Bette Davis arrived in Hollywood in 1930, age 22, with some theatrical experience. After Universal dropped her, she went to Warner and began a life-long struggle with top honcho Jack Warner for better, more challenging roles.
After years of making insignificant features, she pleaded Warner to loan her out to RKO in order to appear in John Cromwell’s screen adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham’s Of Human Bondage, with Leslie Howard in the lead.
Davis plays Mildred, a slatternly Cockney waitress who torments a crippled intellectual, played by Leslie Howard.
Our Grade: B (*** out of *****)
The screenplay by Lester Cohen is based on W. Somerset Maugham’s 1915 novel Of Human Bondage, which has received several big (and small) screen adaptations.
Howard is well cast as a sensitive, club-footed artist Philip Carey, a Brit studying painting in Paris for four years. When his art teacher tells him that his work is mediocre, lacking singular talent, he returns to London to become a medical doctor. However, his moodiness and chronic self-doubt make it difficult for him to keep up in his schoolwork.
Philip falls passionately in love with vulgar tearoom waitress Mildred Rogers (Davis), even though she is disdainful of his club foot and his interest in her. Although he is attracted to the anemic and pale-faced woman, she is manipulative and cruel with him. Her response to his romantic invitations is “I don’t mind,” an expression that infuriates him, which only causes her to use it more.
Philip daydreams about Mildred–her image appears over an illustration in his medical school anatomy textbook, and a skeleton in classroom is transformed into her. As a result, he gets distracted from his studies, and fails his medical exams
When Philip proposes, Mildred declines, telling him about her plan to marrying a loutish salesman Emil Miller (Alan Hale) instead. Mildred, self-centered, vindictively continues to berate Philip with nasty insults.
Philip begins to forget Mildred when he meets Norah (Kay Johnson), a nice romance writer working under a male pseudonym. She slowly cures him of his painful addiction to Mildred. But just when it appears that Philip is finding happiness, Mildred returns pregnant, claiming that Emil has abandoned her.
Philip provides a flat for her, arranges to take care of her financially, and breaks off his relationship with Norah. Norah and Philip admit how interpersonal relationships could become bondage (Philip was bound to Mildred, as Norah was to Philip, and as Mildred was to Miller).
Philip intends to marry Mildred after her child is born, but Mildred, bored and restless, is uninterested in motherhood and gives up the baby’s care to a nurse.
At a dinner party, one of Philip’s medical student friends, Harry Griffiths (Reginald Denny), flirts with Mildred, and she reciprocates. After Philip confronts Mildred, she runs off with Griffiths for Paris.
Philip again finds comfort in his studies, and in meeting Sally Athelny (Frances Dee), the tender-hearted daughter of one of his elderly patients in the hospital. The Athelny family, caring and affectionate, take Philip into their home.
Once again, Mildred returns with her baby, expressing remorse for deserting him. Philip again rescues her and helps her recover from another failed relationship.
When Mildred moves in, he spitefully wrecks his apartment and destroys his paintings and books, and burns the security bonds given to him by an uncle to finance his tuition. Philip is forced to quit medical school, but before he leaves the institution, an operation corrects his club foot.
The Athelnys take Philip in when he is unable to find work and is locked out of his flat, and he takes a job with Sally’s father as a window dresser.
A letter sent to Philip informs him that his uncle has died, leaving a small inheritance. With this money, Philip returns to medical school and passes his examinations to become a qualified doctor.
When Philip meets up with Mildred again, she’s sick, destitute, and working as a prostitute. After her baby dies, she becomes distraught and sick with tuberculosis. Before he can visit her again, she dies in a hospital charity ward.
Mildred’s death finally frees Philip of his obsession, and he’s now ready to make a new start by marrying Sally.
The critics thought in this performance Davis demonstrated that she was the most exciting new dramatic actress in Hollywood.
For example, “Life” magazine wrote: “Bette Davis gave the best performance ever recorded on the screen by an American actress.”
Author Mangham praised her performance publicly, but the film failed at the box-office, barely recouping its budget, probably due to its harsh, downbeat tone. Over the years, the movie has acquired larger following due to renewed interest in Bette Davis’ career and repeat showings on TCM and other channels.
Remake Alert
Of Human Bondage was remade twice. First remake was in 1946 by Edmund Goulding with Eleanor Parker in the lead, and the second was in 1964 by British helmer Ken Hughes with Kim Novak. Neither version is as satisfying as the 1934 one, though each has merits of its own.
Oscar Alert
Oscar Nomination: 1
Actress (Bette Davis, write-in candidate)
Oscar Context
In 1934, Frank Capra’s comedy “It Happened One Night” swept the important Oscars, including Picture, Director, Best Actor for Gable, and Best Actress for Claudette Colbert.
Davis would win her first Best Actress Oscar the following year, for the melodrama, “Dangerous.”
Cast
Leslie Howard as Philip Carey
Bette Davis as Mildred Rogers
Frances Dee as Sally Athelny
Kay Johnson as Norah
Reginald Denny as Harry Griffiths
Alan Hale as Emil Miller
Reginald Sheffield as Cyril Dunsford
Reginald Owen as Thorpe Athelny
Tempe Pigott as Agnes Hollet, Philip’s landlady
Credits:
Directed by John Cromwell
Produced by Pandro S. Berman
Screenplay by Lester Cohen and Ann Coleman, based on Of Human Bondage
by W. Somerset Maugham
Music by Max Steiner
Cinematography: Henry W. Gerrard
Edited by William Morgan
Produced and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures
Release date: June 28, 1934
Running time: 83 minutes
