In this well-acted Oscar-nominated melodrama, directed by Vincent Sherman and scripted by Julius and Philip Epstein, Bette Davis plays a beautiful woman who marries the much older Claude Rains for his wealth in order to help her brother.
When she behaves indifferently toward their daughter, he divorces her and has an affair. Years later, she redeems herself and they are reunited, after she had lost her looks and he his vision, which means he cannot see that she is no longer beautiful.
Schmaltzy material is treated with taste and restrained by director Sherman, his two stars, and the supporting cast, which includes Walter Abel, George Coulouris, Jerome Cowan, Gigi Perreau, and Dolores Gray.
Oscar Nominations: 2
Actress: Bette Davis
Supporting Actor: Claude Rains
Oscar Awards: None
Oscar Context:
The winner of the Best Actress Oscar was Ingrid Bergman for Cukor’s suspense thriller “Gaslight.” Barry Fitzgerald received the Supporting Actor Award for “Going My Way,” which also won Best Picture and Actor for Bing Crosby.
