On the surface "Mr. Skeffingnton" may look like nothing more than another novelettish women's picture from the 1940's, designed purely as a vehicle for its star, but look more closely and you can see that it is in fact one of the great films about growing old and about how some women will deceive themselves that they never will. It is a great tragic-comedy.Fanny Trellis is a silly, frivolous young woman while the men who flutter around her are sillier still. At first you might think there isn't much to this but when Fanny marries older and richer Job Skeffington, (a superb Claude Rains), the film deepens and darkens. Job is her brother's employer and Fanny marries Job to get her brother off the hook when he's caught with his fingers in the till. Fanny loves Job the way you might love a pet and treats him accordingly.The movie was directed by Vincent Sherman, not the most profound of film-makers but a consummate director of women's pictures and his star is Bette Davis, (who else?), at her very finest. The greatness of Davis' performance is that she grows into the role using all her trademark mannerisms to build Fanny's character. Near the end of the film there is a magnificent sequence, stunningly shot by Ernest Haller, where Fanny, alone in her mansion, suddenly realizes she is now an old woman and no longer attractive. This sequence is a triumph for director, DoP and star. Perhaps the film isn't quite a lost masterpiece; on the other hand, it's a film that transcends its genre. Perhaps I should go back and revisit the Sherman canon again.

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

I think Mr. Skeffington is probably in the lower half of Davis' filmography (of which to this point I've only seen 10, all of her nominated roles except The Star). This one reminds me too much of The Little Foxes, and Davis is required to hit some of the same notes, although there are notable differences. As it is, I think this is a watchable, decent film, worthy it for Davis really. She's still pretty great here, and her conviction is as pinpoint as it's always been. The other cast members are good too, most notably Claude Rains. And I'm surprised the film isn't titled Mrs. Skeffington, since it's really all about Fanny.

but ugh, that brother of hers has to be one of the worst characters on film. Glad to be rid of him fairly early on.The way she treats Claude Raines is despicable. She makes me angry, which I guess is a good thing, acting-wise. No one could play cruel like old Bette. She does look good in some of the scenes, in fact best she ever has. Still, it is a little hard to believe that every young man she meets wants to marry her.The young girl who plays her daughter as a child is just about the only child in a movie that I actually like. She is very affecting without being unbearable, as so many children in films were in that era in particular.She is very good in the restaurant scene with her father.What is most difficult to believe is that Mr. Skeffington loves her so much, after how she treats him, and knowing she never loved him. That is why I scored it down to 6.