Director: William Wyler Cast: Bette Davis, Henry Fonda, George Brent, Margaret Lindsay, Donald Crisp, Fay Bainter, Margaret Early, Spring Byington, John Litel
Academy Awards: Best Actress in a Leading Role (Bette Davis); Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Fay Bainter)
Also Nominated For: Best Picture; Best Cineamatography; Best Music, Scoring
I First Saw In: 2015
Synopsis: A haughty, headstrong Southern Belle in Antebellum, Louisiana loses her fiancé due to her stubborn vanity and pride and vows to get him back.
Did You Know? Garnering both a Best Supporting Actress nomination for Jezebel and a Best Actress nomination for White Banners, Fay Bainter not only became the first actor to receive a nomination in both Leading and Supporting acting categories, but she also became the first actor to receive two nominations in one year.
And now a Word from the Guise:
Bette Davis is superb. But, like most films from this era, this film teaches young girls not to be independent or else they may never land themselves a good husband. And getting a good husband is the single most rewarding and important thing in any woman’s life. Right? That’s a hard life lesson that Bette Davis’s Julie must learn, putting her pride and vanity aside to literally grovel at a man’s feet… At least it, surprisingly, passes the Bechdel test.
Oscar Madness Ranking – ??? out of 233
