Perfectly Played

In The Little Foxes, (1941, dir William Wyler) the pivotal scene in which Bette Davis (hello: hurrah!) decides to let her husband die is caught in the absolute split second it happens. When Horace (the inestimable Herbert Marshall) drops the vial of medicine, you can see Regina’s lifetime of cunning and wile reach its zenith. It neatly encapsulates her ruthless ability to exploit a situation — a skill that will later enable her to squash her brothers, even though it means risking the loss of her daughter. A stellar cast, many imported from the Broadway original. This scene is one of many that explains why, lo these many years later, Wyler is still revered by cinéastes the world over. Wyler wisely keeps a tight focus on Davis, whose constant weighing of when or if to help Horace is really her judging how culpable she may be deemed. Tallulah Bankhead played Regina on Broadway and was not happy with Davis’ portrayal, feeling that it was a direct imitation of her performance. “Why, that hag, I ought to tear every hair out of her moustache,” Bankhead reportedly said.

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