The Letter Movie Review 1940

When a man is shot and killed on a Malaysian plantation, the woman who committed the murder pleads self-defense. Her husband and his lawyer attempt to free her, but find more than they expected in this tightly paced film noir. Based on the novel by W. Somerset Maugham. Davis emulated the originator of her role, Jeanne Eagels, in her mannerisms and line readings, although Eagels later went mad from drug abuse and overwork.

Distribution

MGM Home Entertainment, 2500 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA 90404-6061, Phone: (310)449-3000, Fax: (310)449-3100, URL: http://www.mgmhomevideo.com, Remarks: Does not handle retail queries from consumers; contact your local video distributor.

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 96 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Family Ties, Books to Film: W. Somerset Maugham, 4 Bones

Screenplay

Howard Koch

Cast

Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, James Stephenson, Gale Sondergaard, Bruce Lester, Cecil Kellaway, Victor Sen Yung, Frieda Inescort

Cinematography

Gaetano Antonio "Tony" Gaudio

Director

William Wyler

Music

Max Steiner

Producer

Warner Bros., Hal B. Wallis, Robert Lord