Jezebel
Tags: revenge, romantic

Plot synopsis:
The Old Guard of 1852 New Orleans protectively circles its wagons. Bankers are concerned that Yankee abolitionists could eventually change the way their accounts will be processed. The health administrator keeps evacuating people living below the ever-adjusted yellow fever quarantine line.When Julie (Bette Davis) has to move up from her own mansion below the fever line to become a guest in her Aunt Belle (Fay Bainter)'s mansion, her interested beaux include Buck Cantrell (George Brent), a southern dandy rake, and Preston "Pres" Dillard (Henry Fonda), the most wooden of the old guard bankers who is on the committee to arrange that annual ball which soothes the senses of folks looking to maintain the old ways. Pres is so engaged in helping his bank react appropriately to perceived abolitionist Yankee threats that he is unable to drop by the dressmakers to approve the ball gown Julie is commissioning. Unaware of the purpose of the ball, and unaware that red is the biblical rainment of the fallen woman, - all the rest of the ladies at the ball will be wearing white frogs - Julie spitefully commissions a rather revealing red gown. Aunt Belle and the health administrator beg Pres to beat some sense into her. When Pres, who is, in his own way, as socially unaware of the world as is Julie, storms into Julie's room brandishing a cane, Julie jokingly interprets his behavior as she would that of any powerful, athletic man forcing himself into a lady's private bedroom brandishing a weapon. Pres decides then and there to rethink his assessment of Julie as his proper wife. At the ball, Julie is so flabbergasted to be shunned that she begs Pres to take her home. Pres, however, decides that it would be best to publicly announce their breakup in the presence of all of New Orleans Society. After Julie is humiliated into dancing with Pres, the other couples move off the floor and the orchestra is ordered to stop playing, leaving the couple isolated on the dance floor with everyone facing away from Julie.Some time later, Aunt Belle gives a ball to welcome Pres returning home from banking business up north to present Amy (Margaret Lindsay), his aristocratic Yankee wife. Julie dresses up in a white party gown which shows a lot of cleavage and could be that of a wedding. She bosses Zette (Theresa Harris) onto checking whether somebody has arrived, dressing her, going after her... Finally, Pres arrives in a carriage. After Julie's carefully rehearsed, staged and white-dress costumed act of contritely begging Pres for forgiveness is considered by Amy to be totally inappropriate, Julie makes a second faux pas in the presence of all New Orleans Society by publicly both seducing Pres and insulting Amy. Because Pres acquired no social skills at all while up north, he decides that now is the time to inform Julie that she and Amy will both be guests of Aunt Belle while he answers to call to help the health administrator readjust the yellow fever quarantine line. There is a discusion between several men as to the importance of cotton in the country's economy, and they bow to keep New Orleans as the biggest city in USA. The rest of the gathering is outraged when Pres predicts that new machinery will beat unskilled slave labour. Buck and Julie seem to mock Pres, saying that he's talking like a Yankee. Pres has succeeded as a banker, and has lost Southern routines. During the night's small gathering at their manor house, Julie asks Pres why he's married so fast, and he replies back that he's in love with Amy. Julie says that he must have needed to come back because, after all, he belongs to the South.Buck mocks Amy in front of Julie, but she is too upset about Pres' response. However, Buck comments about Cato make him look foolish and redneck. Julie makes Buck promise that he won't start any fight with Pres. Cannonball thunder is heard: it's the cannonballs which are being thrown in order to change the winds which are spreading the yellow fever. There is a small discussion about how the yellow fever could be better stopped, and Pres says he would advise the city hall to drain the moors, clean up the street and organize a better sewage system. Buck, General Bogardus (Henry O'Neill) and Belle disagree: Southern traditions are good enough for them, and they must be kept. At that moment, the black slaves appear to sing welcoming songs to the guests. Julie sits down on the porch to sing with them.Buck is soon killed by Pres' younger brother Ted (Richard Cromwell) in a duel over Julie. Julie had started it all, encouraging once against the other. Dr Livingston (Donald Crisp) tells Julie that now she's got what she's been fighting for. Julie tries to convince him to stop the duel, but he says that women can start fights, but that they can't put a stop to them afterwards. Later, Julie is organizing the buquets of flowers onto their vases with Zette like she's got no a care in the world, while Amy gets frantic, taking for granted that Ted will die in the duel. However, Ted arrives saying that Buck die knowing