Sunday Viewing: The Great Lie, 1941

"This picture is going to stink! It's too incredible for words... so it's up to us to rewrite this piece of junk to make it more interesting,"
--Bette Davis to Mary Astor, 1941

Following her great success with The Letter, Bette Davis took a brief vacation during which she bonded with the man who would be her next husband—Arthur Farnsworth. In a relatively good mood, Davis returned to Warner Brothers to be told that she was going to play Maggie Peterson in The Great Lie. Davis was not thrilled with the part nor was she enchanted by the script which she felt was too “soap-opera-ish.”

The story concerned two women, both in love with the same man. One—Maggie, a demure homebody, and the other— Sandra, a famous concert pianist, instantly loathe one another. When the object of their affections—Peter—learns that his marriage to the pianist is invalid, he pursues Maggie, marrying her. But, he’s lost in a plane crash shortly after their wedding. When Sandra reveals she’s expecting Peter’s child, Maggie offers to adopt the fatherless baby and raise it with Peter’s name. This seems like a good idea until Peter is discovered alive. Then, the two women have a war of wits with Sandra threatening to reveal the child’s mother while Maggie wants to keep her great lie going.

(I’d like to add right here that in the Barbara Walters’ interview with Davis posted as “The Sunday Morning Special,” Davis claims she doesn’t know why impersonators always use the line, “Peter, Peter, Peter” and states that she never made a picture with or about anyone named Peter. Not true, says I. Here, George Brent plays “Peter” and she made Dead Ringer with Peter Lawford.)

Following The Letter, Davis had received a great deal of fan mail stating that while they loved her performances, it might be nice for her to play “a good girl.” That motivation combined with her relatively good mood about getting married again lured Davis to accept the good-girl role of Maggie. Davis stated the Maggie was the only character that she played who had any similarity to her real-life persona. Davis was a devoted homemaker and domestic-type who was never quite at ease with all of the Hollywood pomp.

But, who would play Sandra? The initial choice was Miriam Hopkins. Hopkins had played opposite Davis in two pictures and their natural, honest animosity for one another made for excellent scenes and wonderful box office. But, Bette wouldn’t do it. No more Miriam Hopkins! And, so, a suitable alternative was sought. Many actresses were auditioned, but one stood out for Bette—her chum, Mary Astor, who was, conveniently, a skilled pianist.

The director, Edmund Goulding, and producer, Hal Wallis, were not sold on Astor. Filming began without casting the other leading role. This was distressing for Davis who had a difficult time playing the part without knowing how she’d have to adapt to whomever played Sandra. Taking a page from the Joan Crawford Playbook, Davis came down with “Laryngitis” which caused production to halt for a few days. When Davis returned, Astor had been cast as Sandra.

Astor and Davis both agreed that the script was lousy and conspired to rewrite the picture together, adding business and dialogue which showcased the strange relationship between the two women. The result is a very crisp film. Davis admitted that she handed the picture to Astor “on a silver tray,” but enjoyed working with the woman and enjoyed the challenge. Both—along with George Brent and Hattie McDaniel—give excellent performances.

The film was not without further production troubles. For a long while, the baby playing “Pete” was ill. This caused delays in the picture. Then, that baby was dropped by the nurse who was meant to be taking care of him on-set. The child was badly injured and had to be replaced. The baby’s parents sued Warner Brothers for an undisclosed amount.

Regardless of the shadow of Miriam Hopkins and all the baby-dropping, the finished product is superb. The film is available on DVD and makes for a wonderful bit of Sunday afternoon viewing.