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The Letter

1940

William Wyler

Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, James Stephenson, Frieda Inescort ...

7.5

5,580

Drama. Film noir The wife of a rubber plantation administrator shoots a man to death and claims it was self-defense. Her poise, graciousness and stoicism impress nearly everyone who meets her. Her husband is certainly without doubt; so is the district officer; while her lawyer's doubts may be a natural skepticism. But this is Singapore and the resentful natives will have no compunction about undermining this accused murderess. A letter in her hand turns up and may prove her undoing. [+]

	Author	Review
United States	Bosley Crowther The New York Times	"An evil tale, plotted with an eye to its torturing effects"	POS
United Kingdom	Time Out	"A superbly crafted melodrama"	POS
United States	TV Guide	"Director William Wyler's magnificent handling of the material and Bette Davis's taut and calculated performance converted it into enduring cinematic art."	POS
United States	Robert K. Elder Chicago Tribune	"Bette Davis gave one of her best and nastiest performances in Wyler's stylishly sordid 1940 romantic murder-mystery from W. Somerset Maugham's story"	POS
United States	Entertainment Weekly	"Davis unsurprisingly mesmerizes as a duplicitous murderess pleading self-defense."	POS
United States	Variety Staff Variety	"Never has [the W. Somerset Maugham play] been done with greater production values, a better all-around cast or finer direction"	POS
United States	Pauline Kael The New Yorker	"Davis gives what is very likely the best study of female sexual hypocrisy in film history."	POS
United States	Dave Kehr Chicago Reader	"A better-than-average Bette Davis vehicle (1940), well constructed by that shrewd old hack, William Wyler, from a Somerset Maugham play."	POS

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