Search - The Bette Davis Collection, Vol. 3 (The Old Maid / All This, And Heaven Too / The Great Lie / In This Our Life / Watch on the Rhine / Deception) on DVD

A boxed set in celebration of Bette Davis' 100th birthday

calvinnme | 01/19/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This set contains six films, all new to DVD in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Bette Davis' birth. Here we are on the third DVD boxed set of Bette Davis films by Warner Home Video, and we are still getting A List properties. The details are as follows:

In This Our Life (1942) - In my opinion this is one of Davis' best films, yet TCM will show "Jezebel" ten times a year and never show this one. Davis and Olivia De Haviland play sisters. Davis runs off with her sister's husband right before she herself is to be married. As time passes, her ex-fiance falls for De Haviland's character, and they decide to be married. When the husband Davis absconded with kills himself, Davis returns home and decides she wants her ex-fiance back. This film spotlights the kind of scenery-chewing role that Davis excelled at. Extra features include:
Commentary by film historian Jeannine Basinger
Vintage newsreel
Technicolor patriotic short: March On, America!
Technicolor musical short: Spanish Fiesta
Classic cartoon: Who's Who in the Zoo
Trailers of In This Our Life and 1942's Desperate Journey
Subtitles: English & Français (main feature only)

The Old Maid (1939) - Davis and Miriam Hopkin play cousins. Hopkins is the belle-of-the-ball type who is marrying a well-off man to spite her colorful yet poor suitor that she in fact still harbors deep feelings for. Davis plays Charlotte, the pretty but quiet type who comforts the ex-suitor after Hopkins rejects him. The rejected suitor then goes off to fight in the Civil War and is killed. Years later, as Charlotte is planning her own wedding, her cousin finds out that Charlotte had an illegitimate child by her ex-beau. Her retribution ruins Charlotte's life and yet binds her to Charlotte forever. Extra features include:
Vintage newsreel
Technicolor historical short: Lincoln in the White House
Howard Hill sports short: Sword Fishing
Classic cartoons: The Film Fan and Kristopher Kolumbus
Trailers of The Old Maid and 1939's Confessions of a Spy
Subtitles: English & Français (main feature only)

All This and Heaven Too (1940)
Davis plays Henriette, a governess to children whose wealthy parents are unhappily married. When the Duke (Charles Boyer) falls in love with Henriette, the angry wife dies a death that appears to be murder. The Duke and Henriette are instantly under suspicion, which is made no better when the Duke dies by his own hand. This leaves Henriette to face the questioning authorities alone. This film features a kinder, gentler, softer Bette Davis than roles she often played. Extra features include:
Commentary by The Women of Warner Bros. author Daniel Bubbeo.
Vintage newsreel
Technicolor patriotic short: Meet the Fleet
Classic cartoons: Hollywood Daffy and Porky's Last Stand
Trailers of All This, and Heaven Too and 1940's Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet
Audio-only bonus: Radio show adaptation with the film's stars
Subtitles: English & Français (main feature only)

The Great Lie (1941)
Another pairing of Davis with George Brent, a leading man with whom she had such great chemistry. George Brent plays Peter, a man who marries concert pianist Sandra (Mary Astor) on an alcohol-induced lark. He really loves Maggie (Bette Davis), and repents at leisure. The marriage turns out not to be legal, Peter goes back to Maggie and marries her, and then disappears in the South American jungle while on an aviation expedition for the government. After Peter's disappearance Sandra discovers she is pregnant with Peter's child - something she doesn't want at all but Maggie desperately does. Extra features include:
Vintage newsreel
Broadway Brevities short: At the Stroke of Twelve
Oscar-nominated Technicolor Sports Parade short: Kings of the Turf
Hollywood Novelty short: Polo with the Stars
Classic cartoon: Porky's Pooch
Trailers of The Great Lie and 1941's The Strawberry Blonde
Subtitles: English & Français (main feature only)