that Julie had used him. Aunt Belle warns Julie that the community's mutual sufferings because of her outrageous behavior has the town comparing her to the biblical Jezebel.The fever spreads. New Orleans has been sieged: nobody can enter or leave the town. Pres drinks alcohol - the only known healing to the yellow fever. Banks are also suffering, as the plague is causing communication problems, the blockade, commerce problems... Pres says that he's feeling bad to Dr Livingston. After knowing that Buck is dead, Pres has a fit. Only Dr Livingston dares to help poor Preston Dilliard, who has crumbled down. When news arrives that Pres has contracted yellow fever, Amy confronts Julie to take stock of what she's done. Finally admitting to herself that Pres hasn't given a damn about her since the day of the ball, Julie realizes that her possible redemption lies not with those who will always shun her, but with the home that she really owns and the man she really wants each trapped below the quarantine line. A slave brings the news that Pres is at Julie's home because no hotel wanted to accept Pres. The slave was able to cross the quarantine line by means of a stolen boat. While the rest of her and Pres' relatives search for a governor's permit to visit Pres, Julie uses the stolen boat. Julie arrives first.Livingston advises Julie not to see Pres, as the yellow fever is really contagious. Pres is delirious. Julie tends to him. Belle, Amy and Ted appear with a Governor's pass to visit Pres. Julie is there. Amy looks at her with jealousy and amazement, and in silence she takes Julie's place besides the sick man's bed. Julie leaves in silence as well, and goes down the stairs, sitting carelessly in a sofa. Livingston says that Julie should sleep some, or she'll have to join Pres. That gives an idea to Julie.Ted is indignant that Livingstone has denounced Pres, so he'll be taken away to the leprosery, but the doctor says that there cannot be a law for poor people and other for wealthy people. The ruthless army people arrive. So Julie convinces Amy that she will accompany Pres to the leprosery to the island where he'll be sent, as only Julie will be able to take care of him, terrorising the nurses and workers onto giving him the best medicines and care. Amy refuses af first, but then she accepts, when Julie admits that Pres only loves Amy, and not her. That way, Julie will pay her dues and make atonement for her sins.Everybody stares while Julie goes running after Pres. They are two more people among the sick destitute who will go to the leprosery, most of them to die. While this happens, cannonballs fly and there are bonfires in every crossroad of the city.

Review: It is 1850's New Orleans, and Julie Marsten (Davis), a head-strong young woman who doesn't find it the least improper to be late for her own engagement party because she feels like riding her horse instead, is getting married to Preston Dillard (Fonda).
Clearly, it didn't matter, because Bette Davis went out and gave one of the best performances of her career and won her second Oscar for best actress.This film is GWTW without Yankees.
Clearly, it didn't matter, because Bette Davis went out and gave one of the best performances of her career and won her second Oscar for best actress.This film is GWTW without Yankees.
It also follows the life and times of one very spirited woman named Julie Marsden (Bette Davis), who could have been Scarlet O'Hara's soul mate.Julie shocks New Orleans society when she insolently comes to a ball wearing a red dress when it is the custom for all proper southern girls to wear white.
It also follows the life and times of one very spirited woman named Julie Marsden (Bette Davis), who could have been Scarlet O'Hara's soul mate.Julie shocks New Orleans society when she insolently comes to a ball wearing a red dress when it is the custom for all proper southern girls to wear white.
Included in the story are a couple of duels over points of honor, a stark depiction of the yellow fever epidemic, and the noble resurrection of a contrite Julie Marsden upon Preston's return.As always, director William Wyler (with whom Bette Davis was romantically linked) does a fantastic job at direction, giving the film a genuine southern flavor and period feel.
Included in the story are a couple of duels over points of honor, a stark depiction of the yellow fever epidemic, and the noble resurrection of a contrite Julie Marsden upon Preston's return.As always, director William Wyler (with whom Bette Davis was romantically linked) does a fantastic job at direction, giving the film a genuine southern flavor and period feel.
Ironically, in 1940 she lost to the beautiful, and exceptional Vivien Leigh, who won in the role Davis turned down.Fay Bainter is marvelous as Aunt Belle Bogardus garnering a best supporting actress Oscar.
George Brent (with whom Davis also was rumored to have had an affair) also turns in a strong performance as Buck, the honorable gentleman who duels his best friend to defend Julie's honor.This is a wonderful film with great acting and directing.
