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:
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:
Das Geheimnis von Malampur See more »Filming Locations:
Stage 1, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA See more »Company Credits
Show more on
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
"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on April 21, 1941 with Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall and James Stephenson reprising their film roles. See more »Goofs
The motor vehicles throughout are all left-hand drive. In Singapore traffic drives on the left and all vehicles there are right-hand drive. 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 »
Alternate Versions
Also shown in computer colorized version. See more »Contribute to This Page
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From the opening sequence where we see Bette emptying her gun on this poor unsuspecting soul, you become riveted watching one of Ms. Davis' all-time flawless performances.
In a nutshell, this tells the story of what happens when first we practice to deceive. Bette claims she was attacked by a friend she has seen only casually until she was forced to "defend" herself against his unwanted advances. Initially, it looks like a slam dunk but when the case is taken to trial, more and more, Bette's lies get the best of her.
Not a sympathetic character for the most part. There is one chilling scene where she, totally exasperated with having to remember so many lies, makes a confession to her husband. It is a fascinating scene for while you recoil at her seemingly selfish attitude, there is this underlying, reluctant admiration you feel for this woman's brutal honesty.
Excellent supporting cast all around, most notably, Herbert Marshall as the poor unsuspecting (it appears many men fall under this category when dealing with the Divine Ms. Davis!)husband whose main goal is to support his wife. Now whether she deserves this loyalty is another ugly story.
Excellent mystery with certainly enough twists and turns to keep you totally engrossed in a very good story.
*Just watched it again last night (10/8/2006) - I'm tellin' ya guys - after 900 viewings, the movie still rocks!!!!