MARKED WOMAN (1937)

Legendary actress Bette Davis did the television talk show circuit quite frequently during her long career, even during her last years when her health was seriously compromised. One of her best interviews was on The Dick Cavett Show in 1971. This is the infamous interview where Mr. Cavett impulsively asked the star how she lost her virginity. What could have turned into a very awkward moment was instead turned into a classic Bette Davis moment when she answered Cavett with: "I'll TELL you!" (Spoiler alert: It happened on her wedding night.) Miss Davis was obviously enjoying her talk with Cavett and was more than able to keep up with the man's quirky sense of humor. She also gave a lot of insight into her career and her feelings about the craft of acting. At one point she was discussing the differences in making films in the Golden Age of Hollywood and the contemporary era. She had this to say about the new emphasis on realism in the early 1970's:

"I think acting should look as if we were working a little. I think it should be a little larger than life, a little bit theatrical."

Fans of Miss Davis, or any other star from the Golden Age, will be able to relate to this comment. One of the enduring pleasures of watching classic films is getting to know the stars for their personalities as well as their different roles. Bette Davis has certainly created some memorable characterizations on the screen. Just look at her immersion into the role of Mildred Rogers in OF HUMAN BONDAGE (1934), Cockney accent and all. But that "larger than life" quality was always a part of every performance the lady gave. Somehow this great actress was able to convey to her audiences how much she was enjoying the work she was doing for them, and for herself.

MARKED WOMAN is a well-made, enjoyable film on several levels. It is also an important milestone in Bette Davis' career. This is the first film assignment the actress was given after the court battle she and Warner Brothers had gone through in 1936. Miss Davis had gone on suspension for refusing a film that Jack Warner had chosen for her. She then signed with another producer, resulting in her being sued by her employers for breach of contract. She countersued in an attempt to be free of the contract, but Warners won the case. But Davis managed to win the respect of Jack Warner, who began offering her the kind of quality scripts she had been fighting for. MARKED WOMAN began a long series of successful, critically acclaimed films that made Bette Davis the most important actress on the screen. 

As the film opens, we are carried once again into the familiar Warner Brothers world of gangsters and other denizens of the urban underworld. Mobster Johnny Vanning (Eduardo Ciannelli), has gained control of the nightspot Club Intime, changing its name to Club Intimate. As he takes ownership of his new domain, he tells the women working as hostesses that they are now working in a "clip joint", meaning they have to hustle the customers to drink and gamble as much as possible. Vanning warns the women that they'd better follow his orders because he now controls the vice industry all over town. The hostesses are Mary Dwight Strauber (Bette Davis), Dorothy "Gabby" Marvin (Lola Lane), Emmy Lou Eagan (Isabel Jewell), Florrie Liggett (Rosalind Marquis), and Estelle Porter (Mayo Methot). The women aren't happy with this new arrangement, but realize they have no choice. (SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT ON.) One night, Mary is ordered to encourage a customer to gamble recklessly, and he writes a bad check to the club. He doesn't think he will get into any trouble, but Mary tells him otherwise. She tells him to get out of town in a hurry. But Vanning's men follow him to his hotel and kill him.

Gorgeous, theatrical, and much larger than life, Bette Davis.

Mary's younger sister, Betty (Jane Bryan), a college student, arrives for a surprise visit to the apartment Mary shares with the other four hostesses. Mary has been supporting Betty's education while claiming to work as a model. She wants to hide her true vocation from her sister. But the police arrive and take all the women, Betty included, to headquarters to question them about the man who was murdered. District Attorney David Graham (Humphrey Bogart) is hoping he can use the women's testimony to bring Vanning and his men to trial and put an end to their criminal activity. But Mary and the others refuse to cooperate out of fear and Vanning and his men go free. Betty now knows what Mary's real occupation is and tells her she can never go back to college after all the negative newspaper coverage. She decides one night to go to a party with Emmy Lou, where Vanning hooks her up with an older businessman. Betty has drinks with the man, not knowing everything that is expected of her. She leaves the party and arrives home just as Mary is coming back from the club. Mary tells Betty she was a fool to go to that kind of a party. She and Betty argue and Betty angrily decides to go back to the party. Once again she meets up with the businessman. When he tries to manhandle her, she resists. Vanning tells her to do what the man wants. When Betty refuses, Vanning assaults her, knocking her down a flight of stairs. She is seriously injured, and Vanning tells his men to dump her into the river. Emmy Lou witnesses everything.

