(Flash Review)First time I've watched a film with Betty Davis. Now I know why Kim Karnes sang about her eyes in 1981 as they do convey much emotion without words. This Noir opens up with Davis literally holding a smoking gun with a dead corps at her feet. This is going to be difficult for her to weasel out of. Claiming self-defense as the man advanced on her with lewd intent, she had to use force to halt him. Yet, later on a letter (hint, hint) surfaces that she wrote inviting that man to her abode. Uh oh. Will she be able to overcome the new potentially incriminated evidence? Why did she write it? What will her actual husband think once he learns the full story? This was a well-acted and well-told story. Good drama, good twists and informative cinematography. Case in point, you can tell a lot by the black and white shades of her outfits to figure out the state of her character during the film. Not to be overlooked is the nice music score that adds impact at the right moments.

Love Bette Davis and director William Wyler, Davis has some iconic performances under her belt and Wyler has directed some of the best films there are.'The Letter' may not quite be Wyler's very best (which is testament to how fabulous his very best are, because 'The Letter' is still brilliant), but it is Davis's best films and one of her greatest ever performances. She is truly magnificent here and there has rarely been a more chilling performance from her. It's not Davis that makes 'The Letter' so great. She has a supporting cast that are more than up to her level. Herbert Marshall's, an actor who works for me and sometimes doesn't, performance is also up there with his best.Faring best in support are James Stephenson, never better which makes his ultimely death soon after aged just 52 even sadder, and particularly the most sinister performance Gale Sondergaard ever gave (she sends chills down the spine and induces goose bumps).Further advantages are a taut script, a compelling and suspenseful story, that is unmistakably melodrama but never in an overwrought way and actually pretty tense, and Wyler's superbly controlled direction.As well as atmospheric photography, the shadows alone are enough to freak one out, sumptuous production design and a hauntingly melodic score written in the most unmistakable style of Max Steiner. The ending is admittedly tacky and comes close to contrivance, but the shock value makes it just about work.Overall, brilliant. 10/10 Bethany Cox

We see a charming community of buyers, sellers, on-lookers and otherwise pleasant folks conversing idly. The chirps and chatter of the crowd is not a busy kind, but a calm one, like the low roar of a ceiling fan. A record scratch to the communal bliss comes in the form of Leslie Crosbie (Bette Davis) unloading a revolver into a man until he's down on the ground, and then she shoots a little bit more. After the echoes of the bullets drift away into the ether, she turns, as if being watched, and it blinded by the light of the moon.So begins William Wyler's "The Letter," a noirish yarn of murder, deceit and all things in-between. Naturally, Crosbie pleads innocent to the murder, claiming the man tried to rape her. However, the titular piece of paper is found, and then all bets are off. It's a simple enough premise, but where this movie shines is its mood and performances. There is one fantastic scene in particular, when Crosbie's lawyer (Howard Joyce) breaks the news to Crosbie's husband (Herbert Marshall) that a letter's been found that might be detrimental to her case. The way her husband hesitantly defends her--and doesn't even inquire as to the contents of said letter--and the way in which the laywer avoids eye contact, due to a combination of embarrassment and doubt, is a testament to the talent of both actors.One would be remiss to ignore Bette Davis, whose giant, made-for- the-movies eyes each seem to be telling a different story at all times. There's a lot of moving parts to her literary character--the torn allegiances, the all-seeing eye of the moon, the knitting, which grows more fervent as the film goes on--that a lesser actor might have folded and simply milked the melodrama inherent to the character.A problem with a lot of these plot-heavy films, reliant on reveals and gasp inducements, is that a lot of the flair is lost, due to the duty to hit certain plot points at certain times, and repeat them over and over again so the audience doesn't feel stupid. However, "The Letter" succeeds mostly at avoiding such things, and feels more like a star vehicle for everyone involved--like a star bus. While Wyler is more famous today for "Ben-Hur" the most epically epic of all film epics, his ability to hone in on a small, more personal story, and condense it to a point of pure potency, should not be forgotten. Also, the ending of the movie is a result of the Hays Code, but I think it still works.

One of Bette Davis' nastiest roles. Based on W. Somerset Maugham's novel and directed by William Wyler, Leslie Crosbie(Davis)shoots a man, Geoffrey(David Newell),and with quick wit tells her rubber plantation overseer husband Robert(Herbert Marshall)and their lawyer Howard Joyce(James Stephenson)that it was self-defense. The couples mutual friend was making passes at her. After fighting him off, she follows him to the porch and shoots him. She will stick to her story and draw sympathy. Mr. Crosbie is willing to pack up and leave Singapore, so the couple can get away from the shooting. Leslie's story begins to unravel when a letter arrives revealing that she may have planned the murder to end a serious affair. Enter Geoffrey's widow attempting blackmail.Other players in this Warner Brothers black & white drama: Gale Sondergaard, Bruce Lester, Cecil Kellaway, Frieda Inescort and Victor Sen Yung.