The Letter (1940)

Best movie of this year hands down!

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Bette Davis was known at some point to never let her audience down when it came to her movie roles and this movie supports that. Powerful in its story-telling and slow to reel you in and then hook, The Letter gets better as it unfolds but not to disappoint those that like to get right to it, this movie also hits the ground running right at the start. Every viewer gains as this movie is played. Good cast and crew to not mention memorable scenes that make one want to see the movie again despite knowing the ending. Excellent character and ethics being acted out and how quick they can all come to risk should the right circumstances prevail. This movie presents those ducks all lined up and ready to quack away. What fascinates us is when a fellow human being bets all they have on a thing, outcome or want. Not one but three people succumb making us see that dark forces if given an inch will take a mile if we blink. We blink and the rest is good entertainment. Ask yourself if this could have happened to you and if so, what would you do? Play the different characters and keep asking. In the end, all we say or do comes down to truth or whatever topples us. In this case, its in writing and peoples life's

"The Letter" immediately hooks its watcher's with the murder of Mr. Hammond at the hand of Leslie Crosbie(played remarkably well by Bette Davis). The movie is set in Singapore. Director and producer William Wyler did an astounding job overall. While some may be bothered by the lack of background leading up to the murder, it lets the middle of the movie stay exciting, and keeps the watchers engaged throughout the whole movie. The cinematography is exceptionally well done, especially for 1940. It's overall enjoyable to watch, and I had fun watching it. 9/10.

Geoffrey Hammond learns the hard way that you end a relationship with Bette Davis at your peril in this mesmerising classic Hollywood melodrama. Although Bette Davis & Herbert Marshall get top billing, the film is really held together by the late James Stephenson in an Oscar-nominated performance, while Gale Sondergaard is unforgettable as the vengeful "Mrs.Hammond" (who with her arched eyebrows and in her skin-tight qipao bears an eerie resemblance to the Martian Girl in 'Mars Attacks!').William Wyler not surprisingly had wanted Gregg Toland, but veteran cameraman Tony Gaudio provides a more gothic look (aided by the immaculate production design of Jules Carl Weyl), and produces some vivid moonlit scenes, while Wyler occasionally creates an interesting effect akin to Toland's depth of field emphasising the depth of the images by occasionally putting Stephensen in some of his scenes with Davis exaggeratedly out of focus either in the foreground or background. It all goes a bit over the top towards the end in order to appease the Hays Office, and Max Steiner's score is a bit - well - Steinerish at times, but his eerie main theme is yet another aspect of the film that will stay with you long afterwards.

One of Bette Davis' nastiest roles. Based on W. Somerset Maugham's novel and directed by William Wyler, Leslie Crosbie(Davis)shoots a man, Geoffrey(David Newell),and with quick wit tells her rubber plantation overseer husband Robert(Herbert Marshall)and their lawyer Howard Joyce(James Stephenson)that it was self-defense. The couples mutual friend was making passes at her. After fighting him off, she follows him to the porch and shoots him. She will stick to her story and draw sympathy. Mr. Crosbie is willing to pack up and leave Singapore, so the couple can get away from the shooting. Leslie's story begins to unravel when a letter arrives revealing that she may have planned the murder to end a serious affair. Enter Geoffrey's widow attempting blackmail.Other players in this Warner Brothers black & white drama: Gale Sondergaard, Bruce Lester, Cecil Kellaway, Frieda Inescort and Victor Sen Yung.