Jane Bryan and Bette Davis

When Emmy Lou returns to the apartment, she tells Mary she doesn't know where Betty is. Mary goes to Graham for help, but he tells her there's nothing he can do. While in his office, Mary learns that Betty's body has been found. Mary resolves to testify against Vanning and his men, but they try to silence her by beating her severely and using a knife to mark her face with a cross. She defies Vanning and convinces the other women to help her. Vanning and his men are convicted. David Graham is being hailed as a hero, while the five women walk away into the night, unsure of their future.

Mayo Methot and Bette Davis

Bette Davis insisted on wearing this realistic makeup.

Rosalind Marquis, Mayo Methot, Lola Lane, Bette Davis, Isabel Jewell, and Jane Bryan.

After the opening credits, there is a disclaimer saying that the stary is fictional, etc., etc. The truth is, the story is inspired by the real-life trial of mobster Lucky Luciano, who ran a huge prostitution ring. It was the testimony of several prostitutes, and the hard work of legendary district attorney Thomas Dewey, that got him convicted. Because of censorship restraints, the women in the film had to be classified as "hostesses". There is some suggestiveness that their job description might call for a little more than that. For instance, when Mary is testifying in court, she admits that the women sometimes entertain their customers outside of the Club Intimate. This all left up to the viewer's imagination. 

Bette Davis' energetic and highly theatrical portrayal of Mary is the centerpiece of the film, and she is exciting to watch. The fact that Miss Davis does not look like, sound like, or act like a world-weary, downtrodden nightclub hostess at any point in the film takes nothing away from the success of her performance or the believability of the story. This is a great star using her full power to bring life to a character while letting her audience know that she IS a great star and having the time of her life. Listening to Mary's/Bette's sophisticated diction gives the impression that the character is most likely a Bryn Mawr graduate who majored in English Literature with a minor in Nightclub Hostess Science. The other actresses have the world-weary thing going on perfectly, especially Lola Lane and Mayo Methot. Miss Lane was only two years older than Bette Davis, but looks much older. She provides quite a bit of emotional impact when she talks about a man she once loved who was killed by Vanning years before. Mayo Methot is totally believable as a woman who's getting older and reacts to her hopeless situation with cynicism and anger. Rosalind Marquis doesn't have much dialogue in the film, but she does sing a good blues number called My Silver Dollar Man. Isabel Jewell as Emmy Lou is glamorous and flirtatious, but rises to the dramatic occasion when it's called for.

Humphrey Bogart gives a good performance as David Graham. It is a credit to the actor's versatility and talent that he is convincing as an upright man of the law only one year after his incredible portrayal of gangster Duke Mantee in THE PETRIFIED FOREST. He and Miss Davis have good chemistry in their scenes together. It was during the filming of MARKED WOMAN that Bogart met Mayo Methot and they were soon married. Jane Bryan was an up-and-coming contract player at Warners who gave up her career for a long, happy marriage. She played Bette Davis' daughter in THE OLD MAID (1939). Some familiar Warners contract players also appear in the film, such as Allen Jenkins and John Litel.

Prolific director Lloyd Bacon was at the helm, with uncredited assistance from Michael Curtiz.

The closing scene, with the hostesses walking away and disappearing into the foggy night is very Noirish and moving. One almost expects Bette Davis to emerge from the fog and back into camera range, bowing to her audience, a triumphant smile on her face. As wonderful as that would have been, we can all thank her for showing restraint.

Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart

 

HOW BAD CAN THEY BE? BRIEF, SNARKY COMMENTARIES ON FILMS I DIDN'T LIKE.

 Sometimes negativity can be extremely healthy. Not to mention loads of fun. Here are some one-star movies I managed to sit through. Comments are always welcome. Let me know if I trashed one of your favorites.

