Description

A child's lie has life-shattering consequences in this daring adaptation of Lillian Hellman's celebrated play from legendary director William Wyler. Starring Academy Award* winners* Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine and co-starring James Garner, Miriam Hopkins and Fay Bainter, this landmark film is "one of the most finely wrought dramas in the history of the screen" (Motion Picture Herald). Karen (Hepburn) and Martha (MacLaine) are the headmistresses of an exclusive school for girls. When they discipline a malicious little girl, the vindictive child twists an overheard comment into slander and accuses her teachers of questionable behavior. Soon the scandalous gossip engulfs the school's community, with repercussions that are swift, crushing...and tragic. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Now This Is Chemistry
This is the film that started it all, and movie fans ever since have been grateful. It's the first pairing of the legendary Hepburn and Tracy, and from the moment when he first sets his eyes on her (actually, her legs - a great shot!), you can feel why they were such a perfect match on screen. They star as newspaper columnists coming from different backgrounds and perspectives, who despite the odds, fall in love, even though they have no idea how to fit into each other's worlds. Both stars give their usual top performances, compensating for some slow parts and dated elements in the story. I enjoyed the film, as I have enjoyed all their films that I have seen. Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy were two of the best in the business, so any opportunity to see them together should be taken!

FANTASTIC
When you have SPENCER and HEPBURN together, it's nothing less than FANTASTIC! No others in movie history can match them as a team. They're acting in a movie, but you can see the love for each other on their faces - it makes it enjoyable to watch them. Every film they have ever made together is great. In Woman of the Year, watch for the kitchen scene. Also, great to watch Desk Set;there are several scenes that were ad lib, and the director was smart in leaving them in - Spencer caught Hepburn entirely off guard with his antics.

Off to a Pretty Good Start
Kate & Spencer began a 25 year on and off the screen romance with Woman of the Year. The movie itself is fine but unspectacular. Basically, the message seems to be that a woman can't have it both ways: work and family. Odd message considering the female lead. WOTY is more important as a piece of film history for the pairing it started. Hepburn was pretty much the only woman as ahead of her times as she was. Fortunately she could put her money where her mouth was and deliver the goods. Several of her films are classics and she is a Hollywood Goddess.

"Woman Of The Year" is Great
"Woman Of The Year" is a Katherine Hepburn Spencer Tracy comedy MGM movie story of a powerful career woman "Tess Harding" who meets a powerful career man "Sam Craig" and they marry and the problems begin because they both have careers though her career is more public than his.She's a person that just about everyone knows in the world and she knows just about everyone by 1st name.There are some Great comedy scenes and the conflicts between career and home are good and they have a happy closing scene.This was the 1st of 9 movies that Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy starred in and they were good together in movies especially this one if you watched any of their movies then you would know and if not this is a good movie you would enjoy.This is the best Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy movie.The movie was popular with audiences and later the movie "Woman Of The Year" was made into a musical play.Barbara Eden played the role in a national touring production of "Woman Of The Year" in 1984 and it was this movie that the musical play was based on.A Great story.A Great movie.A Great DVD.

Laughs when you least expect it...
Aside from Hepburn & Tracy's debut as a team, all credit should be given to director George Stevens for putting together this very complicated story so seamlessly. Mr. Stevens finally won an Oscar in 1951 for "A Place in the Sun" and again in 1956 for "Giant". After "Woman ofthe Year", Stevens was nominated for "The More the Merrier", another complicated plot that he handled with brilliance (remade in the 60's as a Cary Grant romp). Tracy & Hepburn are wonderful (Kate getting a nomination), and Kate's pant-suits certainly must've made a fashion statement; Kate was certainly more comfortable in those clothes than the glamour girls of the time, and though not a great beauty, she was glamorous. I still don't understand why Kate became "box-office poison" in the late 30's; I thought she was brilliant in "Stage Door", "Holiday" and "Bringing Up Baby". I don't see any difference in her choice of roles as with Irene Dunne, who did crazy comedy ("The Awful Truth") as well as sensitive drama ("Love Affair"). Who's to say what tastes were at the time? Though "Woman of the Year" has a few slow, serious moments, it's the light-hearted moments that hold interest. It won an Oscar for Screenplay, much deserved by Michael Kanin and the later black-listed Ring Lardner, Jr. And there's a particularly lovely performance from Fay Bainter who seemed to be over-looked. I enjoy this film for many reasons; it was timely, due to its release during the WWII years, as well as attacking attitudes of society which are today ever-present. I think it's most entertaining. ... Read more

Reviews (44)

Bette Davis's Oscar winning performance now on DVD!!
In 1938 Bette Davis was a beautiful captivating actress who auditioned and lost for "Gone With the Wind" like every other female star did, with one difference, she starred in "Jezebel" winning an Oscar for Best Actress the year before.