George Brent (with whom Davis also was rumored to have had an affair) also turns in a strong performance as Buck, the honorable gentleman who duels his best friend to defend Julie's honor.This is a wonderful film with great acting and directing.
Considering the sacrifice that the title character makes in this film, it is fitting and proper that Davis got this role because she could have had Scarlett, but she wouldn't make Gone With the Wind if it included Errol Flynn as Rhett Butler.Julie Marsden is as willful and and spiteful a southern belle as Scarlett O'Hara ever could be.
Just simply not done in the best families.Bette Davis is Julie and while she's going to be married to the very proper Henry Fonda, she likes the idea that she can still turn the head of every young blade in New Orleans.
Another performance I liked is that of Donald Crisp as the doctor who fights a lot of prejudice and ignorance in New Orleans in trying to deal with yellow fever.Looming over all of the film is the knowledge we have that this society will come crashing down in another eight years or so in events so well told in Gone With the Wind.
It's a strong and independent woman for her time (the movie is set in the 1850's), yet also spoiled and stubborn, who of course eventually has to pay for her deeds.Bette Davis plays a role in which she could had easily gone over-the-top with, since its a very stubborn and spoiled character but instead she plays her role more humane and realistic, which also keeps her likable.
Characters start off with high hopes for the future, only to succumb to some unfortunate fate, as a direct result of their Southern roots.In pre-Civil War New Orleans, Julie Marsden (Bette Davis) is a wealthy young woman, engaged to respected banker Preston Dillard (Henry Fonda).
This event sets up the rest of the story.While the support cast in "Jezebel" is fine, especially Fay Bainter, the film would not be the same without Bette Davis.
Bette Davis and Henry Fonda are real winners of this antebellum novel, so sweet, but so threateningly looming, as the news of the forthcoming Civil War is spread all the time in the film and the peaceful routine is soon to be rudely interrupted by the horrible conflict of two cultures and two worlds.
Julie sets out to win him back, with a bad result."Jezebel" has many similarities to "Gone with the Wind" - the south, the red dress, the manipulative, strong young woman, her obsession with a man and the disapproval by the family of her actions.
The film does wonders with its historical setting, New Orleans a short while before the Civil War. A year before Gone with the Wind cooed over the fancy lives and manners of the Ante Bellum South, Jezebel was exploring them in more detail, and with a more intelligent eye.
It's almost impossible to think of another actress of that period giving as good a performance, as Ms. Davis'.There are also people that have compared Jezebel with Gone with the Wind.
Meanwhile Preston is contaminated in New Orleans by the Yellow Jack and Julie disputes with Amy the right to nurse him in an isolation island with lepers."Jezebel" is another great movie of Bette Davis and William Wyler based on the southern lifestyle a couple of years before the American Civil War. Bette Davis character is a controlling, independent and spoiled young woman and when she finds out that her former fiancé is married, she tells her aunt that she would fight for him despite being married and her aunt compares Julie with Jezebel.
She plays a very spoiled and uncompromising southern belle named Julie in 1850's New Orleans, who intends to marry young beau Henry Fonda but mercilessly tries his patience; she is selfishly late for her own party, and despite all self-respecting folks' protests, rebelliously dons a glowing red gown at a Grand Ball at a time when it's forbidden for any unmarried woman to wear anything other than white.
One year later, when a violent outbreak of Yellow Fever plagues the south for the first time in 22 years, Fonda returns home again; but it will be an unpleasant shock for the headstrong and vengeful Davis.William Wyler directs this lavish melodrama quite well, and all the actors are well selected ("Little Rascals" fans will also have fun spotting young Stymie Beard).
William Wyler directs this first rate costume drama and Ms. Bette Davis picks up her second Academy Award playing an Antebellum Dixie vixen that goes a little too far to make her fiance(Henry Fonda)jealous.
Bette Davis is at her best in this 1800s Southern melodrama in which her attempts to snag a married ex-love (Henry Fonda) end in tragedy.
