MR SKEFFINGTON
US, 1944, 145 minutes, Black and white.
Bette Davis, Claude Rains, Walter Abel, George Coulouris, Richard Waring.
Directed by Vincent Sherman.
Mr Skeffington was a popular novel of the period, by Elizabeth von Arnim. It was adapted for the screen by Julius J. Epstein, prolific writer at Warner Brothers including Casablanca.
The film was directed by Vincent Sherman, director of many films at Warner Brothers during the 1940s.
This was a big Bette Davis vehicle, a story which spanned the early part of the 20th century moving to World War Two. She portrays Fanny Trellis, a self-absorbed young woman who finds that her brother has embezzled money from the Skeffington Bank. When she confronts Jobe Skeffington, the owner of the bank, she decides that she will marry him. The film traces the marriage, the birth of their daughter. However, World War One intervenes and Fanny is left by herself in New York. As might be expected, she turns in on herself, associates with gangsters and other men. Eventually, Skeffington returns to the United States. At the same time, her daughter is grown up.
This is the material of popular novels, of soap operas. Bette Davis excels at this kind of role and was nominated for an Oscar. Claude Rains, a strong presence in many films of the period, was also nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actor.
1. The significance of the title yet the emphasis on Bette Davis, her memories as Mrs Skeffington?
2. The Warners Bros. production values of the forties? Black and white photography, sets, musical score? The effect on audiences at the time? Now?
3. The value of film soap-operas? The playing on emotions, the wide historical span, the presentation of America? The audience able to understand the period and its people, empathy with them? How valuable an experience?
4. The film as a Bette Davis vehicle? The qualities of her acting and her performance? As paired with Claude Rains and his impact?
5. The importance for structure for this kind of soap opera? The span of the years, the development of changes over the years? The audience and making the transitions of times? The pictorial view of America in these times? Fanny and Job changing over the decades?
6. The establishment of the nineteen fourteen period? Rumours of war, New York society and its chatter, Fanny's being the belle of New York? the ability of a wilful girl to be a star in New York? The background of swindles, wealth, rags to riches stories? Typical America? origins of families?
7. Fanny within this situation? Did she ever change? Her way of flirting, her treatment of her husband, taking the advise of George, her devotion to her brother, her fascination with Job and angling to marry him? The detailed meetings and leading him on? The significance of the marriage ceremony and the ferry ride back to the city?
8. Job as a contrast to Fanny? His entering the house, his wanting to marry her? Marrying the woman everyone else wanted? His wisdom, his business flair, devotion to Fanny? A woman is beautiful when she is loved? Did he change over the decades?
9. How well did the film portray the details of their life together? Anniversaries, Fanny in society? Her spending her life before the mirror? The birth of little Fanny, her fear of birth? Her disregard of people? Job and his involvement in the war?
10. The transition to the twenties and the couple growing older? Their style, wealth? The background of prohibition and gangsters? The lead up to the Wall Street crash?
11. Fanny and her whims, her going out with the gangster, her encountering Job and her shock at his infidelity? Her unreasonable demands for the divorce? Job's response and his reasons for infidelity? The impact of the divorce on him? The important sequence of himself and little Fanny at the restaurant discussing their future? Fanny's selfishness as regards her daughter?
12. The passing of the years and Fanny's inability to see her daughter? The years of concentrating on herself, dissipation? Her growing older and emptier? Fearful of growing old, the irony of the portrait? The irony of Johnny Mitchell proposing to her and the arrival of her daughter back? Mitchell’s indecision about young Fanny? Her realization about her growing older and her unwillingness to face it? How well did the film show the emptiness of her attitudes?
13 The trip on the yacht? the diphtheria and its effect on her? Old and ugly while she was ill? Her fascination with Job and remembering his works? Seeing him present? The visit to her psychiatrist, imposition on him? The wisdom of his direct attack on her?
14. The vanity in her testing her power to flirt? The men and their wives? Their reaction to her and her sensing it? The proposal for her money? Fanny leaving and going to marry Johnny Mitchell? The truth of the mother and daughter talks? Her inability to be a real mother?
15. What made Fanny finally admit the truth? The influence of George? Job’s return and its effect on her? The sentiment of their meeting? Job and his background of the concentration camp and his new life?
