Jezebel, 1938 (Grade B-)

Director William Wyler 

Awards?:  Yes, Best Actress, plus Best Supporting Actress Academy Awards, plus other nominations. Also on AFI Top 100 Films 

CAST: Bette Davis; Henry Fonda; George Brent; Spring Byington; Fay Bainter; Jack Norton; Donald Crisp; Richard Cromwell; Margaret Lindsey; John Litel; Irving Pichel; Henry O'Neill. Georgia Caine

sez says: I am not sure how we missed this one before-It is a powerful study of selfishness and pride destroying a woman's life. Davis plays a beautiful, wealthy, headstrong young southern woman (early 19th century--pre civil war setting) who goes against social convention, to annoy her fiance who has annoyed her (she wears a red dress to the ball--instead of a white dress as all young unmarried women are suppose to).  She thereby loses the man she love (Fonda) --and spends a year in hopeful morning that he will retunr to her. When he does we find he has married another.   What won't she do to get him back?

This has plenty of grist for any feminist to tear into--about the ways a woman's life is depicted. About the fantasy of romantic love. About stupid competitions between women.  The racism in the story is also worthy of discussion -- Fonda does ask the butler to have a drink with him --but the happy black children singing and dancing are hard to take. But it is precisely becasue it give so much opportunity to talk about t tthat it makes it an especially worthwhile movie.  I am glad I saw it--eve though much of the story is really appalling --And it is well made, well acted, etc. 

Boys Town, 1938 (Grade D)

Director: Norman Taurog
Awards: Tracy Won Academy Award for Best Actor --nominated in other categories but didn't win
Cast: Spencer Tracy; Micky Rooney; Henry Hull; Leslie Fenton; Gene Reynolds; Edward Norris; Addison Richards; Minor Watson; Jonathan Hale; Bobs Watson.

sez says:  oh my this is sappy -- It was like one long fund raising campaign to support Boys Town. That is tiresome.  On the other hand I bet it was a very progressive movie at the time: "There is no such thing as a bad boy". That homeless kids were thrown into reform schools is appalling.  And Spencer Tracy does his bit very well. Micky Rooney is over the top --but he is a good at going over the top.  Still--unless you are a die-hard of some sort (needing to see all of Tracy's movies, or all the best actor movies, etc.) I can't recommend it to anyone. I felt like I wasted an evening watching it --but then I am a die-hard sort and have determined to accept some wasted time in order to discover forgotten greats .. my grade for this on is D-