"Jezebel" like Scarlet manipulated men with her destructive flirtatous desires. The setting was 1852 New Orleans pre-Civil War but abolotionists were abundant & the southern & northern relations were already politically strained. Davis's is outstanding in her role and quite beautiful. Henry Fonda & George Brent are her victims & pawns in her game chess. This movie even today remains as a classic Golden Hollywood film.

Standard Format this Black & White film is a great Warner Brothers picture. Only extra feature is a theatrical trailer. This is a great addition to your DVD library. Enjoy.

JULIE NEEDS SOME SHININ' ON THIS DVD TRANSFER!
Bette Davis took home the Best Actress Oscar for her performance as spoiled Southern belle, Julie in "Jezebel". More than anything Julie wants to be loved. But her mean spirit destroy her chances at happiness with a rich lawyer (Henry Fonda)and result in the death of one of her closest friends(George Brent). Then 'yellow fever' hits and the whole south begins to fall around her ankles. Davis is superb and she is supported by a stellar cast of character actors, topped off by Faye Bainter, as her sympathetic aunt. This film really stirred the breeze toward epics taking place in the south - branded box office poison up until then. It also killed whatever small chances Bette Davis had in her desire to play Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone With The Wind". This is no "Gone With The Wind" but, as told by director William Wyler, its a finely crafted melodrama and a tour de force for Bette Davis. So where's the problem?
In the TRANSFER: Warner doesn't give us much to hope for. Like "Dark Victory" this DVD is riddled with artifacts and digital compression problems that leave most of the image looking excessively harsh and grainy. The audio is mono but nicely balanced. Black levels are good but the gray scale seems to be lacking - too much middle range and not enough high and low end balance so that everything registers a dismal gray rather than a vibrant silvery spectrum of lights and darks.
EXTRAS: Not a one.
BOTTOM LINE: Don't waste your money!

Terrific performance, pointless and annoying story
The lead character is so very manipulative and knee-jerk reactionary that it's a wonder anyone fellow story charadctput up with her. Her love for her fiance played by a very wooden Henry Fonda seems non-existant, and when he leaves her after an impossible humiliating stunt of hers, she suddenly can't live without him. The story is drawing-room dull, all manners and behaviors. None of the characters are interesting enough to give a rat for. The dramatic ending is inconsequential and improbable.

Oscar-Winning, Oscar-Deserving. Excellent.
Poor Jack Warner. Imagine having to be the man who denied Bette Davis the role of Scarlett O' Hara. Imagine Bette's rage at the success of that particular picture. Imagine poor Jack's mind working nineteen tot he dozen, desperately searching for something, ANYTHING, to appease the wrath of The Davis.

Happily, Jack Warner came up with this: a 1938 movie about a spoilt southern Belle whose willful machinations eventually lose her the man whom she truly adores.

In my opinion, this is quite possibly Bette Davis' best ever moment in motion pictures. As Jezebel, she is old enough and established as an actress to bring real depth and credibility to the role, while being young enough so as not have established the Davis Trademarks to demean the role with. Playing the part of Julie Marsden, the titular Jezebel, Davis displays a rare understated pathos and a real sense of connection to her role. As with Regina Giddens in 'The Little Foxes', Bette's mastery of her craft is best displayed in the role of Julie. She is an emotional powerhouse, and the 'Let's raise a Ruckus' scene, as well as the final scenes of the picture, showcase that Oscar-winning mastery beautifully.

Henry Fonda is totally acceptable as the henpecked, hapless Preston Dillard, and in places gives a performance to match Bette's own. Other impressive supporting cast turns come in the shape of Margaret Lindsay as Yankee interloper Amy Bradford Dillard and the always-excellent Fay Bainter as Aunt Belle Massey.

