyler's cinematic genius. Then there's Davis--my favorite actress ever in one of her greatest performances. She makes every willful mistake and every change of emotion in Julie absolutely believable, even in the film's ending, which I remembered as being weak--her comeuppance for her selfishness--but felt on rewatching that Davis made acceptable.

    Your post was just a delight to read from start to finish. I'm so pleased that such a wonderful film found such a sympathetic writer to give it the treatment it deserves.

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    1. R.D., I am pleased you enjoyed the review. When you asked me to do it for your Blogathon I was overjoyed, as it is a particular favorite of mine. Mind you, that meant I had to work twice as hard not to write a dissertation. This and Now, Voyager are my favorite Bette Davis movies, so I had little difficulty giving it the treatment it so justly deserved.

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  13. I didn't know about the reported pregnancy. Wow! They say Wyler had an irresistible charm. He seemed to enjoy headstrong women.

    Interesting!

    - Java

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    1. He enjoyed them for awhile and then he had a habit of discarding them and finding another one. You'd think he'd learn his lesson. Maybe it was pathological?

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  14. Kim,
    I was glad to see you were reviewing Jezebel since it is hands down my favorite Wyler film. Well, actually it's in my top 5 of favorite films.

    A very interesting and refreshing review! I really enjoyed the info you provided on how Wyler directed Bette in getting such a compelling performance. (I love the tenacious and biting Bette the best!)

    Overall, a fantastic take on a brilliant film.
    Page

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    1. Thanks, Page. It's a particular favorite of mine, too, so I wanted to to a nice job.

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  15. Terrific review, especially how Wyler got Bette to give a performance that was different that what she wanted to do. Although Bette already had one Oscar under her belt, it's this film that really pushed her to the top, and she had an amazing run for the next six years. Wyler definitely deserves some of the credit for this, especially with this film.

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    1. Davis was not overly-impressed with her work on Dangerous, but she was extremely proud of Jezebel. They worked quite well together. Thanks for commenting.

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  16. One of my favorite Bette Davis movies, yet one I knew absolutely nothing about, behind the scenes-wise. Really enjoyed reading your review of the film and being educated on the various sound stage escapades. It's a miracle anyone had any energy left to make a movie.

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    1. Ken, I went to the sources (Davis and Wyler) to get the scoop. They liked sharing in their golden years.

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  17. Kim, Wyler and Davis were an incomparable team and I only wish they'd made many more films together. God knows, they may have worn each other out by the time "The Little Foxes" wrapped. Great insights on one of BD and WW's finest.

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    1. Thanks, Eve. I think if they continued to make films together after The Little Foxes that someone might have ended up in jail or the crazy house.

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  18. I loved your post, Kim. Jezebel is one of those films that has grown on me over the years -- I think that I'd heard so much about it, for so long, that when I finally first saw it (in my early 20s, if I recall correctly), I was a bit underwhelmed. But I have grown to appreciate it with each subsequent viewing, and I greatly enjoyed your treatment of the film as well as the juicy backstage dramatics, which I'd never known about!

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    1. Karen, thanks for the nice comments. It is a subtle film, but still superb.

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  19. I love the dresses, love Bette Davis--but I think what impresses me the most about Jezebel is how a movie that was specifically designed to capitalize on the popularity of Gone with the Wind (then in book form) manages to not feel like a rip-off. Part of that is the script, but part of it was definitely, as you mentioned, Wyler's direction to Bette Davis to treat her role less as a pouty, spoiled Scarlett-wannabe and more as an innocent who doesn't fully understand the possible consequences of her actions at the ball. The final scene, too, is so deliciously ambiguous--is Julie's redemption genuine, a real act of self-sacrifice? Or is it just her way of ultimately managing to be with Pres, separating him from his fiancee in death even as she couldn't in life? There are arguments to be made for both, and every time I watch the movie I change my mind on which one it is, haha.

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    1. You pose some interesting questions. You obviously have seen this film enough to analyze some of the underlying subtext.

      Scarlett and Ms. Julie are a lot alike, but they have marked differences--which I think Bette Davis deserves credit for.

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  20. Uh, I envy you all these wonderful comments. You have a large following to you blog! This is a very nice post, certainly with a different angle than I used, but that may be a gender thing. I was mostly intrigued by the psycology of Julie, how her spoiled, self-centered ego manages to ruin everthing for herself and those around her and that she even will sacrifice herself in the end to get her way/prove her point. I did not like her much, not even as a progressive feminist, she is simply too self-obsessed, but I totally loved Bette Davis in that role. She outshines everybody else.

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    1. I wrote this as part of a blogathon which was quite popular with many people (ala the comments). I wish I had this many comments on all of my posts. Anyway, the Wyler family even contacted the moderator, RD Finch, about this event. Miss Julie is her own worst enemy--one of the reasons I love her character so much.

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