Simply Perfect

Load of rubbish!!

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

This is one of the best classical movies I've seen! Bette Davis is my favorite movie star! Love her! Claude Raines is also exceptionally great! It is so true to life about women aging a accepting it gracefully, especially women that were once very beautiful. I guess I saw myself in it somewhat, but not as vain as Bette Davis' character. Interesting how Johnny Mitchell fell instantly in love with her daughter & had just been professing his love to Bette. Later her daughter kinda told her off for the way she treated her all of her life, but in a nice, firm, tactful way! Still I loved it. It earned my 10 stars

A heartbreaking story of vanity, greed, and love. It would have been an ever richer experience had it not been censored by the War Department during WW II. The original script was also a commentary about anti-Semitism. Skeffington is a Jew. His beautiful wife,as well as her pre-marital suitors, humiliate Skeffington as the suitors continue to court her, unabated, even after the wedding. Undoubtedly, the anti-Semitism of the era was an element of the disrespect so many of the other characters show toward Skeffington. Yet the War Dept. required that aspect of the plot to be cut, since much of our public publicity campaign against the Nazis was based on their anti-Semitism, and the censors determined that showing anti-Semitism in the US would undercut the message the War Department was conveying about the Third Reich. Despite this, it's a well-crafted film, funny in places, heartbreaking in others. Rains' greatest performance. Not Bette Davis's best, but her grudging transformation from vain beauty to an ugly hag with no friends who finally recognizes real love is a real tear jerker--in the best sense.

Mr.Skeffington is directed by Vincent Sherman,produced by Jack L.Warner and the Epstein brother Julius and Phillip(who also both wrote the screenplay)based on the novel by Elizabeth Von Arnim, has music by Franz Waxman and stars Bette Davis,Claude Rains,Walter Abel and Richard Waring.Without a doubt this is one of the saddest love stories ever filmed,mostly due to the heartbreaking performance by the wonderful Claude Rains.In his hands Mr.Skeffington is a kind,large hearted,all round good man who's love of his life does not love him back.He's all hurt expressions and puppy dog eyes,making him so adorable you want to gather him up into your arms and hug him.Bette holds her own against Rains sympathetic Skeffington,switching from girlish charm one moment,to cold-hearted and cruel woman the next.Yet she manages a neat trick in that we never actually fully hate her despite the things she does.Mr.Skeffington is much more than just a tale of unrequited love,it takes in both world wars and prohibition as well.Beginning in New York in 1914,Mr.Skeffington tells the story of famous,society beauty,Fanny Trellis(Bette Davis)and her adored brother Trippy(Richard Waring).They are going broke following their fathers death,however both keep up the facade they are still wealthy.Unbeknown to Fanny Trippy has been embezzling funds from his boss,Job Skeffington(Claude Rains).Mr.Skeffington calls on the pair one night and quite gently tells Fanny that he'll allow Trippy to pay him back and keep it out of the public eye.Fanny isn't quite satisfied with that and turns on the charm full volume and ends up making Skeffington fall in love with her.He adores her more than anything else,not realising she has only done it so she can protect Trippy and give him money from her new wealth as Mrs.Skeffington.Trippy however hates Skeffington and he leaves to join the air corps at the outbreak of World War One.Soon the Skeffington marriage becomes intolerable with Fanny seeing other men and ignoring their daughter,who ends up basically being raised by Job and Fanny's cousin George(Walter Abel).Job never stops loving her and when illness leaves her disfigured she remembers his words "A woman is beautiful when she's loved...and only then".Deeply moving with two unforgettable lead performances,this is a tearjerker of the highest order,well worth watching.

This one is all Bette Davis' movie. As good a role as Claude Rains plays, he's the anchor of the film, he's secondary to Davis' performance.A lady back in the first world war, in her mid 20's, thinks she's the bee's knees. All the men come to court her but she has no interest in their affections. She just likes the attention. Her brother gets in trouble with stocks selling/buying and she proceeds to bail him out by marrying his rich boss...Mr. Skeffington.From their what you get is a woman who cares very little for the love her husband gives her, its just what he can give her and their stature in society. Problem is that he's a real nice guy and genuinely cares for her. Her main concern, her vanity.Time takes it toll through the years and her vanity and their marriage fails and she begins to see what she was really about throughout her life...her looks/appearance.This is not even close to my favorite Bette Davis film but she does give a winner of a performance. She's as "Bette Davis" in this film as she is in any other of her films. For a long melodrama, you can't go wrong with this one.