IMDb > Jezebel (1938)
Jezebel
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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.
Jezebel (1938) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   3,645 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 6% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
William Wyler
Writers:
Owen Davis (play)
Clements Ripley (screenplay) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Jezebel on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
26 March 1938 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Romance more
Tagline:
A Fearless Feminine Creature with a heart full of love ! more
Plot:
A haughty headstrong Southern Belle in Antebellum Louisiana loses her fiance due to her stubborn vanity and pride and vows to get him back. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Won 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 4 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(5 articles)
News: Katy Manning in Me & Jezebel
 (From Kasterborous. 17 March 2009, 2:14 PM, PDT)

No joke! Could Bette Davis have won an Emmy as best TV comedy actress?
 (From Gold Derby. 8 March 2009, 9:13 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
Southern Discomfort more (63 total)

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
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
104 min (TCM print)
Country:
USA
Language:
English | French
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Because of excessive takes for each scene by director William Wyler, Jezebel (1938) allegedly ran 28 days behind schedule. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: When the sheriff shoots the "yellow jack" runaway at Halcyon Plantation, he uses a lever-action repeating rifle. This type of weapon was first patented in 1860; the action takes place in 1853. more
Quotes:
[after the duel between Buck Cantrell and Ted Dillard ends tragically]
Julie Marsden: Well say it. What are you thinkin'?
Aunt Belle: I'm thinkin' of a woman called Jezebel who did evil in the sight of God.
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in Stardust: The Bette Davis Story (2006) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
An der schönen, blauen Donau (On the Beautiful Blue Danube), Op. 314 more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
22 out of 29 people found the following comment useful.
Southern Discomfort, 19 November 2005
Author: Lechuguilla from Dallas, Texas

The American South has always had an aura of sadness around it. I don't know why exactly. This film tends to reinforce that perception. Characters start off with high hopes for the future, only to succumb to some unfortunate fate, as a direct result of their Southern roots.

In pre-Civil War New Orleans, Julie Marsden (Bette Davis) is a wealthy young woman, engaged to respected banker Preston Dillard (Henry Fonda). But Julie is strong-willed, independent, and impetuous, traits considered unwomanly by that era's Southern aristocracy. Against Preston's wishes, Julie wears a red dress, instead of the customary white, to a gala ball. This event sets up the rest of the story.

While the support cast in "Jezebel" is fine, especially Fay Bainter, the film would not be the same without Bette Davis. I just can't see anyone else in the role of Julie. Davis' performance and the film's setting are what make this film so memorable. The costumes, the production design, the cinematography, and the music combine to convey a genuine sense of the antebellum South, with its stately manners that conceal narrow-mindedness and barbaric "chivalry".

Normally, I don't care for films whose subject matter is long ago history. But "Jezebel" is an exception, because it is so well made. I guess it is the tone of the film that really got my attention. The stately beauty of that time and place masks an underlying sadness, as a prelude to tragedy. Some might call it melodrama. But to me, that's just good drama.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Jezebel (1938)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Who did Preston really love? roseytrebles
Does anyone have a problem with the ending? pwbri
Dont yell at me but I wish they would colorize caymancic
What ultimate evil does Julie/Bette actually intend? DonnaLevin
Welts and Ointment Quote ballooning64
Thoughts on Amy? lauraeileen894
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