Jezebel main backdrop
Jezebel main poster

7.0/10 • 198

1938-03-261h 43m

DramaRomance

Half angel, half siren, all woman.

In 1850s Louisiana, the willfulness of a tempestuous Southern belle threatens to destroy all who care for her.

Directors
William Wyler
Editors
Warren Low

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Bette Davis

    Bette Davis

    Julie Marsden

  2. Henry Fonda

    Henry Fonda

    Preston Dillard

  3. George Brent

    George Brent

    Buck Cantrell

  4. Margaret Lindsay

    Margaret Lindsay

    Amy Bradford Dillard

  5. Donald Crisp

    Donald Crisp

    Dr. Livingstone

  6. Fay Bainter

    Fay Bainter

    Aunt Belle Massey

  7. Richard Cromwell

    Richard Cromwell

    Ted Dillard

  8. Henry O'Neill

    Henry O'Neill

    General Theopholus Bogardus

  9. Spring Byington

    Spring Byington

    Mrs. Kendrick

Reviews1

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CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

Oct 9, 2023

6/10

This starts off really strongly with the arrival, on horseback, of the feisty "Miss Julie" (Bette Davis). She is the rather proud orphaned daughter of a wealthy southern family whom everyone wants to know and be seen with - even if she is a bit of a pain in the neck. It's "Dill" (a rather charmless Henry Fonda) who is the front runner for her rather vain affections but he is no push-over. Her desire to inappropriately wear a red gown to a formal ball initially elicits his reluctant support as he escorts her, but then the ensuing fallout ensures he flees leaving her alone and determined - to get him back. The onset of the plague forces her to flee to their plantation and he ends up there too - but with a significant complication. With her normally ordered life all askew, "Miss Julie" has to think, perhaps for the first time, not just about herself. I'm afraid, though that this film was just bit too much of a soap for me. Though Davis has loads of beans at the outset, the story rather manoeuvres us into a rather predictably sentimental cul-de-sac that's slightly cluttered up by the rather obnoxiously cocky "Buck" (George Brent). Donald Crisp and Spring Byington provide a bit of ballast now and again, but I just found this all rather disappointingly flighty and thin. A frustrated love story, yes - but I just needed much more of our original "Jezebel" and less of what her character became. I saw this very recently on a big screen and it is still, despite my reservations, a fine example of thoroughly well presented and opulent cinema with a star who very much owns the screen.

Media

  • Jezebel poster
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  • Jezebel poster
  • Jezebel poster
  • Jezebel poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
$1,250,000.00
Revenue
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Keywords
love of one's lifesouthern usaself-destructionnew orleans, louisianalouisianayellow feverfemale protagonistepidemicpridevanitysouthern belle