Direction for the period is superior, too. Paced perfectly and beautifully photographed, William Wyler (whose talent is surely the only one to rival Joe L. Manckewiecz) has created a visual backdrop of opposite poles of emotion - the hubbub of city life, the quiet languor of plantation, and the terror and chaos of the epidemic are all as convincing as they are captivating. The infamous Red Dress scene has lost none of it's power, even after 74 years, Wyler's depiction of social ostracisation and slow realisation is masterful.

The DVD transfer for a 74 year old film is as good as can be expected. Sadly in parts the contrast between black & white is not as sharp as it could be, and the special features are not so good, but neither of these minor bad points will detract rom the overall majesty of 'Jezebel'.

Highly recommended.

Powerful Love Story From Bette Davis
"Jezebel" is a true classic released in 1938. Its plot about a woman, Julie, who loses her fiance, Preston, because of being greedy and manipulative is brilliant. Its powerful theme keeps audiences watching every scene closely. The plot builds up to the end, especially as her former fiance returns after being gone for one year. She's waited so long to beg for his forgiveness. Problem: he's now married. Jelousy begins lingering through every scene, keeping the plot interesting. There is never a dull moment through any movie detail. The intensity builds as yellow fever strikes, which offers a brilliant conclusion.

The set construction and the costume designs are amazingly ahead of their time. Few other movies in 1938 mastered such elaborate settings so flawlessly. Every detail is accurate to the actual 1850's New Orleans style.

Bette Davis deservingly won her Oscar for Best Actress for her role as Julie. She proves as always that she is one of the greatest and most influencial actresses of Hollywood history. Her heart and soul through her character is obvious. Henry Fonda's role as Preston is beautiful. His character's anger and love are expressed to his fullest. In this movie, Davis and Fonda answer why they deserve their legendary status. All other actors, major or minor, also perform their roles wonderfully.

"Jezebel" is a great movie for those looking for a great movie classic and/or a unique love story. This is sure to please audience for many more years to come. ... Read more

Amazon.com

If there's one movie Danny Kaye fans fondly remember, it's TheSecret Life of Walter Mitty. The versatile comedian--also an unsurpassedsong-and-dance man--plays a henpecked, thriller-genre book writer suddenlyenmeshed in a real adventure involving the (literal) girl of his dreams (VirginiaMayo). Initially criticized for not staying true to the more melancholic sensibility ofauthor James Thurber's original story (Thurber allegedly offered producerSamuel Goldwyn $10,000 to not make the film), it not only works as anindependent story, but remains highly entertaining and wears well upon repeatedviewing. Kaye's milquetoast Walter fantasizes distractedly about being heroic,whether a gunslinger, an Air Force pilot, or a riverboat gambler. His "Anatoleof Paris" number, in which Walter fancies himself a French hat designer who,in the end, declares he hates women, is nothing short of brilliant. That number,like many of Kaye's trademark patter deliveries, was penned by his wife, SylviaFine. Kaye benefits from a wonderful supporting cast: Mayo; Boris Karloff asmaniacal Dr. Hugo Hollingshead; Faye Bainter as Walter's repressive but livelymother; Ann Rutherford as his suspicious fiancée Gertrude; and GordonJones as Tubby, who not only has designs on Gertrude, but provides the villainin Walter's fantasies. --N.F. Mendoza ... Read more

Amazon.com

"I've got that nice, tired old feeling," says Pa Frake near the end ofthe gentle, sunny 1945 film, State Fair.The Rodgers and Hammerstein music, commissioned while Oklahoma was still making musical-theater history, feels tired too, like the result of a hastily written score. The state of Iowa just can't seem to inspire the same quality music as its more memorable, southern cousin.Remember that State Fair gem "All I Owe Iowa"?Still, it is R and H, and "It Might as Well Be Spring" is here as well as some other decent ditties.There's a country-mouse feeling as the Frake family journeys to the big city for the annual harvest celebration.Young daughter Margy (Jeanne Crain) has her eye on something more exciting than her bore of a fiancé, while her brother meets a lovely big-band singer with a secret.But the bucolic, Old Farmer's Almanac feel is genuine, and it's most obviously a picture of a bygone era when someone expostulates gleefully, "You're gonna be the wife of a journalist!" Not a "don't miss" but not a dismiss either.The DVD features include a vintage trailer for the film and production notes, which do add to the experience. --Keith Simanton ... Read more

Reviews (19)

A beautiful film musical!
I really loved this movie. It has auch beautiful songs and is a great romance story as well. I highly recommend it. It's a movie the entire family can watch.

