Period drama based on Lillian Hellman's play, starring Bette Davis and Herbert Marshall. In the Deep South at the turn of the 20th century, two brothers need $75,000 to open a cotton mill and approach married sister Regina for a loan. But they fail to realise the extent of her own lust for money and power.
It may have been something to do with the fact that director William Wyler and star Bette Davis were romantically involved that gave their many celluloid collaborations such an exciting buzz. This is a splendid example of Davis at the height of her powers as the deeply nasty Regina Giddens, the acid-tongued schemer of a once wealthy southern clan. The critics always said of Wyler that he "understood women"; they meant that he was not afraid to give a talent like Davis's full flight while also managing to contain her worst histrionic excesses. The result here is a quite magnificent movie.
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Regina Hubbard Giddens | Bette Davis |
| Horace Giddens | Herbert Marshall |
| Alexandra Giddens | Teresa Wright |
| David Hewitt | Richard Carlson |
| Birdie Hubbard | Patricia Collinge |
| Leo Hubbard | Dan Duryea |
| Ben Hubbard | Charles Dingle |
| Oscar Hubbard | Carl Benton Reid |
| Addie | Jessica Grayson |
| Cal | John Marriott |
| William Marshall | Russell Hicks |
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Director | William Wyler |