DIMPLES (1936) 

One of Shirley Temple's least likable vehicles. By 1936, Little Miss Perfect was starting to lose some of the magic that had made her a star. It doesn't help matters that the story here is derivative and dull. Once again, she's the adorable orphan who's being cared for by a lovable but slightly crooked adult, this time Frank Morgan, three years before he landed in Oz and achieved cinematic immortality. The dullness of the story is interrupted (too) frequently by equally dull songs and dances, all performed by Miss Temple, while the other cast members look on adoringly. We also get treated to a performance of Uncle Tom's Cabin with Miss Temple playing Little Eva and everyone else wearing blackface. The finale is a lively minstrel number complete with tambourines. Skip this one and go watch BRIGHT EYES (1934) again.

BURNT OFFERINGS (1976)

I saw this film when it was first released and thought it was an exercise in overkill. Recently I watched it again after forty-some years. It hasn't necessarily improved with time. It's a fairly ridiculous horror film with some atmospheric sets and one or two impressive moments. Bette Davis chews every bit of scenery she can sink her dentures into. Oliver Reed seethes with an intensity that isn't warranted by the silly story. And Karen Black is stuck somewhere in the middle, trying to bring life to a poorly conceived character. With Eileen Heckart and Burgess Meredith. Directed by Dan Curtis, the creator of DARK SHADOWS.

BEYOND THERAPY (1981)

Absolutely one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Robert Altman must have been binge-watching Woody Allen movies while smoking crystal meth. I never dreamed it would be possible to make Glenda Jackson look like an amateur. We won't even discuss Julie Haggerty or Tom Conti. Christopher Guest manages to generate a few laughs. Jeff Goldblum does NOT transform into a half human/half fly creature, although it could only have helped the movie. There are three complete renditions of the song Someone To Watch Over Me, by Linda Ronstadt, Lena Horne, and Yves Montand. You'll never want to hear the song again after this ordeal is over.

BEWARE! THE BLOB! (1972)

This movie is so bad. So unbelievably bad. The word "bad" isn't nearly bad enough to describe it. Larry Hagman directed. Why he would do such a wretched thing remains a mystery. Maybe he hated humanity and wanted us all to suffer. Beware this movie!!

OUIJA: SUMMONING (2015)

An ill-advised encounter with a Ouija board unleashes an evil murderous spirit that attaches itself to an irritating teenage girl. As she becomes even more irritating with each successive scene, half the cast winds up dead. This includes a priest, who shows up in the middle of the movie to sprinkle holy water on everything in sight, while looking as pensive as humanly possible. If you happen to be a jump scare junkie, then you can get your fix here. Otherwise, the only other things that rate a thumbs up are the dark atmosphere and the decent cinematography, attributes that can be found in even the cheapest of horror flicks these days. But not even atmosphere can overcome a weak story and a total lack of anything resembling logic. Best advice to anyone encountering a Ouija board: Break it in half and run in the other direction.

BEACH BUM (2019)

Another gift to the universe from Harmony Korine, the creative genius who previously blessed us with TRASH HUMPERS (2009). There is no need for spoiler alerts when discussing this movie. There is no story, no character development, and not much of anything else either. Matthew McConaughey totally negates any progress he made as a serious actor by playing an unlikable character named Moondog, who is an older version of the overgrown adolescent he played in DAZED AND CONFUSED. To accompany Moondog, we also have Snoop Dog, a rapper turned non-actor. Mr. Dog stands in front of the camera reciting lines in the same lifeless monotone he uses in his stellar rap concoctions. Isla Fisher, who proved herself a good actress in NOCTURNAL ANIMALS, dies early in this film. Wise decision.

INCEPTION (2010)

I don't want to seem overly presumptuous here, but there is a slightly remote possibility that, in some small way, I may have come somewhat close to, perhaps, reaching a kind of understanding of what this film may or may not be about. There were many explosions. An abundance of noise. Occasionally, people jumped off of buildings. 

At the end, everyone seemed happy. I'll hold on to that.