A grand night
This was the first movie I ever saw, at the age of four at the Victory Theatre in Wellston, Missouri (The Victory, a new name for the Mikado, dumped when World War II broke out for obvious reasons). During "It Might As Well Be Spring" I was horribly worried Jeanne Crain was going to fall out of the windowsill of her second story bedroom window. I was so relieved when the song was over. This is a colorful, sweet film, though it does demonstrate as so often was demonstrated that only M-G-M could make M-G-M musicals. Jeanne Crain, the mother of many, always seemed to be acting with her mind on what the kids would have for dinner that evening, but she was lovely, so totally natural (my favorite Jeanne Crain film is the totally forgotten "Take Care Of My Little Girl," about college sorority life). Poor Dick Haymes is totally out of his element, though a wonderful singer. Vivian Blaine pretty much steals the show. She should have enjoyed a much bigger movie career; it's Broadway that won her heart. I love the roller coaster scenes. The coaster in the closeups is not the coaster in the far shots. The studio had a limited budget and, because of World War II, even more limited resources to build the darned sets with. "State Fair" has a lot of pasted-together elements, consequently, but if you don't look close (so much doesn't match from shot to shot and the big, overall shots of the Fair clearly are shooting a miniature that if you think too much doesn't make any sense at all) you'll feel you are at the State Fair.

Isn't the film kinda fun?
This is a better film for families to see, despite the kissing. It is better than Carousel(a nightmare,) but not as good as Chicago. The first time I saw it, it was fast, but now that I almost know it by heart, truthfully, it is going slower despite the running time being 100 minutes. Overall, an entertaing yet so-so film.

A kinder, gentler era
This movie is pure delight. Yes, it has some of the corniest moments ever put on film -- but isn't that part of the charm of these old movies? The music is lovely (I just can't agree with those critics who call it weak), and even though Jeanne Crain and Dick Haymes look far too worldly and sophisticated to be smalltown Iowa farm kids, the movie has a colorful and homey feeling to it. It is about a time when people got excited about spending three days at a county fair, riding on ferris wheels and eating candy apples. Our world may be a lot more sophisticated and technologically savvy nowadays, but I can't help thinking that we've lost a lot of the fun that our grandparents had. This movie brings it back. Enjoy!

Don't forget Vivian Blaine
Unlike Jeanne Crain's, Vivian Blaine's singing voice is her own and she outclasses everyone in the film. Compare her magnetism and composure to her partner, Dick Haymes, in their duet "Isn't it Kinda Fun." Real talent shines through and Vivian's delivery of a song is the only thing in this movie that doesn't seem naive, contrived, and dated. And to the reviewer who told us to "listen for Harry Morgan's voice over as the barker," look closely: that's no voice over... that young face IS the young Harry (billed as Henry Morgan). ... Read more

Amazon.com

Love film noir? Here's an exotic variant--call it "bayou noir." Leslie Calvin (Merle Oberon), an oil heiress, is in shock several times over, having been run out of her East Indies home by Japanese troops and then losing her parents during a disaster at sea. Seeking safe haven, she looks up her only known relatives--whom she's never seen--an aunt (Fay Bainter) and uncle (John Qualen) who have just taken up residence at Rossignol, an unused sugar plantation in a remote Louisiana bayou. They seem harmless enough, albeit aggressively eccentric. But what to make of the eternally smiling, white-suited houseguest, Mr. Sydney (Thomas Mitchell), or the creepy Cleeve (Elisha Cook Jr.), a caretaker with nothing to take care of? Soon Leslie is hearing voices in the night, plus sinister stories from a former servant (Rex Ingram) who keeps popping out of the underbrush. Far from recuperating in peace, she fears she's sinking into madness, from which not even the kindly young local doctor (Franchot Tone) can rescue her....

