Rating: 
Summary: seven well-deserved Oscar nominations
Review: "The Letter" is a superb adapation of the Somerset Maugham tale set in Malaysia. Bette Davis is at the top of her form in her role as a deceitful, anguished wife caught up in an illicit love affair. Her pleasant, steady, unexciting husband, a rubber plantation manager, is played exceptionally well by Herbert Marshall. James Stephenson, in the role of her defense attorney, turns in an admirably understated yet vital performance. William Wyler's masterful direction, employing exotic settings and mysterious minor characters, make this spellbinding tale of passion and murder a can't-miss for all Davis fans. "The Letter" deserves the highest recommendation!
Rating:
Summary: Simply put--Don't Miss It!
Review: Arguably Davis's best performance. A complex role, alternately sympathetic and chilling. A knockout.
There's been some discussion about the stereotyping of Keye Luke's role as an "inscrutable" asian. I actually find him a very interesting and complex character. Not evil, as some have said, but loyal to his people, seeking justice in what is probably the only way available. See for yourself.
Rating: 
Summary: BETTE DAVIS IS A BAD BAD BABE
Review: Based on a play by W. Somerset Maugham, William Wyler's noirish THE LETTER (1940) begins with a literal bang as Bette Davis guns down a man on the steps of her Singapore veranda. She tearfully claims self-defense but a letter surfaces from Davis to the victim that complicates matters. When the letter is purchased from the victim's wife and kept out of the trial, things do not improve for Davis and her husband Herbert Marshall.
This entangling drama was nominated for seven Academy Awards® including best Picture and Best Actress. Extras: an alternate ending sequence and two versions (1941 and 1944) of the Lux Radio Theater's broadcast with Davis and Marshall. The '44 version also features Vincent Price in his Lux Radio Theater debut.
It's said that director Wyler and star Davis were having a torrid (is there any other kind) affair during production. Notice how sensuously this basically unattractive woman is lighted and photographed.
Rating:
Summary: Wicked and Fabulous
Review: Bette at her finest as Leslie Crosbie in this Somerset Maugham story. She is drop-dead stylish in an Orry-Kelly gown as she guns down the overseer of the rubber plantation that her husband owns. The plot is chock full of twists and turns and is riveting -- especially when the stereotypical Chinese Dragon Lady, played by the begowned and bejeweled Gale Sondergaard, is onscreen. The highly underrated Miss Sondergaard, originally cast as the Wicked Witch in *The Wizard of Oz*, would lose her Hollywood career with the McCarthy witch trials of the 50s, and has little to do in this movie except look inscrutable and flare her nostrils. But Bette has *plenty* to do. Ulitmately, due to Crosbie's machinations, Dragon Lady gets her revenge, but not before Crosbie does. All's ill that ends ill.
Rating:
Summary: Exquisite!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: From the opening sequence where we see Bette empyting her gun on this poor unuspecting soul, you become riveted watching one of Ms. Davis' all-time flawless performances.
In a nutshell, this tells the story of what happens when first we practice to deceive. Bette claims she was attacked by a friend she has seen only casually until she was forced to "defend" herself against his unwanted advances. Initially, it looks like a slam dunk but when the case is taken to trial, more and more, Bette's lies get the best of her.
Not a sympathetic character for the most part. There is one chilling scene where she, totally exasperated with having to remember so many lies, makes a brutally honest confession to her husband. It is a fascinating scene for while you recoil at her seemingly selfish attitude, there is this underlying, reluctant admiration you feel for this woman after you read her the riot act!!!!!
Excellent supporting cast all around, most notably, Herbert Marshall as the poor unsuspecting (it appears many men fall under this category when dealing with the Divine Ms. Davis!)husband whose main goal is to support his wife. Now whether she deserves this loyalty is another ugly story.
Excellent mystery with certainly enough twists and turns to keep you totally engrossed in a very good story.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT FILM WITH A HOLLYWOOD ENDING
Review: I call this a "Hollywood ending" not in the sense that it is a happy ening, but one which seems to be contrived to follow the production code of the day which stated that all wrongdoers must be brought to justice. Bette Davis, in one of her great performances, is killed off by Gale Sondergaard who herself is arrested by the police at the end. I really don't know if this ending is in the novel but it does not ring right with me. After all, Leslie Crosby was cleared of the crime and could have gone on living even with the torture memory of the lover she murdered in cold blood although I doubt if she would have remained faithful to wimpy Herbart Marshall for long. Gail Sondergaard, the dragon lady wife of the knocked off husband, just seems to be unable to get enough revenge. The 10 grand she got for selling the incriminating letter to Bette apparently was not enough to satisfy her. I especially liked the scene where Leslie tells her husband how much she still loves her vengefully slain adulterer.
