Desirable, flirtatious Bette Davis (as Fanny Trellis) fends off many male admirers; daily, they arrive at her posh New York estate, to repeatedly propose marriage. Vain, selfish, and very attractive; Ms. Davis prefers to string her suitors along. During one cocktail hour gathering, Davis discovers her ne'er-do-well brother Richard Waring (as Trippy Trellis) has been embezzling funds from Jewish banker Claude Rains (as Job Skeffington). To shield her beloved brother from prosecution, Davis endeavors to wed the ultra-wealthy Mr. Rains. Rains, like most men, has worshiped Davis from afar; but, she is unable to change her coquettish lifestyle.
"The most difficult aspect of the character Fanny was (that) she was a famous beauty of her day," Davis observed, "I was far from being beautiful."
Yet, Davis, with her strength of personality and acting prowess, pulls off the role; she is, as always, a great one to watch. Rains also performs well; but, his is more of a supporting character, despite being the title role. Walter Abel (as George Trellis) gets a lot of good camera time, also. And, George Coulouris is exceptional, as Davis' astute psychoanalyst. "Mr. Skeffington" is a relatively long film, in its "restored" length. Davis and Rains were nominated for "Academy Awards" in the "Best Actress" and "Supporting Actor" categories. The film might have been cited for its decade spanning make-up work, if the category had existed back then.
******* Mr. Skeffington (1944) Vincent Sherman ~ Bette Davis, Claude Rains, Walter Abel
"The most difficult aspect of the character Fanny was (that) she was a famous beauty of her day," Davis observed, "I was far from being beautiful."
Yet, Davis, with her strength of personality and acting prowess, pulls off the role; she is, as always, a great one to watch. Rains also performs well; but, his is more of a supporting character, despite being the title role. Walter Abel (as George Trellis) gets a lot of good camera time, also. And, George Coulouris is exceptional, as Davis' astute psychoanalyst. "Mr. Skeffington" is a relatively long film, in its "restored" length. Davis and Rains were nominated for "Academy Awards" in the "Best Actress" and "Supporting Actor" categories. The film might have been cited for its decade spanning make-up work, if the category had existed back then.
******* Mr. Skeffington (1944) Vincent Sherman ~ Bette Davis, Claude Rains, Walter Abel