Deception (1946)
A rather odd but good film. Davis plays pianist Christine Radcliffe who is separated from her great love, cellist Karel Novak (Paul Henreid), by World War II. She presumes he is dead and has had an affair with wealthy and unstable composer Alexander Hollenius (Claude Rains). Karel reappears after the war and he and Christine marry, but she can't shake the spectre of Hollenius who continues to torment her. Hollenius' character could have resulted in over-the-top camp in the hands of a lesser actor, but Rains makes the role work. Extra features include:
Commentary by film historian Foster Hirsch
Vintage newsreel
Oscar-winning Technicolor Sports Parade Short: Facing Your Danger
Technicolor Specials Short: Movieland Magic
Classic cartoon: Mouse Menace
Trailers of Deception and 1946's A Stolen Life
Subtitles: English & Français (main feature only)

Watch on the Rhine (1943)
Sara (Bette Davis) and Kurt Muller (Paul Lukas) and their three children are returning to her mother's home in Washington DC after 18 years in Europe where Kurt was working for the underground resistance. However, even in his mother-in-law's American home, Kurt can't escape those who would like to do him harm for the work he did in Europe. Extra features include:
Career profile - Bette Davis: A Basically Benevolent Volcano
Commentary by film historian
Technicolor patriotic short: March On, America
Musical short: Ozzie Nelson and His Orchestra
Classic cartoon: The Wise Quacking Duck
Trailers of Watch on the Rhine and 1943's Mission to Moscow
Subtitles: English & Français (main feature only)"

Special Features

Donald J. Nelson | CT | 01/19/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Here is a list of the films on this set and the special features, as listed at Turner Classic Movies:

The Old Maid (1939)
Special Features:
· Warner Night at the Movies 1939 short subjects gallery:
- Vintage newsreel
- Technicolor historical short Lincoln in the White House
- Howard Hill sports short Sword Fishing
- Classic cartoons The Film Fan and Kristopher Kolumbus
- Trailers of The Old Maid and 1939's Confessions of a Nazi Spy
· Subtitles: English & Français (main feature only)

All This, and Heaven Too (1940)
Special Features:
· Commentary by The Women of Warner Bros. author Daniel Bubbeo.
· Warner Night at the Movies 1940 short subjects gallery:
- Vintage newsreel
- Technicolor patriotic short Meet the Fleet
- Classic cartoons Hollywood Daffy and Porky's Last Stand
- Trailers of All This, and Heaven To and 1940's Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet
· Audio-only bonus: Radioshow adaptation with the film's stars
· Subtitles: English & Français (main feature only)

The Great Lie (1941)
Special Features:
· Warner Night at the Movies 1941 Short Subjects Gallery:
- Vintage newsreel
- Broadway Brevities short At the Stroke of Twelve
- Oscar®-nominated Technicolor Sports Parade short Kings of the Turf
- Hollywood Novelty short Polo with the Stars
- Classic cartoon Porky's Pooch
- Trailers of The Great Lie and 1941's The Strawberry Blonde
· Subtitles: English & Français (main feature only)

Deception (1946)
Special Features:
· Commentary by film historian Foster Hirsch
· Warner Night at the Movies 1946 short subjects gallery:
- Vintage newsreel
- Oscar®-winning Technicolor Sports Parade Short Facing Your Danger
- Technicolor Specials Short Movieland Magic
- Classic cartoon Mouse Menace
- Trailers of Deception and 1946's A Stolen Life
· Subtitles: English & Français (main feature only)

Watch on the Rhine (1943)
Special Features:
· Career profile Bette Davis: A Basically Benevolent Volcano
· Commentary by film historian Bernard F. Dick
· Warner Night at the Movies 1943 short subjects gallery:
- Technicolor patriotic short March On, America!
- Musical short Ozzie Nelson and His Orchestra
- Classic cartoon The Wise Quacking Duck
- Trailers of Watch on the Rhine and 1943's Mission to Moscow
· Subtitles: English & Français (main feature only)"

THE EYES HAVE IT......

