The wife of a rubber plantation administrator shoots a man to death and claims it was self-defense, but a letter in her own hand may prove her undoing.
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Title: The Letter (1940)
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Bette Davis | ... | Leslie Crosbie | |
| Herbert Marshall | ... | Robert Crosbie | |
| James Stephenson | ... | Howard Joyce | |
| Frieda Inescort | ... | Dorothy Joyce | |
| Gale Sondergaard | ... | Mrs. Hammond | |
| Bruce Lester | ... | John Withers | |
 |
Elizabeth Inglis | ... | Adele Ainsworth (as Elizabeth Earl) |
| Cecil Kellaway | ... | Prescott | |
| Victor Sen Yung | ... | Ong Chi Seng (as Sen Yung) | |
| Doris Lloyd | ... | Mrs. Cooper | |
| Willie Fung | ... | Chung Hi | |
|
|
Tetsu Komai | ... | Head Boy |
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Plot Summary
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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
Plot Keywords:
rubber plantation | lace | gunshot | crime of passion | husband wife relationship |Taglines:
With all my heart I still love the man I killed See more »Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
23 November 1940 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Das Geheimnis von Malampur See more »Filming Locations:
Stage 1, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA See more »Edit
Box Office
Cumulative Worldwide Gross:
$16,455Company Credits
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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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Did You Know?
Trivia
The $10,000 for the letter is equal to nearly $179,000 in 2018; the $30,000 for the plantation is equal to nearly $537,000. See more »Goofs
In the Chinese quarters when Mrs. Hammond is first seen in the room behind the bamboo curtain, the door behind her is open. However a moment later a crew member is seen quickly closing it. See more »Alternate Versions
Also shown in computer colorized version. See more »Contribute to This Page
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In Singapore, Leslie Crosbie (Bette Davis), the wife of the administrator of a plantation field of a rubber company, shoots six times in Geoffrey Hammond.and pleads self-defense to her husband Robert Crosbie (Herbert Marshall) and her lawyer and friend of the family Howard Joyce (James Stephenson). The case seems to be easy and simple, but a letter written by Leslie to Geoffrey and in the hand of the Hammond's widow may sentence Leslie to death by hanging. When the widow decides to sell the letter for US$ 10,000.00, Howard faces a dilemma between his friendship and his career.
"The Letter" is a great film-noir, nominated for seven Oscars, and with awesome performance of Bette Davis in the role of an evil and cold-blooded woman. The story and the characters are very well developed in an increasing tension. The direction of William Wyler is precise as usual, and uses long and low paced shootings along the scenario, giving a perfect view to the viewers. The use of shadows in the black& white cinematography is also amazing. I am not sure about the meaning of the full moon, but maybe it discloses the real feelings of Leslie, covered by the "clouds" most of the time while living with Robert. Anyway, the full moon has an important symbolic meaning in the film. James Stephenson, in the role of a honest lawyer living a dilemma between saving the life of his client and friend, or staining his career, and Herbert Marshall, performing a naive cuckold in love with his unfaithful wife, have also magnificent performances. My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): "A Carta" ("The Letter")