In the 1940 film version of W. Somerset Maugham's The Letter, Bette Davis plays Leslie Crosbie, the wife of a manager of a rubber plantation near Singapore. In the opening scene, the moon is casting long shadows as Leslie walks out of her house, weapon in hand, and empties the gun into the fleeing Geoff Hammond (never seen). Distraught, she later weaves a pitiful tale of assault and self-defense. Her husband Robert (Herbert Marshall), family friend and lawyer Howard Joyce, (James Stephenson), and a policeman seem to believe every word the beguiling woman utters.

Although the policeman proves to be sympathetic and understanding, Leslie is arrested - she did, after all, kill a man.

Her husband and lawyer expect her to be found not guilty because she killed Hammond in self-defense, and her jail time while she awaits trial is cushy.

Then a letter Leslie sent to Hammond surfaces. The letter contradicts Leslie's original claim that Hammond had dropped in unannounced, proving instead that he was there at her invitation, implying an ongoing affair. In order to buy the letter from Hammond's Eurasian widow, Leslie empties her husband's bank account (unbeknownst to him). She and her lawyer meet Mrs. Hammond in an exotic room above a shop which, among other items, sells daggers - a foreshadowing of things to come. Gale Sondergaard's entrance as the widow is so overdramatic, it's funny.

Leslie is acquitted, but now the plot really thickens. Robert is so concerned for his wife's happiness that he decides to take all the money he still thinks is in the bank and buy a business far away from Singapore and malicious, wagging tongues. Leslie tries to talk him out of it, but she knows her goose is truly cooked. He will now find out the true contents of the letter and that she loved the man she murdered.

Further complicating the situation, the inscrutable widow Hammond, is not pleased that her husband's murderer has been set free. Although nominated for seven Oscars including Best Picture, Actress, Director, and Supporting Actor, "The Letter" has not aged well. William Wyler coaxed what was obviously considered outstanding performances back in 1940, but by today's standards, the overacting seems almost silly. (When Leslie finally realizes her world is crumbling, like a silent film star, she heaves her head on her arm and weeps.) Filmed in black and white, the light and shadows enhance the sense of the melodrama.

A recently discovered alternate ending sequence - which is not very different from the theatrical ending - is offered as a special feature. Two audios of the Lux Radio Theater adaptations of "The Letter" starring Davis and Marshall are included. Of note is the fact that both versions were introduced by Cecil B. DeMille, and it's interesting to listen to an original radio broadcast complete with narration, sound effects and ads for Lux soap.

Director: William Wyler

Cast: Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, James Stephenson, Gale Sondergaard

Run Time: 95 minutes

Black & White

Warner Bros. Pictures

Not Rated - implied violence, not recommended for children