Films/DVD Asylum

"Marked Woman," starring the impossibly young Bette Davis AND Humphrhey Bogart.

71.34.253.80

tinear

God Almighty, Bette's beautiful, intelligent, strong, and very, very sexy as a "hostess" in a speakeasy which is taken over by a ruthless Mafia boss seeking to control the whole city. This is an entertaining enough story, being an unenthusiastically concealed depiction of career of Lucky Luciano, played by a generic guy who is darkened into irrelevance by the incandescent super novas surrounding him. Still, Bogart demonstrates unexpected range as the tough but soft-hearted DA who needs Bette's testimony to put Lucky away.
How often does one get to see two stars born? Their interplay, also, is special. I imagine studio conflicts or some such business concern kept them from more cooperative, better produced efforts. But this is fine as it is!
(Oh, there is a brutality to the film, especially towards women, that still is repugnant today).

Follow Ups:

That was their second film together - danj 12:01:34 04/01/09 (2)
In 1936, a year before "Marked Woman", they made a little film that's now considered a classic. That film, based on a Broadway play, is called "Petrified Forest." Davis and Bogart had been in that Broadway play and played the same roles on film they had created on stage. Bogie's portrayal of the desperate fugitive, Duke Mantee, is a tour-de-force.
While I wouldn't call "Marked Woman" a classic, is very good and Davis is as usual, brilliant. She was certainly one of the premier "scene stealers" in the history of Hollywood.

Edits: 04/01/09 04/01/09
- Yup, I know "Petrified Forest" but I forgot it! I'd never imagine - tinear 16:14:37 04/01/09 (1)
  Bogie did it before "MW," either. He certainly had range which is something you seldom see attributed to him.
  - Leslie Howard (the star) refused to do the movie without Bogart - eppis1 18:33:02 04/01/09 (0)
    Bogie apparently tore up the Broadway stage with his Duke Mantee portrayal, so much so that Howard went to bat for him when it came to casting the film role. HB was the best thing about the movie. I never really liked the movie too much. Too cerebral (to me, at least). Must have worked better as a stage play, because it sure felt "stagey."

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