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The Letter (1940) 7.7
The wife of a rubber plantation administrator shoots a man to death and claims it was self-defense; a letter in her own hand may prove her undoing. Director:William Wyler |
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Bette Davis | ... | ||
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Herbert Marshall | ... | |
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James Stephenson | ... | |
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Frieda Inescort | ... | |
| Gale Sondergaard | ... | ||
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Bruce Lester | ... | |
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Elizabeth Inglis | ... |
Adele Ainsworth
(as Elizabeth Earl)
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Cecil Kellaway | ... |
Prescott
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Victor Sen Yung | ... |
Ong Chi Seng
(as Sen Yung)
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Doris Lloyd | ... |
Mrs. Cooper
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Willie Fung | ... |
Chung Hi
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Tetsu Komai | ... |
Head Boy
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Plot Summary
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Add Synopsis
Storyline
The wife of a rubber plantation administrator shoots a man to death and claims it was self-defense. Her poise, graciousness and stoicism impress nearly everyone who meets her. Her husband is certainly without doubt; so is the district officer; while her lawyer's doubts may be a natural skepticism. But this is Singapore and the resentful natives will have no compunction about undermining this accused murderess. A letter in her hand turns up and may prove her undoing. Written by J. Spurlin
Taglines:
Fascinating Tantalizing and DANGEROUS! See more »Parents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
23 November 1940 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
La carta See more »Filming Locations:
Stage 1, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA See more »Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
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IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
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Howard Joyce: I don't think it's right, but I think it's expedient. Juries can sometimes be very stupid, and it's just as well not to worry them with more evidence than they can conveniently deal with.
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Jack L. Warner originally asked William Wyler to test James Stephenson for the role of the lawyer. Wyler was surprised at how suited Stephenson was for the part and then was astonished when Warner balked at casting him, worrying about the stock player's lack of name recognition. Wyler insisted on keeping him, putting him in the odd position of having to fight to cast an actor that Warner had originally suggested. See more »Goofs
When Leslie and the others leave and Leslie shuts the door, Howard walks through the door twice. See more »Quotes
Robert Crosbie: I'll do whatever you think is right.Howard Joyce: I don't think it's right, but I think it's expedient. Juries can sometimes be very stupid, and it's just as well not to worry them with more evidence than they can conveniently deal with.
See more »
In a career that spanned almost six decades, it would be hard pressed to cite one definitive Davis performance. There are so many, and with the number of Davis fans worldwide, it would be redundant to list them here.
However, Davis's performance as adulterer/"devoted" wife "Leslie Crosbie" has to rank as one of her finest. Davis does more in the short span of ninety-five minutes (the film's running time) than an actor of lesser skill could do in an entire career. Her "Leslie" is delicate, yet demanding, appealing yet repulsive, and submissive yet authoritative. The character dominates every inch of the screen and the actress makes full use of those trademark "eyes" of which Kim Carnes sang.
The supporting cast is equally as brilliant, with Herbert Marshall outstanding as her loving (but dim-witted) husband, James Stephenson, suave and determined, as Davis's lawyer, Victor Sen Yung (later to achieve fame as "Hop Sing" on TV's "Bonanza"), and Gale Sondergaard, magnificent in the speechless yet captivating role of "Mrs. Hammond."
And praise of this film is not complete without mention of its score. Max Steiner contributed one of film's greatest musical accompaniments. So powerful is this work that Laurence Rosenthal adapted themes in his score to the television version, starring the late Lee Remick.