The inimitable Bette Davis was perfectly cast as the vain and selfish young woman who marries for money in this lavish melodrama which progresses from the turn of the century through to 1944. This was Davis's 53rd picture and she was nominated for an Oscar for the role, but lost to Ingrid Bergman (for 'Gaslight'). A soap opera to end them all, it's heartrending stuff and Davis is finely complemented by her distinguished co-star, Claude Rains, as the long-suffering Skeffington. Richard Waring, who plays Davis's adored younger brother, was to have re-created his stage role in The Corn is Green opposite her in their next film, but war service intervened, after which he returned to the Broadway stage for the rest of his career. The whole is deftly put on screen by Vincent Sherman, who extracted one of Davis's most complex performances. Spellbinding entertainment.


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