Mr. Skeffington (1944)

Mr. Skeffington
Directed by Vincent Sherman
Written by Julius J. Epstein and Philip K. Epstein from a story by Elizabeth von Armin
1944/USA
Warner Bros.
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Fanny Skeffington: I find one should never look for admirers while at the same time one is falling to bits.[/box]

Claude Rains rises far beyond his material and co-star in this melodrama.

Fanny Trellis (Bette Davis) is the queen of all she surveys in her little corner of the world. Her great beauty has attracted countless beaus, all of whom are falling at her feet in adoration.  Her brother Trippy is the only man in her life she loves, however.  And Trippy is a drunkard and embezzler.  He has also run through the orphans’ inheritance with his dissipated lifestyle.

How best to get around the man he embezzled from, Job Skeffington (Rains), than to add him to Fanny’s list of conquests.  Even better is to marry the wealthy stockbroker, which Fanny proceeds to do in short order.  The besotted Job is well aware that Fanny does not really love him but they initially get along well and he indulges her vanity and need for admirers.  George runs off to Europe to fight with the French in disgust of his sisters alliance with a Jew.

The real problems start when Fanny gets pregnant with their daughter.  She refuses to see Job or anyone for the duration of her pregnancy when she is less than her girlish best. Then she has next to no interest in young Fanny.  Years pass and when she discovers that Job has been easing his loneliness with a succession of secretaries she divorces him. He makes her an overgenerous settlement of one half his wealth.  But Fanny cannot remain the belle of the ball forever and disease comes along to spoil her good looks.  Can it improve her character?  With George Coulouris as a straight-talking psychiatrist.

Rains, as usual, is great in this movie.  I thought the scene where the daughter pleads with him to take her with him was just marvelous.  Davis, on the other hand, crosses the line into self-caricature and camp.  There are moments when she looks like something out of  What Ever Happened to Baby Jane.  It is totally unbelievable that anything about her would captivate a dozen men.  She goes even more over the top as the character ages.

A highlight of my viewing experience was the Vincent Sherman commentary.  He continues where he left off in Old Acquaintance and we finally get the straight skinny on his  affair with the volatile Davis.

Bette Davis was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in Mr. Skeffington and Claude Rains was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his.

Trailer