Blast from the Past: Bette Davis Revisited
Strictly for Davis diehard fans.
Right after All About Eve, Bette Davis reunited with her then actor-husband, Gary Merrill, in making this low-budget B-level British mystery meldrama, helmed by one of her favorite 1940s directors, Irving Rapper. (See below)
Grade: C+ (*1/2* out of *****)
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Theatrical release poster
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Val Guest’s screenplay is based on the play “Deadlock” by Leslie Sands is pedesytrian, despite some later contribtions from playwright-actor, Emlyn Williams (uncredited), who plays Davis’ neighbor.
Davis plays successful mystery novelist Janet Frobisher, who lives in an isolated home in Northern England. She has been separated for years from her husband, a man with a criminal pas. Her nearest neighbour is nosy vet, Dr Henderson (Williams).
Janet has an affair with her secretary Chris’s handsome fiancé, Larry (Anthony Steele, who is years younger than she, but it’s larghely unrequited love.
When her estranged husband unexpectedly appears, Janet poisons him by administering horse medication given to her by Dr. Henderson. One of the deceased man’s criminal cohorts arrives as she is preparing to dispose of the body in the lake. Soon, he impersonates George, Janet’s long-absent husband and the two engage in trading accusations and insults that lead to her various attempts to get rid of him. At one point, she sends George after Chris in an unsafe vehicle, and he crashes, but survives
From that poin on, it’s all downhill storytelling. Chris learns of Larry’s affair with Janet, and determines to leave for London. George shoots Janet’s horse to upset her. Janet pretends she is remorseful about Larry and Chris,
The only punch comes at the very end, when Dr. Henderson gives her a drink from the same flask she used to trick George. When she realizes that, Janet bursts out into hysterical laughter.
Merrill wrote in his memoirs that neither he nor Davis had liked the script, but were attracted by the chance to work together in England, and by a large fee; Davis was also pleased by the fact the cast included Emlyn Williams, who wrote the original play on which Davis’ 1945 film, The Corn Is Green was based.
This was the second on-screen pairing of then-married couple Davis and Gary Merrill, aftyer All About Eve (1950). They made Phone Call from a Stranger (1952) the following year. Rapper, who was selected by Davis, had directed her in one of her best vehicles, Now, Voyager (1942) ten years earlier.
Bette Davis recalled “We had nothing but script trouble. Gary and I often wondered why we agreed to make this film after we got started working. Emlyn (Williams) rewrote many scenes for us, which gave it some plausibility, but we never cured the basic ills of the story.”
According to Merrill, “the basic premise was crummy to begin with. But Bette believed that with Emlyn’s help the script could be improved. So the two of them went to work, altering this and that. When this happened I usually found a place to lie down, being my lazy self, to wait for the action to begin. The fact I wasn’t doing anything bugged the hell out of Bette.”
There’s not much mystery or suspense after the first reel, and the single, confined setting –Jamet’s house–only emphasizes the verbose nature of the lackluster proceedings.
A minor picture for all concerned, Another Man’s Poison, sort of an exercise (or excuse) to use their skills anmd get paid for it, failed at the box-office.
Cast
Bette Davis as Janet Frobisher
Gary Merrill as George Bates
Emlyn Williams as Dr. Henderson
Anthony Steel as Larry Stevens
Barbara Murray as Chris Dale
Reginald Beckwith as Mr. Bigley
Edna Morris as Mrs. Bunting
Credits:
Directed by Irving Rapper
Written by Val Guest, based on Deadlock, the 1949 play by Leslie Sands
Produced by Daniel M. Angel, Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
Cinematography Robert Krasker
Edited by Gordon Hales
Music by John Greenwood, Paul Sawtell
Company: Angel Productions
Distributed by Eros Films; United Artists (US)
Release date: November 20, 1951
Running time: 90 minutes
