The Great Lie (1941)

The Great Lie
Directed by Edmund Goulding
Written by Lenore J. Coffee based on a novel by Polan Banks
1941/USA
Warner Bros.
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Sandra Kovac: Whoever heard of an ounce of brandy?[/box]

This is a competently made “woman’s picture” raised above the ordinary by the lively performance of Mary Astor.

After a night of drinking, Pete Van Allen (George Brent) marries renowned concert pianist Sandra Kovak (Astor). He seems to regret this move in the morning.  While she is sleeping, his lawyer informs him they are not really married since her divorce is not final. They will have to properly tie the knot next Tuesday.  Pete heads off to the Maryland farm of the “womanly” Maggie (Bette Davis), with whom he has had an on-again-off-again relationship for the past several years.  After a tearful meeting, Pete decides to propose again to Sandra on condition that the marriage take place on Tuesday.  Sandra has an important concert scheduled in another city on that date.  She chooses the concert over her man and loses him to Maggie, who marries him right away.

Maggie is magically able to change Pete’s drinking ways and get him flying again for America’s defense build up.  Naturally, he goes on his first mission five days after their marriage and his plane turns up lost with all aboard assumed dead.  Sandra turns up pregnant from their marriage night and Maggie volunteers to hide her away and take charge of the baby as a reminder of Pete after its birth.

Maggie’s efforts at getting Sandra to obey the doctor’s orders re cutting down on her smoking and drinking and follow a proper diet in their secluded Arizona cabin cause the two to fly at each other’s throats during the pregnancy.  After giving birth, Sandra takes off on  a concert tour to Australia and Maggie returns with Pete Jr.  to the farm.

Predictably enough, George is found living with some Indians deep in the Amazon.  Maggie is content to let George believe the baby is theirs.  But all bets are off when Sandra returns to the States and confronts the doting mother with her lie.   With Hattie McDaniel at her Gone with the Wind best as Maggie’s loyal retainer.

Astor is fabulous as the free-wheeling artiste in this picture and the two actresses obviously had a lot of fun fighting over the bemused Brent.  The plot doesn’t bear much scrutiny but the fun was contagious and I ended up enjoying this a lot.

Mary Astor won a well-deserved Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance in The Great Lie.

Trailer