"Jezebel" was filmed at a time when color films were still rare.And it's really a pity ,because the scene of the red dress ,lavishly filmed by William Wyler,deserved it.No one films the ball scenes like Wyler used to do (think of that in "Wuthering Heights")Even if they did a remake in color anyway,it would be hard to find another Bette Davis.She gives a first-class performance .Take for instance the scene when Pres (Fonda) introduces Amy to Julie.Davis's attitude is remarkable in its suppressed anger and hatred.I cannot think of another actress playing like this.Davis also shines during the dinner when Buck speaks of the traitor Garrison,and she makes veiled hints at another treason.Mad jealousy emerges again when she regrets that women are not allowed to fight a duel.Outside the ball scene,which is worth the price of admission alone,the scene when Davis sings with the children is still impressive today.But the yellow fever (jack) epidemic ,with its wagons full of bodies en route to the leprosaria (the Lazaret)can also still grab today's audience..
Often referred as a black-and-white version of GONE WITH THE WIND, or in a more dismissive but not entirely incorrect comparison, a poor man's version of it, William Wyler's JEZEBEL is not in the same league in terms of the latter's epic scale, chromatic splendor, involute sex politics or an indomitable male player to match its barnstorming female star, but honestly, as a Ms. Bette Davis' star vehicle, it gives her a helluva three-act stage to incarnate a southern belle's petulant, reckless and vindictive perversities with their concomitant ramifications in an antebellum New Orleans, to a point even her final redemption doesn't feel fully justified.
Davis plays Miss Julie Marsden, a pesky and conceited patrician ingénue, who never live up to our expectation of espousal and compassion, in the first act she has no one but herself to answer for the breakup of her engagement with the young banker Preston Dillard (played by a four-square Henry Fonda but nothing more), whom she deeply loves and when she wants him back, one year later, her blithe scheme to stoke Preston's jealousy through cozying up to her long-time admirer Buck Cantrell (Brent) goes awry with disastrous outcome, not that Buck deserves our extolment, who is a foolish man blinded by his irrational hubris and abject subservience.
Another bad taste comes from the patronizing paragraph of treating black people like uncouth chanting animal, quite an eyesore for viewers in this day and age, that is something even Wyler's scrupulous direction and Max Steiner's sonorous score cannot temper with.Ms. Davis won her second Oscar for this intrepid work at the age of 31, and in hindsight, an honor which has come premature among her 11 nominations in toto, and probably denies her another trophy for her absolute apotheosis in ALL ABOUT EVE, although 1950 is a such a wonderfully competitive year for actresses.
Fay Bainter also takes home a golden statuette for her cracking supporting turn as Aunt Belle Massey, who always stays in close range to counterpoint Julie's disaster-prone caprices with decorum graced with solicitous concern and subtle tenderness, it is also worth mentioning that Ms. Bainter is the first actress being nominated in both leading (for Edmund Goulding's WHITE BANNERS) and supporting categories in the same year, which means she has to compete with two Jezebel co-stars, loses to Davis, but wins over Spring Byington, who is nominated in Frank Capra's YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU (1938)..
It has been said that this movie is two things, one, an extended screen test for the role of Scarlett in "Gone With The Wind" and two, a consolation prize in case Bette wasn't cast in that film.
"Jezebel" is constantly said to be the great Bette Davis's so-called consolation prize for not getting the role of Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone With the Wind".
In 1852 New Orleans, willful Southern belle Bette Davis (Julie Marsden) shocks society by wearing a red dress to the "Olympus Ball" with handsome Northern-sympathetic fiancé Henry Fonda (as Preston "Pres" Dillard).
Davis' aunt Fay Bainter (as Belle Massey) wants her to beg Fonda's forgiveness, but Davis prefers to play cat and mouse This film has been compared to another, but stands firmly on its own ground.First of all, "Jezebel" was not assigned to Davis as compensation for failing to get the part of Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone with the Wind" (1939).
Fonda and George Brent (as Buck Cantrell) are more than serviceable suitors; but, the unfortunately forgotten Richard Cromwell (as Ted Dillard) and Margaret Lindsay (as Amy Bradford) get more mileage out of their secondary roles.********* Jezebel (3/10/38) William Wyler ~ Bette Davis, Henry Fonda, Margaret Lindsay, Richard Cromwell.
I will watch now Gone with The Wind, and compare what they stole from this movie!!Best scene in the movie is when Bette Davis dares to wear a whore's red dress to the sophisticated young virgin's annual ball!.
In this signature-scene, Wyler's talent for pulling emotional truth from actors glides frame by frame.Indeed, Davis got all the praises (and the Oscar along with Bainter) but look at Fonda's reaction, he's calm, he "calls her bluff" and takes her to the ball with the red dress, retorting to people's shocked faces with death glares.