Sounds like a backwater Gaslight, or a swampland Manderley without a Rebecca (and as a matter of fact, Rebecca veteran Joan Harrison worked on the script). Director André De Toth pumps up the atmosphere despite limited independent production resources, and he creates an unsettling mise en scène in which the heroine is either effaced by off-kilter camera angles or utterly isolated in vulnerable closeup. Unfortunately, Merle Oberon, notwithstanding her heartstopping Eurasian beauty, is about as expressive as a marble paperweight, and the screenplay doesn't so much advance as sink into the neighboring quicksand. Still, De Toth's inventiveness, Miklós Rósza's score, and some filigreed lighting by Bride of Frankenstein's John Mescall keep you watching. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Dark Waters
From the opening scenes you're engaged. Merle Oberon is the beautiful but mentally shaken oil heiress Leslie Calvin. Leslie's mental health is fragile because she and her family had to flee their East Indies home due to a Japanese invasion during the hell that is WWII. Then the ship that she sails away on is torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat. Virtually every passenger (including Leslie's parents) is killed in this incident except Leslie and 3 other survivors. Leslie Calvin has had an incredible run of bad luck and it's going to get worst.

In a New York hospital Ms. Calvin's New York doctor (played by Batman's Alan Napier) feels that Leslie would probably recuperate a lot faster if she were to stay with family. Unfortunately the only family Leslie has now is an Aunt (played brilliantly by Fay Bainter) and Uncle whom she has never met who live down in the Louisiana bayou on a sugar plantation called Rossignol. Leslie follow her doctor's advise, which is a bad idea, as Leslie's Aunt and Uncle aren't exactly as they seem and embark on a deadly plan to get Leslie out of the way in order to claim her inheritance. Suddenly Leslie hears voices in the night, lights mysteriously flicker and her "relatives" can't stop talking about Leslie's personal tragedies, which her bayou doctor played by Franchot Tone had instructed them not to do. The cruelest scene is when her relatives take Leslie to the movies to see a war picture complete with U-boats sinking ships and death.

One of the most moving scenes is where a depressed Leslie feels that she is losing her grip on her sanity. She feels that she does not deserve the love of her doctor (who had just proposed to her) because she feels that she is going mad. She feels that she should have died like her parents and be, "under the water with my mother and father."

When Leslie begins to realize that something is amiss with her aunt and uncle she forgets her fears regarding her mental state
and becomes the answer-seeking heroine. Leslie enlists the doctor's aid and they set off to solve the mystery of Leslie's strange aunt and uncle, which leads to deadly consequences for all. At the end of the film Ms. Calvin and the doctor triumph and the good doctor ask Leslie if she all right, and Leslie lights up with the realization that she is indeed all right and she is a survivor.

One of the few truly original films produced by Hollywood.
'Dark Waters' is one of the great one-offs in Hollywood history, from a director used to throwing out great one-offs - the heroically idiosyncratic Andre de Toth. It features Merle Oberon as a woman who is attacked on all sides - by History, in the shape of the German U-boat that bombed the liner carrying her refugee family; by mental breakdown; by family; by a gang of criminals trying to exploit her fragility and make her even more mad; by supposedly benevolent male authority figures always telling her what's best for her; by a community where surveillance is the norm; by a film whose style is as fractured and stylised in its editing, narrative conceits and visual novelty as Oberon is emotionally; and by the very ground she walks on, the bayous of Louisiana. 'Dark Waters' is mixture of many currents in 40s Hollywood - the Freudian psychodrama; the woman's picture; the film noir; the Val Newton horror film - but has an exhilerating craziness all of its own.

