Bette Davis plays a particularly nasty bitch in this one, a self- centered sociopath. First, she dumps her fiancé (George Brent) in order to steal the husband (Dennis Morgan) of her sister, played by Olivia de Havilland. De Havilland's character, and their mother (Billie Burke) constantly make excuses or apologize for their sister's or daughter's (respectively) behavior because, among other things, Davis's uncle (Charles Coburn) has spoiled her rotten.Hattie McDaniel plays the family maid, Ernest Anderson plays her son, who's given an opportunity to work that few of his race at the time were by de Havilland's character, which figures later in the plot. Lee Patrick also appears.This is truly a wicked pleasure, and there's more if you want to read in lieu of just watching this film in which Davis's character goes from evil to insane! After tiring of her forgiving sister's ex- husband Morgan, she drives him (her new husband) crazy with her selfish behavior et al, causing him to drink and to reach the brink of suicide. Meanwhile, de Havilland and Davis's ex-fiancé Brent become closer. Then, Davis kills someone in an automobile accident and blames Anderson. Eventually feeling trapped, she runs to her "sugar daddy" uncle Coburn to "come clean". He's just found out he's got 6 months to live, and she wonders (incredibly) how that could possibly take precedence over him helping her!Directed by John Huston and based on the Ellen Glasgow novel; Howard Koch wrote the screenplay.

If Bette Davis is in a movie then you know it will be both 1. Depressing, and 2. Annoying. She really delivers both those factors in this "Why did they bother making this movie?" melodrama. And, if her character and the plot don't make you want to slash your wrists, then the cloying musical score and upward camera angles on most people shots will do their best to push you over the edge. Not my cup of vitriol. If you do manage to make it through this whole film at least you will get to see two consummate pro actors: Charles Coburn and Olivia DeHaviland, who deserve a better story line, plus the movie does have good lighting, editing and sets. The only thing I found interesting about this whole movie is the racial subplot involving a young male black character.

This was John Huston's second film as director after The Maltese Falcon. In this one, he guided Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland as sisters with the usually male names of Stanley and Roy, respectively. Ms. Davis steals her sibling's husband (Dennis Morgan) while Roy then takes a shine to Stanley's former beau played by George Brent. Later on, some kind of accident occurs and someone gets blamed who was nowhere near the scene. I'll stop there and just say this was quite an exciting melodrama especially when Ms. Davis is on screen with her scenery chewing, so to speak! As the young African-American who gets in trouble through no fault of his own, Ernest Anderson holds his own against the other players. Oh, and what a nice reunion between Gone with the Wind co-stars de Havilland and Hattie McDaniel. In summary, In This Our Life was movie soap at its finest!

The daring nature of this film becomes evident in an early scene where we learn that old Uncle William (Charles Coburn) has the hots for his niece "Stanley" (Bette Davis), and she plays him for all she can get financially...shades of Lillian Hellman! Director John Huston handles it well, getting this past the censors...I imagine that some movie-goers didn't quite get the implication. But watch the faces of the other characters in the early scene in the parlor! Charles Coburn, one of my favorite character actors, is a totally unlikable character here...not only a lecher, but clearly a business cheat. But he's awfully good at it, partly because he plays the role with suitable restraint to make it believable! But, in the end, the old man is devastated when he learns he has only months to live. Justice is done for one evil-doer in the story.Another actor playing against type is Dennis Morgan, who plays a non-singing, non-comedy role quite well as "Roy's" (Olivia deHavilland's) philandering husband...in love with Bette Davis (Olivia's sister), no less...who he runs away with and marries. Morgan has some atypically strong scenes in this film, but his character commits suicide as a result of depression because of the marriage. Justice is done again.Apparently Bette Davis wanted to play the good sister, but that role went to Olivia deHavilland, mirroring her type-casting after GWTW just 3 years earlier (although she is neutrally good and practical here).George Brent is fine playing the "good guy" married to Davis, the later dating the good sister, though this is not one of his more prominent roles, although he is featured more late in the film and the ultimate good guy lawyer who saves the young Black man.Bette Davis and Dennis Morgan get married, but of course, Bette Davis turns out to be just as bad a wife to Morgan as she was to George Brent, who begins dating Olivia deHavilland. Ultimately, and I do mean ultimately, Davis is in a hit-and-run car accident which results in the death of a child, but she accuses a "colored boy" -- actually a man -- who worked for their family for years and is now studying to be a lawyer and working in George Brent's law office. It has been said that those who live by the sword die by the sword. In this case we can paraphrase and say that those who kill by their speeding auto will die by their own speeding auto. Justice is done once again.Frank Craven is excellent as the father of Davis and DeHavilland. Ernest Anderson, as the young Black man is excellent, and though his role is relatively small, it is crucial to the plot. I would imagine Billie Burke was disappointed in her role as the invalided mother. Disappointingly, Hattie McDaniel's role here as not a maid but a mother is minor.There are some other interesting appearances in the film. Walter Huston, the director's father, has a cameo as a bartender. John Hamilton -- Perry White in television's Superman plays a police inspector.This is a good film with good acting by all concerned. And it's worth watching at least once. But it's not a pleasant film. Bette Davis' and Charles Coburn's characters are so unlikable that one cannot have any sympathy toward them. I enjoyed the film and think it was done well, and it's now on my DVD shelf. I enjoy it more since reading the Pulitzer Prize winning novel.