Rating:
Summary: Bette Davis and William Wyler, a winning combination
Review: In "The Letter" William Wyler takes a predictable plot and turns it into a brilliant film with the help of one of the grande dames of film. For hell hath no fury like Bette Davis with a revolver in her hand. The film opens with Leslie Crosby (Bette Davis) emptying her revolver into a man on her front porch, shooting him twice after he hits the ground. She tells the police she was defending herself against his sexual assault. She seems to be headed for an easy acquittal until (surprise) an incriminating letter surfaces that suggests that she summoned the victim to her house with the clear intention of murdering him. Can the evidence be suppressed? Will she be acquitted? Was she really in love with the victim? The answers to these questions are obvious to all but the most naïve viewer. Yet, despite the transparency of the plot, this film works for two reasons: Bette Davis and William Wyler. Bette Davis is arguably among the best actresses of all time. She was originally signed by Universal Studios, who dropped her because she didn't have the looks to be a movie star. Still, Warner Brothers decided to take a chance on her in 1932, signing her to a seven-year contract that would produce two Oscars. She was nominated for best actress eleven times, winning twice ("Dangerous", 1936 and "Jezebel" 1939). She was nominated five straight years from 1939 to 1943. This performance was in the middle of that run. It is classic Bette Davis, utterly in command of every scene. Her portrayal of Leslie is superb, a duplicitous and cunning woman who could manipulate any man to do her bidding. It took another woman to humble her. This is Davis in her prime and it is awesome to see her at work. She could make a dog food commercial exciting to watch. What Davis was to acting William Wyler was to directing. (The two shared more than a professional relationship, and it was widely rumored at that time that they were romantically involved.) Wyler was nominated for best director twelve times winning three ("Mrs. Miniver", 1942; "The Best Years of Our Lives", 1943; "Ben Hur", 1960). Like Davis, he was also nominated for this film. Wyler's camerawork here is fantastic. In black and white films, lighting is critical, because the director doesn't have the luxury of relying on color to dramatize the images. Aided by veteran cinematographer Tony Gaudio, Wyler's use of lighting and shadows in this film is brilliant. It could serve as a primer for dramatic black and white cinematography. Gaudio was also nominated for an Oscar for this film, one of his six nominations in a forty-year career. This film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including best picture, but it was shut out. Despite a predictable story, I rated it a 9/10 on the strength of the acting, directing and cinematography. It is an excellent opportunity to see Bette Davis during her glory years in one of her many outstanding performances.
Rating:
Summary: BRILLIANT ACTING
Review: In 1928, when Somerset Maugham was already a world literary figure, his play, THE LETTER opened on Broadway. It was not one of his best works, but like all his writings, it had the solid craftmanship that makes for good theatre. In it, Katherine Cornell gave a memorable performance of the cool-witted wife of a rubber plantation manager who, obsessed with passion, kills her lover, concocts an audacious defence, finds herself inextricably tangled in her own web of lies. In 1929, Paramount made a movie of THE LETTER with Herbert Marshall in a small role and the near-legendary Jeanne Eagels in the lead. Eagels acted intensely in the role, and the film was noteworthy despite the limitations of the early talking picture. Although its talk seems sometimes stilted and its plot a trifle too contrived, Warners rivived the basically engrossing and powerful tale in 1940, and it was considered one of the years' best films. As Leslie Crosbie, Davis gives a fascinating performance which critic Pauline Kael branded as "very likely the best example of female sexual hypocrisy on film". This filmization of the famed novel by W. Somerset Maugham is given sterling treatment by a stellar cast and expertly detailed direction by William Wyler, whose hand is patent throughout. As Leslie Crosbie, Davis is cool and calculating while James Stephenson is splendid as Horward Joyce. The great Gale Sondergaard is most effective as the vengeful Eurasian Mrs. Hammond, and her performance was taken quite seriously by the movie-going public in 1940. Legend has it that Davis secretly idolised the legendary twenties stage actress Jeanne Eagels and repeatedly watched her 1929 early talkie version of THE LETTER - which she managed to have privately screened - today, many believe Davis's version of Leslie Crosbie to be one of her finest performances.
Rating:
Summary: DAVIS IS DELICIOUSLY EVIL - A FIRST RATE MELODRAMA
Review: Once you've seen the opening moments of William Wyler's superb "The Letter" you aren't apt to forget what great Hollywood film making is all about for a very, VERY long time. Bette Davis stars in this potent, diabolically delicious melodrama as Leslie Crosbie; the unscrupulous wife of a Malaysian rubber plantation owner. After packing six slugs into a man exiting her boudoir...not her husband...Leslie embarks on a deeply disturbing odyssey to vindicate her murder. Hmmm....vengeful Eurasian, Mrs. Hammond (Gale Sondergaard)will have something to say about that. To this morbid end of tragic curiosity, Leslie is ably aided by the naiveté of her husband, Robert(Herbert Marshall). But then there's the letter; a bit of forgotten business that threatens to unravel all of Leslie's well laid plans and lay bare her genuine passion for the man that she's killed.
