Fact1: Southern aristocrat Regina Hubbard Giddens struggles for wealth and freedom within confines of early 20th-century society, Fact2: father considered only sons as legal heirs early 20th-century society, Fact3: Oscar proposes marriage between Leo and Regina 's daughter as means of getting Horace 's money, Fact4: Horace After informs Regina of theft of bonds returning home from impromptu trip to security box at bank, Fact5: Leo works at bank schemes to acquire larger share of mill by blackmailing brothers about theft
Output: Southern aristocrat Regina Hubbard Giddens Bette Davis struggles for wealth and freedom within the confines of an early 20thcentury society where a father considered only sons as legal heirs. As a result, her avaricious brothers, Benjamin Charles Dingle and Oscar Carl Benton Reid, are independently wealthy, while she must rely for financial support upon her sickly husband Horace Herbert Marshall, who has been away undergoing treatment for a severe heart condition. Oscar, having married and maligned the sweetsouled, now hopelessly alcoholic Birdie Patricia Collinge to acquire her familys plantation and its cotton fields, now wants to join forces with Benjamin to construct a cotton mill. They approach their sister with their need for an additional 75,000 to invest in the project. Oscar initially proposes a marriage between his son Leo Dan Duryea and Reginas daughter Alexandra Teresa Wright – first cousins – as a means of getting Horaces money; but Horace and Alexandra are repulsed by the suggestion. When Regina asks Horace outright for the money, he refuses. She tells him his refusal is not important since he will die soon and she is eagerly waiting for that day to come. Alexandra overhears the conversation and is distraught. She then comforts her father after Regina leaves the room. Ben and Oscar, aware of Horaces refusal, pressure Leo into stealing Horaces railroad bonds from his personal security box at the bank to complete the sum needed to construct the mill. After returning home from an impromptu trip to his security box at the bank, Horace informs Regina of the theft of his bonds. Regina, realizing her two brothers stole the bonds through Leo, who works at the bank, schemes to acquire a larger share of the mill by blackmailing her brothers about their theft. Immediately, Horace states he is changing his will to leave Alexandra everything except the railroad bonds which, he will claim, he freely lent to Leo. This story will thwart any attempt by Regina to blackmail her brothers over their theft and will deny her any claim to an ownership stake in the mill. Alexandra is rescued from a larger misfortune, that of marrying the repugnant Leo, by Birdie, the only person able to do so, who wills herself the courage to tell the younger woman not to marry the wrong man i.e. Leo, lest she bear the consequences for the rest of her life. Unfortunately, Oscar overhears part of the conversation and, after Alexandra is out of earshot, slaps Birdie hard. Regina argues with Horace about her contempt for him; and, when he suffers a heart attack, she makes no effort to get him his medicine from upstairs. Horace climbs the stairs to get his medicine but collapses on the way up. The final scenes of the film involve a dying Horace surrounded by family, a doctor and servants who await the chance he may survive. Eventually, Horace dies, leaving no one to contradict Regina if she accuses her brothers of theft. She thus blackmails her brothers, demanding that she be given 75 ownership of the mill business, and they are left with no choice but to accept her demands. Alexandra hears this conversation; and, upon the brothers leaving, she confronts her mother about the nature of her fathers death on the stairway. Regina denies any wrongdoing, but Alexandra is skeptical. Alexandra then states the importance of not idly watching people do evil, and Regina tells her daughter that she cannot do anything to stop her from leaving the household, while hoping that she stays. Alexandra runs away with newspaperman David Richard Carlson. Regina is left wealthy, but completely alone.