Jezebel (Restored and Remastered Edition)

Jezebel (Restored and Remastered Edition)

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Editorial Reviews

Bette Davis plays a self-involved southern belle whose neurotic attempts to mold her fiance (Henry Fonda) to her own designs eventually bring about her tragic downfall. Co-stars George Brent and Fay Bainter. Year: 1938 Director: William Wyler Starring: Bette Davis, Henry Fonda, George Brent

Bette Davis won her second Best Actress Oscar for her showcase role in this sumptuous southern costume melodrama, which was released in 1938 in response to the phenomenal popularity of Margaret Mitchell's novel Gone with the Wind. (It would take another full year for the famous film adaptation of Mitchell's novel to be released.) The setting is New Orleans in 1862, and Davis plays Julie, an egocentric southern belle who's used to getting her way. Henry Fonda plays the equally selfish banker who breaks off their engagement, prompting Julie to a variety of futile schemes to win him back. Gracefully directed by William Wyler, the film won Oscars for Davis and Fay Bainter (for Best Supporting Actress), and was nominated for Best Picture, Music Score, and Cinematography. Highlights include the lavish ball scene where unmarried ladies dressed in traditional white are horrified by Julie's scandalous red dress, and Fonda's subsequent pleasure upon witnessing Julie's humiliation. An absorbing period melodrama, this film was ultimately overshadowed by Gone with the Wind, but it remains a classic in its own right thanks to Wyler and his remarkable cast. --Jeff Shannon

Bette Davis didn't get to play Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind, but she did get to play a troublesome Southern belle in William Wyler's 1938 Jezebel. Davis's character, a coquette fond of stirring up rivalries among the men, goes too far and loses her fiancé (Henry Fonda), but she finds atonement when she cares for him during illness. This handsome melodrama by Wyler (who later directed Davis in The Little Foxes) is fully absorbing (John Huston contributed to the script), and Davis's carefully constructed performance does make one draw instant comparisons with Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

the woman in red

Reviewed by Peter Andronas, 2009-12-19


Bette Davis plays a strong-willed woman who loses the love of her life to another woman in a complex portrayal. Unlike Bette Davis' character the other woman is willing to follow tradition and succumb to social graces and responsibility. In the end, it celebrates the independence and strength of a woman, in spite of her doom and there's never a rushed moment in the film or a grand-scale spectacle of emotions. There are so many beautifully realized scenes of sincere regret but also of the will to carry on.
A beautiful video transfer.

Unexpectedly delightful

Reviewed by R. Swanson, 2009-11-19

This is another gem that I pulled from the shelves of the public library. I'd never heard of it and didn't expect much, especially with the melodramatic title of Jezebel!

So I was happilly surprised at how good it was. The star is of course, Bette Davis, looking far more beautiful than I had ever seen her to be elsewhere. It's said that she fell in love with the director, William Wyler, during the shooting and that may explain her radiance, joyfulness and even moments of gentleness--qualities that seem to be lacking in most of her roles.

The story is a bit lackluster but the production certainly makes up for it. The costumes, sets and music are all first rate. Wyler is known to bring out good performances from his actors and here it is certainly true. Besides Davis' Oscar winning performance, Fay Bainter excells as Davis' aunt and she, too, won an Oscar. Henry Fonda is good as the traditional but forward thinking banker. Only George Brent lacks something as the scoundral.

I was disappointed at the ending which seemed horribly abrupt after a long build-up. I had grown to care about the characters and really wanted to know what happened next.

One of Bette's Best

Reviewed by Terrence L. Sellers, 2009-10-07

If you ever want to make someone understand why Bette Davis was the star she was, you have only to plop them down and have them watch this! As Julie Marsden, a headstrong,willful Southern Belle (is there any other kind?LOL)she upsets convention,indeed flouts it,in her way of doing things in her sphere,1852 New Orleans,where women had a place and,for the most part.stayed there. No so,Julie! From her entrance (a STAR entrance is there ever was one)Bette makes it clear and indelible,just who her character is and what drives her. She's always watchable and that holds true here.
The transfer of this dvd sparkles and Davis never looked better. The special featuresJezebel (Restored and Remastered Edition)s are great and informative as well.
SEE IT!

