THE SISTERS
US, 1938, 99 minutes, Black and white.
Errol Flynn, Bette Davis, Anita Louise, Ian Hunter, Donald Crisp, Beulah Bondi, Jane Bryan, Alan Hale, Dick Foran, Henry Travers, Patric Knowles, Lee Patrick, Laura Hope Cruise, Harry Davenport.
Directed by Anatole Litvak.
The Sisters was a popular film of 1938. Errol Flynn had been emerging in the previous three years as a romantic star and an action star, Captain Blook and The Charge of the Light Brigade. He was also to be Robin Hood. Bette Davis was emerging from smaller-budget films and was soon to film Dark Victory and The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex. She had won an Oscar in 1935 for Dangerous and was to win one in 1938 for Jezebel.
This is a film of early 20th century Americana, three sisters celebrating the re election of Teddy Roosevelt in 1904 until the election of President Taft in 1912. Two of the sisters settle in Montana and lead quiet lives. However, Louise, played by Bette Davis, goes off with a sports reporter, Errol Flynn, to San Francisco. However, he becomes involved in drinking and gambling and leaves for some time. There is a bittersweet ending.
The film has a great number of Warner Bros supporting character actors. It was directed by Russian/Ukrainian-born Anatole Litvak who directed Mayerling and Tovarich at this time, went on to direct Bette Davis in All This and Heaven Too. After World War Two he directed such films as The Snake Pit and Anastasia. In the 1960s he directed The Night of the Generals.
1. How enjoyable a melodrama of the thirties? The style of American romantic drama and its appeal? How good an example? A Bette Davis film? An Errol Flynn film?
2. The importance of the atmosphere of San Francisco, a costume melodrama, black and white photography, music, the set pieces of the earthquake, ball, wharves, newspaper life? An atmosphere of genuine Americana?
3. The emphasis of the title? The focus on Louise, in comparison with each sister? The use of the novel technique and the turning of the pages?
4. The importance of the society setting? People's manners, morals, the atmosphere of conventions of behaviour? Their influence on the main characters? Constricting them, rebellion against them?
5. The picture of women in the film? Women as wives, as working, the support to their husbands? The impact in the thirties? Modern response?
6. The picturing of the strengths of the characters, their weaknesses, the nature of mutual love and fidelity? How genuine, how ideal?
7. Louise as presented in this context, as a woman of her time? Her strong character and its illustration? Her love for Frank? The change that marriage wrought in her? Her fidelity? Louise as an ideal of sentiments and feeling? How convincing a character?
8. The portrayal of Frank? Errol Flynn in this role? As a person, his strengths and weaknesses, his creative ambitions, his search? His feeling that he was a corpse? His capacity as a writer, his job? His love for Louise, his dependence on her? The impact of his drinking? The details of his walking out on her and the melodramatic atmosphere? His escape? The change that his voyages made in him? The importance of the return? The genuine re-meeting of the two? Audience response to this happy ending?
9. The contrast of Louise with her sisters? The atmosphere of infidelity, society gossip, divorces?
10. The influence of Tim on Frank? The atmosphere of the newspaper world? The help that friends give and their work for reconciliation?
11. The influence of Benson in the film? As a contrast in character to Frank? His support for Louise and love for her? His ability to let her go back to Frank?
12. The importance of Louise's parents? Their frequent reappearance in the film? Their love for one another? Their influence on their daughters? Their concern?
13. Flora and her mother? The contrast with Louise? Yet the friendship? The importance of the earthquake and the aftermath for Louise's health?
14. The impact of the earthquake sequences? Flora and Louise in the earthquake, the ruins, fire, sickness? The impact of the quake on San Francisco?
15. What were the main humane themes of the film and how well were they explored?