And for all its old-fashion charm, "Jezebel" still holds up because what looks dated is criticized by its own heroine as Davis plays Julie's defiance toward the 1850's convention like she was with Hollywood establishment in the 30s and that sincerity makes the film hold up pretty well even by today's standards.
Though her portrait of the malicious Mildred in Of Human Bondage (1934) had made her a star, this film garnered the Best Actress Oscar many felt she deserved then, and established her as a leading lady from that point on.Indeed, this was a great role for Davis, and she probably would have been impressive in "Gone With the Wind".
Bette Davis plays the young woman whose name in the movie is actually Julie, but because of her conniving and the hurt that results from it her Aunt Belle, played by Fay Bainter tells her that she is acting like Jezebel from the bible.
"Jezebel" is the story of a conniving Southern belle (Bette Davis) who defies tradition by wearing a red dress to a society ball where all the girls wore traditional white.
Fay Bainter, always a fine actress, does a nice job in a strong supporting role--she and Bette were awarded with Oscars for their work.But the film itself is a rather depressing saga with the yellow fever epidemic lurking in the background and no action scenes that might make it a more full-blooded melodrama.
Ms Davis dominates a talented cast and expensive backdrops as the vainglorious Southern belle Julie / Jezebel of the piece, cowing her spiky fiancé Henry Fonda into allowing her to wear a scandalous red dress to the ball where the great and the good are all in attendance to pass judgement on her misplaced show of bravado.
I have only one criticism about this film (which Bette Davis won an Oscar for her performance), a major plot point concerns a red dress.
It's American Civil War and Julie Marsden (Bette Davis) is a rich southern girl who loves a man but loses him due to her young girl's attitudes of provocation, like wearing a red dress in a party where all the girls were wearing white ones.
A little more action would have made it better.Much of the film is about Davis's character and her family and love lives and is set on the eve of the Civil War. The acting is excellent though as is the score by Max Steiner (King Kong).The rest of the cast includes Henry Fonda, George Brent, Margaret Lindsay, Donald Crisp and Fay Bainter.Despite the above, Jezebel is certainly a must see movie, especially if you are a fan of Bette Davis.Rating: 3 stars out of 5..
Jezebel l watched for first time was in the early 80' and some years ago l purchase a copy with classic dubbed version,so today l revisited this good picture that was the response of Warner to MGM's Gone with Wind but the story isn't quite good...but Bette is fantastic and evil better than never and together with Henry Fonda hold the picture,another acting that deserve to be nominated is George Brent as ruthless man and Fay Bainter who won the Oscar as supporting role,l really liked this picture to exhibit the difference of thought between north and south on a period pre war!!!.
She plays flighty, flirty, selfish Southern belle Julie Marsden who delights in shocking both her fiancée Preston Dillard (Henry Fonda) and New Orleans society by wearing a scandalous red dress to a ball.
A liberated woman of her time in the late 30's, Bette Davis was known for her strong discipline and work ethics as an actress, her many romances, including the director of this film Mr. William Wyler and her co-stars Henry Fonda and George Brent.
So if you like Bette Davis, and you like a good drama, sit back and enjoy "Jezebel", even when: there are dozens of similarities to Gone With The Wind from the dialog to the characters, setting and general milieu of the film, even when it does feel very talky and drags on in the plantation scene before the climatic finale as Julie goes off to Lazarette island to save her love from the yellow jack, an ending which feels unresolved if you think about how we are cheated from ever knowing if Preston will live or die and without feeling any real closure about the relationship between Julie and Preston.
She does deviously try to get Fonda back, and in an interesting, subtle parallel, he too becomes a pariah when he contacts yellow fever during an epidemic, but the ending is forced, melodramatic, and abrupt.Davis was 30 years old when the film was made but had already been in 36 movies, won one Oscar and been nominated for one other, and yet she said this was the role that truly established her.
William Wyler does do a first rate job of directing - as in what is an early highpoint of the film: Pres teaching Davis' Julie a lesson by humiliating her at the "Nimbus" ball for wearing a scarlet dress.That said, why is JEZEBEL a lesser film than GONE WITH THE WIND?
Amy relents, and Julie rides away with Pres on the fever cart, with tears streaming down her face.When Bette Davis didn't get the role of Scarlett O'Hara in GONE WITH THE WIND, Jack Warner, head of Warner Bros.