Wednesday, 19 March 2025

A Stolen Life (1946 Curtis Berhardt)

Artist Bette Davis meets light house technician Glenn Ford on way to New England island, and they form an attachment. Why's she so secretive about letting him into her house? Because she has a manpulative twin sister, played by Bette Davis, and she steals him from her and they marry. Bitch! (Good superimposed trick photography.) Later, artist Bette meets pain-in-the-ass painter Dane Clark, who overacts somewhat. Then Bad Bette drowns, and everyone thinks Good Bette is the bad one and she goes along with it, but it turns out the marriage is almost down the drain.

She could have saved herself a lot of trouble by fessing up at once - I'm sure Ford would have realised he loved her. As it's left, she has inherited the rotten reputation of her multiple affairs cheating sister.

Karel Benes' novel was adapted by Margaret Buell Wilder and Catherine Turney. Sol Polito is credited as the lead cameraman but Bette's favourite Ernie Haller was involved also. Max Steiner's score (orchestrated again by Friedhofer) is suitably romantic.

It was the first film made by Bette's independent production company, B.D. Productions though clearly made with all Warners cast and crew and distributed by them. It was a success. Also featuring  Charles Ruggles and Walter Brennan.



Universal may well have nicked the idea for the twin sister Olivia de Havilland thriller The Dark Mirror, which was released later the same year.

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