Mark Norvell | HOUSTON | 04/02/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Those incredible Bette Davis eyes are on display in this 6 disc example of her films ranging from 1939 to 1946. A young woman who becomes an "old maid", a noble governess, a good girl, a bad girl, a noble wife and a musician---she carries each film with her own brand of style. From dignified performances to all out histrionics, these films show Davis in all her glory when she was the Queen of Warner Brothers. Each disc is seperately packaged in a snap case with art work. The prints are fine with some mild scratching and speckling on some but only minor. A true collector's item. And a fine chance to see Mary Astor's Oscar winning performance in "The Great Lie". Enjoy."

Quality package of second rung Davis

Douglas M | 05/10/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Since this is Volume 3 of the Bette Davis DVD sets, one would expect it to reach into the more controversial of her Warner Brother's legacy. Six films are included as follows:

- in 1939, possibly Davis's best year, "The Old Maid" paired her with the bitchy Miriam Hopkins in an emotional work out as a spinster who lives with her cousin who raises Davis's illegitimate daughter as her own. The film is very well made by Edmund Goulding and based on an Edith Wharton play but it was a dated yarn even in 1939.
- in 1940, "All This and Heaven Too" was filmed as Warner's rival production to "Gone with the Wind", a long and detailed film, the opposite of the normal gutsy Warner's product. Davis plays a governess in the unhappy home of Duke Charles Boyer and the film was based on fact. It is a dull film but Davis underplays poignantly.
- in 1941, "The Great Lie" was an entertaining but absurd soap opera with fireworks from Oscar winning Mary Astor as Davis's rival for the affections of George Brent. This was one of the films which contributed to Davis's reputation for interference. She found the screenplay poor and worked with Astor to re-write it and give it some guts.
- in 1942, the controversial "In This our Life" was released with a thin Davis playing a southern gal wreaking havoc on all around her. The film has underlying themes of racism and incest and is well constructed. Olivia De Havilland plays her sister and they make an interesting contrast. Davis is mannered and frenetic but it is not simple enough to dismiss her performance as such because she absolutely nails a bitch on heat.
- in 1943, "Watch on the Rhine", based on a very successful Broadway play, starred Paul Lukas in an Oscar winning performance as an anti fascist. Davis subdues her fireworks and matches Lukas with a warm and sympathetic portrayal of the wife who understands the reality of her husband's work. The film is stage bound and the children are awful but it is a worthwhile piece of history.
- 1946, Davis was pregnant and insecure and the overwrought "Deception" betrays her personal tensions. The film is high camp entertainment with an over the top Claude Rains as a conductor/composer. A plush melodrama, probably the last real Davis vehicle, what it lacks in credibility, mainly due to the censors, it makes up for in over the top dramatics.

The prints of all of the films are superb. All the disks contain Warner Brother's Night at the Movies, that entertaining program of cartoon, shorts and trailers - something for everyone. There are commentaries on 4 of the films - two good, one not so good and one dreadul. Janine Basinger gets better and better and her comments about "In This Our Life" are first rate. She also has a wry sense of humour which adds so much. The commentary for "Deception" is interesting because the commentator carefully points out how what went on behind the scenes, particularly Davis's personal life at this time, affected what can be seen on the celluloid. This is a good character study of Davis and her art. For "All This in Heaven Too", Daniel Bubbeo lost me in the first 10 minutes when he managed to completely repeat himself, almost word for word. He is wet in the worst sense. The commentator for "Watch on the Rhine" is a Lillian Hellman biographer and manages to talk almost entirely for the duration without mentioning the film. He also is a Claudette Colbert fan, including irrelevant stuff about Colbert, even going so far as to undermine Davis's famous performance in "All About Eve" when she replaced Colbert. This is a rotten commentary.

The set is excellent value."