Jezebel (1938)

A haughty headstrong Southern Belle in Antebellum Louisiana loses her fiance due to her stubborn vanity and pride and vows to get him back.

Director:

William Wyler

Writers:

Owen Davis (play), Clements Ripley (screenplay),

Stars:

Bette Davis, Henry Fonda, George Brent

Won 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bette Davis	...	Julie
Henry Fonda	...	Preston Dillard
George Brent	...	Buck Cantrell
Margaret Lindsay	...	Amy
Donald Crisp	...	Dr. Livingstone
Fay Bainter	...	Aunt Belle
Richard Cromwell	...	Ted
Henry O'Neill	...	General Bogardus
Spring Byington	...	Mrs. Kendrick
John Litel	...	Jean La Cour
Gordon Oliver	...	Dick Allen
Janet Shaw	...	Molly Allen
Theresa Harris	...	Zette
Margaret Early	...	Stephanie Kendrick
Irving Pichel	...	Huger

Storyline

Set in antebellum New Orleans during the early 1850's, this film follows Julie Marsden through her quest for social redemption on her own terms. Julie is a beautiful and free spirited, rapacious Southern belle who is sure of herself and controlling of her fiancé Preston Dillard, a successful young banker. Julie's sensitive but domineering personality--she does not want so much to hurt as to assert her independence--forces a wedge between Preston and herself. To win him back, she plays North against South amid a deadly epidemic of yellow fever which claims a surprising victim.

---

Plot Keywords:

southern belle | 1850s | pride | louisiana | vanity | 

---

Taglines:

A Fearless Feminine Creature with a heart full of love !

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

26 March 1938 (USA)

Also Known As:

Jezabel

Filming Locations:

Iverson Ranch - 1 Iverson Lane, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,250,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min 104 min (TCM print)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jeffrey Lynn originally was cast in the Pres role, but the producers of the play he was appearing in refused to release him. Fonda was a last minute replacement.

---

Goofs

As Mrs. Kendrick and Stephanie go up the steps to the porch of Julie's house, we see a diagonal ray of light shine across the front door. Just before Uncle Cato opens the door, the light is gone.

---

Quotes

Preston Dillard: You haven't a partner you have to meet Cantrell?
Buck Cantrell: Why no. Came alone
Preston Dillard: [They glare at each other] Pleasant evening isn't it?
Buck Cantrell: Mighty pleasant. Nice and cool...
Preston Dillard: [Looks at Buck and snaps] Do you find it cool in here? I don't find it particularly cool. Do you Julie?
Julie Marsden: [Looks up at Pres] Why... Why no
Preston Dillard: [Steps towards Buck] I don't find it particularly cool. Miss Julie dosen't find it so.
Buck Cantrell: [stares at Pres] Why no. Now that you speak of it... It's just about right...
Preston Dillard: Seems so to me.
Buck Cantrell: [Glares at Pres] Your servant. ...
[...]

---

Crazy Credits

The credits are blurred across the screen

---

Connections

Featured in Here's Looking at You, Warner Bros. (1991)

---

Soundtracks

"Raise a Ruckus"
(uncredited)
Traditional
Sung by Bette Davis and Servants

User Reviews

"1852, we're in 1852 darling, not the dark ages"

Jezebel was Bette Davis's consolation prize for losing the Scarlett O'Hara sweepstakes. Considering the sacrifice that the title character makes in this film, it is fitting and proper that Davis got this role because she could have had Scarlett, but she wouldn't make Gone With the Wind if it included Errol Flynn as Rhett Butler.

Julie Marsden is as willful and and spiteful a southern belle as Scarlett O'Hara ever could be. But Scarlett would never deliberately violate the code the way Julie does and wear that red dress to a cotillion. Just simply not done in the best families.

Bette Davis is Julie and while she's going to be married to the very proper Henry Fonda, she likes the idea that she can still turn the head of every young blade in New Orleans. Especially George Brent's head as the dashing Buck Cantrell.

When Fonda doesn't jump at her beck and call he prefers doing business to catering to her whims she decides on a daring move. This is a woman who cannot stand not being the center of attention. She wears a red dress to a cotillion when polite society dictates that all the unmarried young ladies wear white. When she does, New Orleans society shuns her as effectively as the Amish can and Davis retreats to her plantation upriver.

Fonda goes north and returns after a while to New Orleans with Margaret Lindsay who he is now married to. An insult our southern belle won't put up with. Davis sets in motion a string of events that results in a lot of tragedy.

I have to say that just a description of the plot seems a bit ridiculous at times, but Bette Davis does make this whole thing quite believable. She won her second Oscar for Best Actress in this film and as her aunt who occasionally gives her a reality check every now and then Fay Bainter was named Best Supporting Actress of 1938.

Fonda and Brent are fine in their parts, but they are in support of Bette Davis in a Bette Davis film. Another performance I liked is that of Donald Crisp as the doctor who fights a lot of prejudice and ignorance in New Orleans in trying to deal with yellow fever.

Looming over all of the film is the knowledge we have that this society will come crashing down in another eight years or so in events so well told in Gone With the Wind. This film should be seen back to back with Gone With the Wind as a view of southern society.

This was Bette Davis's first film with director William Wyler who she admired above all other directors. Davis was not generous with praise for colleagues so any kind words towards one are really something. Apparently Wyler did have the magic touch in handling Bette.

Jezebel is one of Bette Davis's finest films, maybe not the finest, but definitely right up there. Unlike Davis's first Oscar for Dangerous which she said was a consolation for not winning for Of Human Bondage, this one she was proud of. And we're proud of it too.