Andre de Toth's atmospheric study in fear on the bayou
Merle Oberon stars as Leslie Calvin, an oil heiress who survives a shipwreck after her ship is sunk by a submarine attack while fleeing the East Indies following the Japanese invasion. Leslie then makes the mistake of going to live with her only remaining relatives in a crumbling mansion on an old sugar plantation in the remote bayou country of Louisiana in order to recover from her traumatic ordeal. Unfortunately, Uncle Norbert (John Qualen) and Aunt Emily (Fay Bainter), along with the devious Mr. Sydney (Thomas Mitchell), are after her fortune. Their plan is to have her declared insane and towards that end Leslie to a rather bizarre series of sights and sounds to torture the poor woman. My favorite is the machine rigged up by the plantation's overseer Cleeve (Elisha Cook, Jr.) that echoes Leslie's name. Of course, if they do not drive Leslie insane they can always kill her and dispose of the body in that convenient swamp (you know someone is going to end up there sooner or later). The only person Leslie can turn to is Dr. George Grover (Franchot Tone), if they can just get past that doctor-patient relationship and the fact she is hearing voices in the night. "Dark Waters" is directed by Andre de Toth, one of his first films after coming from Hungary; he would later do "Springfield Rifle" and "House of Wax." All of the credit for the atmospheric effectiveness of this 1944 film is due to de Toth's efforts as a director and not to the inept Oberon's performance. Fortunately the film has a solid supporting cast and the script allows the audience to project the appropriate fears and terrors onto the main character. Yes, this movie will remind you of "Gaslight" and a whole bunch of other films, but "Dark Waters" is still an above average example of this genre.

Dark Waters
Gothic horror film. An English woman travels to a Russian island to discover why her father, who recently died, was making payments to a convent. At times the plot is hard to follow, but the ending brings it all together. Lots of blood. Very creepy. A little like Hellraiser as far as gore.

Tense drama, fine actors
This rarely seen movie is available again, and that's a greatpleasure, since Dark Waters is a minor mystery movie with beautifulMerle Oberon as a girl haunted by her own relatives. Franchot Tone acts well as her romantic interest, but Thomas Mitchell steals the show, giving a splendid performance, refreshing to see him as villain. The print (from UCLA) isn't first rate, but generally acceptable. Sound is often below par, which happens to be regrettable because of the very fine score by Miklos Rozsa. Recommended. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The first film starring the legendary screen team of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, this savvy dramatic comedy from 1942 plays off the unlikely match of polar opposites--the brash sports reporter Sam Craig (Tracy) and the brilliant political commentator Tess Harding (Hepburn) from the New York Chronicle--whose marriage grabs front-page headlines. Balancing her flashy career with marital bliss turns out to be a complicated challenge for the worldly Tess, whose down-to-earth husband struggles to support her ambition while keeping their marriage from falling apart. Though some of its sexual politics are sure to seem outdated, this sparkling comedy is still relevant to today's demanding professional lifestyles, and the Hepburn-Tracy chemistry is a wonder to behold in some of their all-time favorite scenes.Woman of the Year was gracefully directed by George Stevens, from a screenplay by Ring Lardner Jr. and Michael Kanin. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (44)

Bette Davis's Oscar winning performance now on DVD!!
In 1938 Bette Davis was a beautiful captivating actress who auditioned and lost for "Gone With the Wind" like every other female star did, with one difference, she starred in "Jezebel" winning an Oscar for Best Actress the year before.

"Jezebel" like Scarlet manipulated men with her destructive flirtatous desires. The setting was 1852 New Orleans pre-Civil War but abolotionists were abundant & the southern & northern relations were already politically strained. Davis's is outstanding in her role and quite beautiful. Henry Fonda & George Brent are her victims & pawns in her game chess. This movie even today remains as a classic Golden Hollywood film.

Standard Format this Black & White film is a great Warner Brothers picture. Only extra feature is a theatrical trailer. This is a great addition to your DVD library. Enjoy.

JULIE NEEDS SOME SHININ' ON THIS DVD TRANSFER!
Bette Davis took home the Best Actress Oscar for her performance as spoiled Southern belle, Julie in "Jezebel". More than anything Julie wants to be loved. But her mean spirit destroy her chances at happiness with a rich lawyer (Henry Fonda)and result in the death of one of her closest friends(George Brent). Then 'yellow fever' hits and the whole south begins to fall around her ankles. Davis is superb and she is supported by a stellar cast of character actors, topped off by Faye Bainter, as her sympathetic aunt. This film really stirred the breeze toward epics taking place in the south - branded box office poison up until then. It also killed whatever small chances Bette Davis had in her desire to play Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone With The Wind". This is no "Gone With The Wind" but, as told by director William Wyler, its a finely crafted melodrama and a tour de force for Bette Davis. So where's the problem?
In the TRANSFER: Warner doesn't give us much to hope for. Like "Dark Victory" this DVD is riddled with artifacts and digital compression problems that leave most of the image looking excessively harsh and grainy. The audio is mono but nicely balanced. Black levels are good but the gray scale seems to be lacking - too much middle range and not enough high and low end balance so that everything registers a dismal gray rather than a vibrant silvery spectrum of lights and darks.
EXTRAS: Not a one.
BOTTOM LINE: Don't waste your money!

