The Letter

Six shots ring out through the humid night air of a Singapore rubber plantation. Leslie (Bette Davis), wife of plantation owner Robert (Herbert Marshall) claims that she shot Geoff Hammond in self-defense, but a letter exists that contains some hints... Full review

Bette Davis gives a fascinating performance in the equally fascinating William Wyler film THE LETTER. Set in steamy Malaya, the film follows Leslie Crosby (Davis), the plantation owner's wife, who has just shot a man to death on the steps... Full review

In "The Letter," (1940) Bette Davis & director William Wyler are collaborating again (they did the Oscar-winning "Jezebel" together in 1938). This movie earned 7 Oscar nominations: Best Actress in a Leading Role, Bette Davis; Best Actor in a Supporting... Full review

The studio system may have had its faults, but when you see some of the films from the period when The Letter was made, your jaw just has to drop in amazed admiration. What a perfectly honed machine for making movies!... Full review

I was really impressed by "The Letter" It was filmed in studio but I was so immersed in the film that I forgot all about it. Bette Davis is wonderful with her big eyes and oval face - a sweet black... Full review

the allegories here are effective and striking. Bette Davis is at her best, married in a passionless marriage, involved with a Malaysian. I do not think her character was simply "evil". There are many gray areas to the film. This theme... Full review

This is definitely one of Bette Davis's finest films. She gives what absolutely must be one of her greatest performances in her acting career. The film literally starts off with a wounded man stumbling painfully out the front door of a... Full review

The wife (Bette Davis) 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 (Herbert Marshall) is certainly without doubt; so is... Full review

This was a pretty simple movie if you think about the plot and the few actors who star in this movie. However, despite such simplicity, this movie is exceptional throughout--particularly the incredible opening scene. In fact, this might just be one... Full review

Bette Davis, late in life, told Boze Hadleigh in one of her numerous interviews with him that she could not be accused of repeating herself. Audiences who have seen at least half of her films can witness just how different... Full review

Audiences loved watching Davis suffer....Despite its three great scenes, The Letter is no classic!....Unfortunately, most of the screen time is afforded to Stephenson.....Considering how many scenes are dialogue-driven medium shots of actors theatrically pacing around drawing rooms, The Letter is appropriate for radio.....But it denies the listener Wyler's occasional brave cinematic flourishes that really comprise the memorable scenes of this picture..... ... Full Review

Though I thought the soundtrack was a little overdone and the climax came a little early for me, I still think that this was a very good film. A good as the directing is, the film wouldn't have worked with out a very strong leading lady. ... Full Review

All of these ingredients combined for a classic murder melodrama.....It features some noir style black and white cinematography and a memorable musical score by Max Steiner..... ... Full Review

THE LETTER is one of William Wyler's best movies. William Wyler created the powerful opening for THE LETTER from the few words he says were in the script: "You hear a gunshot and you see a woman coming out shooting a man. ... Full Review

A ugust Strindberg's 1888 play Miss Julie is lauded as a great work, but I'm not so sure about that. It's a terse, cold play that examines an archetypal hysterical female, locked into rigid ideas of sex and class, as... ... Full Article

Method and Madness, Heroin and Hooch A Review by Dan Callahan 12/23/2003 Jeanne Eagels is a name that will have romantic connotations for some. The young actress made her name in an adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's short story Miss... ... Full Article

W. Somerset Maugham's play was translated to the big screen by Casablanca's main scribe, Howard Koch, and while the story still retains classic film noir elements of adultery, murder, and guilt, "The Letter" also preserves a depiction of the English... ... Full Article

When Joyce gets back to his law office, however, trouble awaits. His efficient yet smarmy clerk, Ong Chi Seng (Victor Sen Yung), informs him that a letter exists from Leslie to Hammond, and its a crucial piece of evidence that... ... Full Article