IN THIS OUR LIFE (Warner Bros. 1942) Warner Home Video

It was oft trumpeted in Warner Bros. publicity that no one was quite as ‘good’ at being ‘bad’ as Bette Davis. Indeed, just how much of the head-strong heroines she played were actually part of Davis’ own character makeup remains open for discussion, particularly after studio head, Jack Warner told the actress that she played “the best bitch/heroine of the year” (for Jezebel, 1938), adding “…but you shouldn’t get an Oscar for being yourself!”  Lovely man, that Jack. To say the relationship between Davis and Warner was tempestuous is not an overstatement – though at some basic level a quite mutual respect between star and mogul evolved. Indeed, though the actress would play both sweet and sour on screen, as her career progressed, Davis’ heroines were increasingly more apt to be spiteful and villainous. Perhaps, the public simply enjoyed her more as evil incarnate. Hence, by 1942, Davis was at the top of her game playing ruthless women with an agenda or axe to grind. Of these, Stanley Timberlake remains one of her best.

Based on Ellen Glasgow’s gripping novel, John Huston’s In This Our Life (1942) is a celebrated offering from that cycle in Davis’ melodramas that showcased her ability to be captivating, even when she was positively repulsive. The character of Stanley Timberlake is vial, treasonous, enterprising, and darkly purposed. In a word, quite a ‘bitch!’ And Davis, having tried on ‘goodness’ for size in some of her earlier pictures, relished playing such complicated shrews who could just as easily betray a confidence as comb her hair. Davis exudes a sort of enticing venom here – a ‘come hither’ that doesn’t fool the women in her life, but is enough to goad and motivate the men she confronts with all the forthright and territorial excitement of a black widow on the prowl for fresh prey. We first meet Stanley Timberlake on the front steps of her family home, making overtures of mad love to Peter Kingsmill (Denis Morgan); her sister Roy’s (Olivia de Havilland) husband! Entering the house under the disguise of respectability, Stanley finds her own fiancée, attorney Craig Fleming (George Brent) and favorite uncle, William Fitzroy (Charles Coburn) awaiting her in the parlor. William has ruthlessly conned Stanley’s father, Asa (Frank Craven) out of the family business. It’s done. Stanley is penniless. For his part, Asa (Frank Craven) tolerates a good deal in his home – especially the insipid whining of invalided wife, Lavinia (Billie Burke). Unable to reveal the truth of their affair to the family, Stanley and Peter steal off into the night. Their eventually discovery wounds Roy. But it absolutely decimates Craig. A chance encounter between Roy and Craig sometime later reveals a mutual compassion that eventually grows into love.

Meanwhile, Stanley has married Peter, and, running true to form, has just as quickly tired of him. Their tempestuous relationship reaches a crisis when Peter believes Stanley has been unfaithful to him. He strikes at her in anger, then, commits suicide – leaving Stanley beside herself. Roy reenters her sister’s life with great compassion and even forgiveness.  For a while, Stanley seems genuinely repentant. However, when she learns of Roy’s affections for Craig, Stanley makes a solemn oath to split the two up. She goads Craig into an invitation at a seedy nightclub. Mercifully, Craig does not accept. Furious at Craig’s rebuke of her romantic overtures, Stanley peels off into the night, accidentally running down a mother and child in the street and fleeing the scene of the crime. Stanley further compounds this grievous act by planting the seed of deception that it was Craig’s assistant, colored man, Parry Clay (Ernest Anderson) who is responsible for the double hit and run – an allegation that leads to Clay’s temporary incarceration. Realizing she will eventually be found out, Stanley attempts to garner support from Uncle Fitzroy – whom she discovers is dying – then, admonishes him for his inability to aid in her escape with an allocation of money. Pursued by the police, Stanley takes her car around a hairpin cliff, loses control and is killed by her own wickedness.

In This Our Life is a hair-brain woman’s weepy with tinges of the noir thriller to give it juice. The screenplay by Howard Koch is first rate. In retrospect, only its ending seems weak. Huston’s direction is focused and quick paced – making his points without dwelling on any. As the unscrupulous vixen, Davis’ performance contains many subtle nuances – infusing the character with a genuinely psychosis, corrosive to even Stanley’s self-preservation, and most certainly corrupting to all who come in its contact with this devil woman. Davis was re-teamed with frequent co-star Olivia DeHavilland for this one, and, in hindsight, the two were as closely aligned off the set as on, though, years later, DeHavilland would suggest it took a while for Davis to warm to her as a costar. “If I did,” Davis replied publicly, “…it was only because you were so damn good-looking.” Nevertheless, Davis and DeHavilland would remain life-long friends; so much, that when Joan Crawford bowed out of Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte (1964), it was Davis who immediately suggested DeHavilland as her replacement.  In the final analysis, In This Our Life is a roller-coaster ride of a soap opera – one, afforded a lot more substance, clarity and insight into the characters because both Davis and DeHavilland are superior talents, who can convey so much more than what is written on the page. While the men folk featured herein are all cardboard cutouts of archetypes and stereotypes seen elsewhere in Hollywood’s firmament, Stanley and Roy are two vibrant gals, who manage to do so much more than merely hold up their end of the picture. As such, In This Our Life deserves a Blu-ray release.

For now, there is Warner’s DVD - adequate, if not exceptional. The B&W transfer exhibits refined tonality throughout with only minor instances of exaggerated film grain and a few age-related artifacts scattered about. Occasional gate weave is detected – the image, bobbing from left to right. Contrast levels are anemic during the first half of the picture, but suddenly improve about midway through. Blacks are more a velvety gray than black. But whites are relatively clean. The audio is Dolby Digital 1.0 mono and adequately represented. Extras included an expert commentary and trailers, newsreels and short subjects a la Warner Night At the Movies. Bottom line: recommended.

FILM RATING (out of 5 - 5 being the best)

3.5

VIDEO/AUDIO

3.5

EXTRAS

2