In This Our Life (1942)

The day before her wedding, a pampered young woman absconds with her sister's husband; in retaliation, her sister begins seeing the woman's former fiancé.

Director:

John Huston

Writers:

Howard Koch (screenplay), Ellen Glasgow (novel)

Stars:

Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, George Brent

3 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Bette Davis	...	Stanley Timberlake
Olivia de Havilland	...	Roy Timberlake
George Brent	...	Craig Fleming
Dennis Morgan	...	Peter Kingsmill
Charles Coburn	...	William Fitzroy
Frank Craven	...	Asa Timberlake
Billie Burke	...	Lavinia Timberlake
Hattie McDaniel	...	Minerva Clay
Lee Patrick	...	Betty Wilmoth
Mary Servoss	...	Charlotte Fitzroy
Ernest Anderson	...	Parry Clay
William B. Davidson	...	Jim Purdy
Edward Fielding	...	Dr. Buchanan
John Hamilton	...	Police Inspector Millett
William Forrest	...	Forest Ranger

Storyline

A young woman, Stanley Timberlake, dumps her fiance, Craig Fleming, and runs off with her sister Roy's husband, Peter Kingsmill. They marry, settle in Baltimore, and Stanley ultimately drives Peter to drink and suicide. Stanley returns home to Richmond only to learn that her sister Roy and old flame Craig have fallen in love and plan to marry. The jealous and selfish Stanley attempts to win back Craig's affections, but her true character is revealed when, rather than take the rap herself, she attempts to pin a hit and run accident on the young black clerk, Parry Clay, who works in Craig's law office.

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Plot Keywords:

sister | hit and run | virginia | suicide | law office | 

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Taglines:

The men in their lives: George Brent, Dennis Morgan.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 May 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

In This Our Life

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Erroneous modern sources sometimes add Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet, Elisha Cook Jr., Ward Bond and Barton MacLane as extras at the cafe, because of their previous association with director John Huston in The Maltese Falcon (1941) earlier the same year. This is frivolous, unsubstantiated, undocumented information.

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Quotes

Roy Timberlake: Parks are for the very rich or the very poor.

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Connections

Featured in Stardust: The Bette Davis Story (2006)

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Soundtracks

How Do I Know It's Sunday?
(uncredited)
Music by Sammy Fain
Played on the phonograph when Stanley runs into Craig downstairs

User Reviews

Dynamic Masterpiece!

It kills me when some reviewers of this dynamic masterpiece mouth the same criticisms of Bette's detractors: that she overacts like heck and chews up the scenery. Bette is mainly responsible since she always attacked "In This Our life" and "Beyond the Forest" as "lousy movies." And people who've never even seen either one just go on parroting her opinion. Well, Bette was never the best judge of her work. "In this our Life" contains her most electrifying performance besides that of Rosa Moline in "Beyond the Forest." She brilliantly creates the portrait of a psychopathic Southern Belle. Her final scene with her lecherous uncle (Charles Coburn) is one of the most powerful scenes in movie history. I watched this on the big screen of the old Regency Theater here in Manhattan and the packed theater were simply galvanized by this sequence and everything else about In This Our life. What's especially memorable is the seedy, decaying house she and her sister (Olivia d'Havviland" live in. The introduction of the racist angle where Bette tries to blame her killing of a pedestrian on an innocent young black guy is still shocking. NO wonder it's gained such a strong following among modern black viewers. This is one of my all time favorite classics from Hollywood's golden age. Bette is the greatest and you'll never forget her here in one of her greatest performances. Just try to find any actress today who could do what she did in the final close-ups of her in the death car. Bravo Bette! And to director John Huston who let her do it her way.