The play by Somerset Maugham on which the film is based must have seemed like old hat to Davis. For there can be no other reason why she's so cleverly fiendish and stylishly sinister as Leslie. But then all is not to be realized in sweet escapism when a letter surfaces that could blow the whole truth wide open and send Leslie to prison for life. Superbly crafted with the fine animal instincts of a jungle cat at every turn, "The Letter" was nominated for seven Oscars, including best picture but won not a single statuette. Wyler's impeccable direction, and Davis's mesmerizing and unsympathetic performance are what transform this standard melodrama into movie art!
Unfortunately all is not well with the transfer from Warner Brothers. Seemingly contrasting a bit on the overly dark side, fine details are generally lost in the deep and foreboding blackness. Yes, most of the picture was designed to have a very dark image, but contrast and tonality in the gray scale here are what seem to be lacking over all throughout this black and white image. Also, the image is not very stable. Long shots tend to be a bit blurry and out of focus. There's also an annoying amount of edge enhancement on the horizontal slats of the bamboo blinds that figure into the mood of the piece throughout the film - making certain scenes seem unnecessarily harshly contrasted. Age related artifacts crop up now and then. Film grain becomes obtrusive and dense at moments, and practically non-existent at other moments. The audio is mono and overall nicely balanced. Occasionally dialogue is somewhat muffled. Extras include a fascinating alternative ending only recently discovered as well as 2 audio bonuses and the film's original theatrical trailer. "The Letter" comes highly recommended as a melodrama par excellence from a studio, director and a star who definitely understood the subtly of the art. As a DVD you may find the presentation somewhat disappointing.
Rating:
Summary: Exciting exotic thriller from the colonial age
Review: Pistol shots bang through the starlit night in the malayan jungle and rubber planter Robert Crosbie (Herbert Marshall) is stupefied to learn that his own wife, Leslie Crosbie (Bette Davis) has bumped off his best friend, Jeff Hammond. "He tried to rape me, so I shot him" she tells her husband - and we know from the start that she is lying. Hammond's body is riddled with bullets, her magazine empty. Some shots were fired when he was already lying on the ground. While her credulous husband coddles her, she gives her lawyer, Howard Joyce (James Stephenson) her version of the story - only interrupted by crocodile tears and a simulated fainting-fit. Joyce is really considerate: he even commends her on her courage. So good is her mood when she regales the police with a dinner that she is surprised to learn that she could face a murder charge. Robert, haggard from lack of sleep tries to convince himself that everything is O.K: "She shot the man like a rabid dog". But Hammond was so dashing, charming, a real ladies man - hard to believe that he was capable of such a thing... Robert has every reason to be worried: Joyce is informed by his asian counsellor that a certain letter exists: written by Leslie on the last day of Hammond's life, inviting him to come and see her...This letter is in the hands of his eurasian widow (Gale Sondergaard) who runs a gambling house. Leslie's smiling self-confidence dissolves under Joyce's interrogation. She denies everything, she rages, but her lawyer is not dumb: "I dont't want to hear more from you than is necessary to save your head". He feels nothing but contempt for the woman who implores him to get her the letter, but he feels compassion for her husband. The price for the letter is 10.000 Pounds - the exact amount of Robert's bank deposit - and Mrs. Hammond made it a condition that she should bring the money personally. Leslie tries to hide behind a veil, but it doesn't help her: after letting her wait for nearly one hour in an opium-den, the widow demands to see her face - and throws the letter before her feet with disdain. A male jury acquits the virtuous lady of her indictment, but there is more trouble brewing: Her husband wants to leave for Sumatra, become independent and buy his own plantation. He does not realize that his money is gone... This exciting thriller contains one of Bette Davis' most famous performances. Herbert Marshall is equally brilliant in the role of her gullible husband, especially in the final scenes. He must have been the most often cuckolded husband on screen: Greta Garbo deceived him in THE PAINTED VEIL, and Marlene Dietrich in BLONDE VENUS and the delightful, underrated ANGEL. Perhaps he was beyond help, because he did not learn from his faults: His next film was THE LITTLE FOXES where he played Bette's victim again. Sondergaard looks spectacular, but is psychologically wrong: Men usually fall in love with little Miss Butterfly - not with the empress of China. Bette Davis was universally praised. A very intelligent actress, she was on the right track: She wears glasses, she concentrates on her embroidery with great patience - needle-work and sex-appeal don't exclude each other, but there must have been a reason why her lover became tired of her...I think that she lacked the boldness to steep herself completely in Leslie Crosbie's true character. This type of woman ("One is getting so lazy here, the boys do everything" she says) has survived until recently in South Africa: she has no goal, no funcion, and my guess is that she was growing fat...Leslie Crosbie was porridge - and Bette plays her like caviar! W. Somerset Maugham, like Agatha Christie, is very good to read to this day: They were not dishonest authors, just one-sided: they nurture a nostalgia for the "glorious" age of colonialism, which existed only for a small part of mankind.
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