Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Now, Voyager - The Bette Davis Collection
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1* *2* *3*
- Commentary: Ahhh...be still my heart! I love this movie so much it's hard for me to decide whether this or All About Eve is my favorite Bette Davis movie. First, of course, Bette Davis. What a character she plays in this! What a wonderful job she does! Second, the story. I consider the end strikingly unusual, but, I reminded myself that this movie played in 1942: Women were losing men to war, revelling in their independence and sudden ability to make a living and be both needed and wanted by the workforce...I guess I shouldn't consider it quite so striking. And then, of course, there's Claude Rains. My infatuation with this man is absolutely unreasonable. I kept wanting and expecting Davis' character to become romantically involved with his character, a psychiatrist. And, then, of course, the cigarettes. Read the mentions for information about how they went over in our household...definitely a surprise.
I can't, unfortunately, comment much about Paul Henreid's performance. For me, he was simply an object off which Davis bounced. However, there was one other performance in the movie I considered devastating: Gladys Cooper as Mrs. Vale. Not only was her character wickedly written, her performance was flawless. her portrayal was so subtle, she transformed Mrs. Vale into a quiet horror; always much better than an obvious horror.
The first part of the title is linked to an alternate review in which quite a bit of dialogue is quoted. As well, once again, as with the Joan Crawford Collection, I've linked the second part of the title to a site that gets it done when it comes to collections (and other reviews, as well). His review of this movie is the fourth down the page. Thank you, DVD Savant, now CineSavant!
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Bette Davis Charlotte Vale Paul Heinried Jeremiah Duvaux Durrance Claude Rains Dr. Jaquith Gladys Cooper Mrs. Windle Vale Bonita Granville June Vale John Loder Elliot Livingston Katharine Alexander Miss Trask Mary Wickes Dora Pickford Frank Puglia Giuseppe Ilka Chase Lisa Vale Franklin Pangborn Mr. Thompson Janis Wilson Tina Durrance
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1942
Directed by Irving Rapper.
Labels: 20th-century-chick-flicks1, bette-davis, claude-rains, drama9, mother-daughter-dynamics1, popcorn-and-soda4, romance2, shared-favorite
