In 1938, following her second Academy Award win (for Jezebel), Bette Davis hoped that all of her troubles with Warner Brothers were behind her. After all, she had sued them a few years earlier, stating that she wasn’t getting the quality parts and scripts that she deserved. Things, she hoped, were changing and she was on her way to being treated with the respect that she rightfully deserved.
Not so much.
Warner Brothers
After Jezebel, Bette Davis was offered scripts for parts in films which she considered, “stinkers.” She was furious! After having been offered the leads in melodramas such as Comet Over Broadway and Garden of the Moon, she decided that she’d rather go on unpaid suspension from her Warner Brothers contract than act in mediocre pictures.
Her attitude changed when she was offered the lead in The Sisters—based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Myron Brinig. The property was initially purchased as a vehicle for Kay Francis. However, by 1938, Warner Brothers had tired of Miss Francis and had decided to start pushing her out by assigning her to decidedly “B Pictures.” Irene Dunne was also offered the part of Louise, but turned it down. The execs at Warners thought the part would be enough to drag Bette out of her suspension. They were correct.
Warner Brothers
Bette was equally thrilled to learn she was to star with Errol Flynn. She would begin to feel otherwise after the production began. But, initially, she was excited. What didn’t excite her was the fact that Warner Brothers was going to give Flynn top-billing. Bette insisted that since she was the Oscar winner and the star, her name should come before the title. The producers complied. Her name did appear above the title. However, so did Errol Flynn’s—not only above the title, but above Bette’s. As you can imagine, she didn’t much appreciate the studio’s attempt to teach her a lesson.
The film concerns three sisters from a Montana Family, who find romance at a ball held for the 1904 presidential election. Tragedy and circumstance separate the sisters who eventually find their way back to one another on the eve of the 1908 election. In the meantime, Bette’s character, Louise, has a lot to deal with after marrying and moving to San Francisco—not the least of which was the devastating 1906 earthquake.
Warner Brothers
Director Anatole Litvak spent over $200,000 (a large sum in 1938) and spent three weeks shooting the earthquake scenes which only took about three minutes of film time. The results were extraordinary, however, and add an element of excitement to the film.
Along with Bette Davis and Errol Flynn, the film stars Anita Louise, Ian Hunter, Donald Crisp (Bette’s frequent co-star), Beulah Bondi, Henry Travers, Jane Bryan, Alan Hale (“The Skipper’s” father), and Lee Patrick. With music by Max Steiner, it’s an interesting and enjoyable film. It’s not quite as memorable as Bette’s greatest achievements, but it’s a fine film, and definitely worth watching.
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