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Jezebel
Theatrical Poster
Directed by	William Wyler
Produced by	Executive Producer: Hal B. Wallis Producer: William Wyler
Written by	Clements Ripley Abem Finkel John Huston Robert Buckner Story: Owen Davis
Starring	Bette Davis Henry Fonda George Brent
Music by	Max Steiner
Cinematography	Ernest Haller
Editing by	Warren Low
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	March 10, 1938
Running time	103 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Jezebel is an American film drama released in 1938 and directed by William Wyler.^[1] The stars were Bette Davis and Henry Fonda, supported by George Brent, Margaret Lindsay, Donald Crisp, Richard Cromwell, and Fay Bainter. The film was adapted by Clements Ripley, Abem Finkel, John Huston and Robert Buckner, from the play by Owen Davis, Sr.

The picture tells the story of a headstrong young Southern woman during the Antebellum period whose actions cost her the man she loves.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Background 3 Cast 4 Awards 4.1 Wins 4.2 Nominations 5 Adaptations 6 DVD commentary 7 References 8 Footnotes 9 External links

Spoiled, strong-willed New Orleans belle Julie Marsden (Bette Davis) is engaged to banker Preston 'Pres' Dillard (Henry Fonda). In retaliation for Pres refusing to drop his work and accompany her while she shops for a dress, she orders a brazen red one for the most important ball of the year, one where white dresses for unmarried women are expected. Everyone is shocked, but no one can convince her to give up her ill-judged whim.

Pres escorts Julie to the Olympus Ball, where their entrance is met by the disdainful stares of all present. She finally realizes the magnitude of her social blunder and begs Pres to take her away, but by this time, he is implacable. He makes her dance with him. All the other couples gradually leave the floor, finally leaving them alone and isolated. When the orchestra conductor stops playing, Pres orders him to continue and they finish the dance.

Afterwards, Pres takes his leave of Julie, implicitly breaking their engagement. In a final bit of spite, Julie slaps him in the face by way of farewell. Aunt Belle Massey (Fay Bainter) urges her to go after Pres and beg his forgiveness, but she refuses, arrogantly confident that he will return to her. Instead, he goes north on business. Julie shuts herself up in her house and refuses to see visitors.

A year later, Pres finally returns, to help Dr. Livingstone (Donald Crisp) try to convince the city authorities to take measures against an outbreak of yellow fever. Julie humbles herself and begs his forgiveness and a return of his love before Pres can stop her. Then Pres introduces her to his Northern bride, Amy (Margaret Lindsay).

Julie eggs on her admirer, skilled duellist Buck Cantrell (George Brent), to quarrel with Pres, but the scheme goes awry. Pres's inexperienced brother Ted (Richard Cromwell) is the one who is goaded into challenging Buck. In an unexpected twist, Ted emerges victorious; Buck is fatally shot.

Then something happens that overshadows everything else. A deadly epidemic of yellow fever sweeps the city, as it had numerous times before. Pres comes down with it and, like all other victims, is to be quarantined on an island. Amy prepares to go along to care for him, risking her own life, but Julie stops her. She tells the Northerner that she doesn't know how to deal with the slaves and Southerners on the island. She begs to go in her place, as an act of redemption. Amy agrees.

Some argue the film was developed as a vehicle for Bette Davis after she failed to win the part of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind. However, the movie was filmed and released before the part was even cast in 1939.

• Bette Davis as Julie Marsden
• Henry Fonda as Preston Dillard
• George Brent as Buck Cantrell
• Margaret Lindsay as Amy Bradford Dillard
• Donald Crisp as Dr. Livingstone
• Fay Bainter as Aunt Belle Massey
• Richard Cromwell as Ted Dillard
• Henry O'Neill as General Theopholus Bogardus
• Spring Byington as Mrs. Kendrick
• John Litel as Jean La Cour
• Gordon Oliver as Dick Allen
• Janet Shaw as Molly Allen
• Theresa Harris as Zette
• Margaret Early as Stephanie Kendrick
• Irving Pichel as Huger

• Academy Award for Best Actress - Bette Davis
• Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress - Fay Bainter
• Venice Film Festival: Special Recommendation for its overall artistic contribution - William Wyler

• Academy Award for Best Picture - Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke
• Academy Award for Best Cinematography - Ernest Haller
• Academy Award for Original Music Score - Max Steiner
• Venice Film Festival: Mussolini Cup for Best Film - William Wyler

The movie was adapted into an episode of the 60 minute radio program Academy Award, with Bette Davis in the title role.

In 2006, film historian Jeanine Basinger recorded a comprehensive scene-by-scene commentary as part of the re-issued DVD of the film. In her commentary about Davis, Basinger relates that this film is distinctive in the realm of women's pictures because of Orry-Kelly's brilliant costume designs for the actress. Basinger states that the viewer is compelled to watch Davis in four stylings in particular: the riding crop/outfit in the beginning of the film, the scandalous scarlet red dress at the Olympus Ball, the virginal white dress she wears when she attempts to woo back Henry Fonda, and finally the cape at the end of the film she dons when she must go to help care for Fonda. In Basinger's opinion, this was the performance at the height of Davis's career and that Jezebel is the quintessential American "woman's" film.

• Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-507678-8. .

• Jezebel at the TCM Movie Database