One of the most boring movies I've seen with Bette Davis. Complete lack of characterization. Don't fall for the William Wyler hype machine, this one's a dud.

Director: WILLIAM WYLER. Screenplay: Clements Ripley & Abem Finkel, and John Huston. Adaptation: Robert Buckner. Based on the 1935 Broadway stage play by Owen Davis, Sr. Photography: Ernest Haller. Camera operator: Al Roberts. Assistant camera operator: Bud Weiler. Film editor: Warren Low. Music: Max Steiner. Songs: "Jezebel" by Harry Warren (music) and Johnny Mercer (lyrics); "Raise a Ruckus" by Harry Warren (music) and Al Dubin (lyrics). Music director: Leo F. Forbstein. Art director: Robert Haas. Costumes: Orry-Kelly. Technical adviser: Dalton S. Reymond. Stills cameraman: Mack Elliott. 2nd unit director: John Huston. 2nd assistant director: Arthur Lueker. Assistant director: Robert Ross. Sound recording: Robert B. Lee. Associate producer: Henry Blanke. Production manager: Tenny Wright. Producer: Hal B. Wallis. Executive producer: Jack L. Warner.Copyright 26 January 1938 by Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. New York opening at the Radio City Music Hall, 10 March 1938 (ran 2 weeks). U.S. release: 26 March 1938. Australian release: 21 July 1938. 12 reels. 103 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Southern belle scandalizes the Old South by wearing a red strapless gown to a black-and-white ball.NOTES: Academy Award, Best Actress, Bette Davis (defeating Fay Bainter in White Banners, Wendy Hiller in Pygmalion, Norma Shearer in Marie Antoinette and Margaret Sullavan in Three Comrades). Academy Award, Best Supporting Actress, Fay Bainter (defeating Beulah Bondi in Of Human Hearts, Billie Burke in Merrily We Live, Spring Byington in You Can't Take It With You and Miliza Korjus in The Great Waltz).Also nominated for Best Picture (You Can't Take It With You), Cinematography (The Great Waltz) and Best Music Score (Alexander's Ragtime Band).Negative cost: around $1 million. Shooting commenced 18 October 1937 and finished 18 January 1938. — 42 days over schedule. (Wyler's mania for perfection — his insistence on endless takes — was blamed for the run-over).The stage play, produced by Katharine Cornell and Guthrie McClintic opened on Broadway at the Barrymore on 19 December 1933 and ran only 32 performances. It starred Miriam Hopkins and Joseph Cotten, and featured Cora Witherspoon as Aunt Belle.COMMENT: A lavish costume melodrama designed by its creators and players as a try-out for their employment (they hoped) on Gone With the Wind. As it happened, however, only composer Max Steiner reached that goal, although Jezebel is not only excellent entertainment but excels in every aspect of its production: flawless acting dominated by the driving portrayal of Bette Davis as the self-willed Julie; gorgeous costumes and no-expense-spared sets with hundreds of extras impressively regimented in spectacular crowd scenes — Wyler successfully showing off his mastery of both action and intimate, soul-baring emotional scenes. The film's only weakness is its facile soap opera script — high class soap opera, but still, for all its impeccable staging, as sudsy as a Hollywood bubble-bath.

Jezebel l watched for first time was in the early 80' and some years ago l purchase a copy with classic dubbed version,so today l revisited this good picture that was the response of Warner to MGM's Gone with Wind but the story isn't quite good...but Bette is fantastic and evil better than never and together with Henry Fonda hold the picture,another acting that deserve to be nominated is George Brent as ruthless man and Fay Bainter who won the Oscar as supporting role,l really liked this picture to exhibit the difference of thought between north and south on a period pre war!!!

The setting is New Orleans a decade before the outbreak of the civil war. Fay Bainter, Spring Byington, George Brent and Donald Crisp are stars today familiar playing generic southern gentlefolk. Bette Davis and Henry Fonda are the rebels of the Owen Davis play playing rebellious southern gentlefolk. Bette's Julie Marsden never at any time dresses or thinks or talks like a southern belle. Henry's Preston Dillon never at any time takes the mindset of a southern gent trying to keep the old ways in the face of commerce now favoring businesses in the north. Comlpeting this stunning, fascinating and brilliant portrait of the antebellum south are some of the finest tableaux in movie history of the period among them an excellent portrayal of a yellow fever epidemic and a stilted, possibly no longer universally culturally acceptable view of plantation house and field slaves content with their miserable lot. In terms of movie making the central issue advancing the cause of performers is the extraordinary contract of Henry Fonda apparently the first to release him on the date he agreed to sign to be home for the birth of Jane Fonda not remaining on the shoot until director William Wyler wrapped it. Not a general cup of tea for every audience today yet one of the most fascinating visually and dialogue wise, theme wise and plot wise Hollywood movies of all time.