Terrific performance, pointless and annoying story
The lead character is so very manipulative and knee-jerk reactionary that it's a wonder anyone fellow story charadctput up with her. Her love for her fiance played by a very wooden Henry Fonda seems non-existant, and when he leaves her after an impossible humiliating stunt of hers, she suddenly can't live without him. The story is drawing-room dull, all manners and behaviors. None of the characters are interesting enough to give a rat for. The dramatic ending is inconsequential and improbable.

Oscar-Winning, Oscar-Deserving. Excellent.
Poor Jack Warner. Imagine having to be the man who denied Bette Davis the role of Scarlett O' Hara. Imagine Bette's rage at the success of that particular picture. Imagine poor Jack's mind working nineteen tot he dozen, desperately searching for something, ANYTHING, to appease the wrath of The Davis.

Happily, Jack Warner came up with this: a 1938 movie about a spoilt southern Belle whose willful machinations eventually lose her the man whom she truly adores.

In my opinion, this is quite possibly Bette Davis' best ever moment in motion pictures. As Jezebel, she is old enough and established as an actress to bring real depth and credibility to the role, while being young enough so as not have established the Davis Trademarks to demean the role with. Playing the part of Julie Marsden, the titular Jezebel, Davis displays a rare understated pathos and a real sense of connection to her role. As with Regina Giddens in 'The Little Foxes', Bette's mastery of her craft is best displayed in the role of Julie. She is an emotional powerhouse, and the 'Let's raise a Ruckus' scene, as well as the final scenes of the picture, showcase that Oscar-winning mastery beautifully.

Henry Fonda is totally acceptable as the henpecked, hapless Preston Dillard, and in places gives a performance to match Bette's own. Other impressive supporting cast turns come in the shape of Margaret Lindsay as Yankee interloper Amy Bradford Dillard and the always-excellent Fay Bainter as Aunt Belle Massey.

Direction for the period is superior, too. Paced perfectly and beautifully photographed, William Wyler (whose talent is surely the only one to rival Joe L. Manckewiecz) has created a visual backdrop of opposite poles of emotion - the hubbub of city life, the quiet languor of plantation, and the terror and chaos of the epidemic are all as convincing as they are captivating. The infamous Red Dress scene has lost none of it's power, even after 74 years, Wyler's depiction of social ostracisation and slow realisation is masterful.

The DVD transfer for a 74 year old film is as good as can be expected. Sadly in parts the contrast between black & white is not as sharp as it could be, and the special features are not so good, but neither of these minor bad points will detract rom the overall majesty of 'Jezebel'.

Highly recommended.

Powerful Love Story From Bette Davis
"Jezebel" is a true classic released in 1938. Its plot about a woman, Julie, who loses her fiance, Preston, because of being greedy and manipulative is brilliant. Its powerful theme keeps audiences watching every scene closely. The plot builds up to the end, especially as her former fiance returns after being gone for one year. She's waited so long to beg for his forgiveness. Problem: he's now married. Jelousy begins lingering through every scene, keeping the plot interesting. There is never a dull moment through any movie detail. The intensity builds as yellow fever strikes, which offers a brilliant conclusion.

The set construction and the costume designs are amazingly ahead of their time. Few other movies in 1938 mastered such elaborate settings so flawlessly. Every detail is accurate to the actual 1850's New Orleans style.

Bette Davis deservingly won her Oscar for Best Actress for her role as Julie. She proves as always that she is one of the greatest and most influencial actresses of Hollywood history. Her heart and soul through her character is obvious. Henry Fonda's role as Preston is beautiful. His character's anger and love are expressed to his fullest. In this movie, Davis and Fonda answer why they deserve their legendary status. All other actors, major or minor, also perform their roles wonderfully.

"Jezebel" is a great movie for those looking for a great movie classic and/or a unique love story. This is sure to please audience for many more years to come. ... Read more