"I'll love her most when she's meanest, because I know that's when she's lovin' most"

Reviewed by Matthew G. Sherwin, 2009-06-02

Jezebel is one of Bette Davis' best known films--and for a good reason! Davis turns out an incredible performance as Julie Marsden, a haughty, stubborn, selfish and rather spoiled young woman from a wealthy Southern family who takes her fiancé for granted and enjoys manipulating people. Indeed, Bette Davis acted so well that she won a Best Actress Oscar for this performance. While in some ways the film is a vehicle for Davis, we also get great acting from a very special cast. Henry Fonda plays Preston Dillard, Julie's love interest, flawlessly and George Brent does a superb job of playing Buck Cantrell, a man about town who is also a friend of the Dillard family and Julie's family. Look also for a wonderful performance by Fay Bainter who plays Julie's Aunt Belle; she won an Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. The cinematography is excellent and of course the choreography shines particularly bright in the ballroom scene when Julie and Preston Dillard are dancing.

When the movie starts, we meet several principle characters. There's Julie, who thinks nothing of convention or being polite just so long as she gets her own way. Julie bursts in very late on a party in her honor in their New Orleans home wearing horseback riding clothes when all the other ladies are appropriately dressed for an evening party. Julie also makes a royal mess of things when she insists that her fiancé Preston Dillard accompany her to the Olympus Ball--where she deliberately offends people, bucking tradition and convention, by wearing a bright red dress instead of a white dress which is essentially the dress code for ladies at the ball. Eventually, Preston becomes so infuriated that he calls off his engagement to Julie; and Julie is crushed.

At the same time, we also meet the men of the old South who lived lives steeped in "death before dishonor." Insults were often resolved by duels and men had to "defend" their women who were perceived as "fragile." There are also the slaves who work for the Marsden family: we meet "Uncle Cato" (Lew Payton) and Theresa Harris does justice to the role of Zette. There's even a scene or two with Bette Davis and Eddie "Rochester" Anderson; Eddie plays a slave who goes by "Gros Bat."

The plot thickens when several things occur. After a year up North, Preston returns to New Orleans--with his new wife, Amy (Margaret Lindsay). Needless to say, this irks Julie to no end. There are dinnertime quarrels over abolitionism; and widespread panic ensues when the usually fatal yellow fever grips the city.

Of course, things can still go anywhere from here. Will Julie be able to force Preston to choose yet again between herself and Amy? What happens when Buck Cantrell and Ted Dillard (Richard Cromwell), two good friends, have an intense fight that is egged on by Julie? Will anyone of them catch yellow fever; and what might happen after that? No plot spoilers here, folks--watch and find out!

The DVD comes with the original theatrical trailer and a few other extras. How I wish there was a commentary or interview footage with some of the cast! However, the movie is so special that I can almost ignore this disappointment.

Jezebel remains one of the best films of the entire twentieth century; this is a "must-have" DVD for Bette Davis fans everywhere. Of course, people who love classic movies in general will also want to add this to their collections.

love old movies

Reviewed by Ellen D. Perreault, 2009-05-04

I love all old movies, I have been teaching school for the last 39 years, I am the oldest of my school but the youngest in spirit, energy

My favorite moments are the time spent watching all my old movies.

I am trying to get as many as I can, I do have quite a collection, of new old, drama, comedies, musicals, westerns, etc

There are still some movies that I can't get yet because they haven't been realised yet. But I am still hoping. Exanple The Blue Veil with Jane Wyman a 1951 movie.
A Certain Smile, with Joan Fontaine, ( in this movie Johnny Mattis sings a Certain Smile. I could mention so many that I would like to have.
Thanks Ellen Doucet Perreault