Marked Woman
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Movie Reviews of Marked Woman
Movie Review: Early Bette Davis at her Typical Best!
Summary: 4 Stars
Being a Bette Davis fan, I was surprised that I had overlooked this gem! In it, you will find all the qualities and nuances of Bette's acting style that bear her trademark moves--such as her clipped phrases and wide-eyed blinking frenzies. The director didn't strip her of any of these traits that we have come to love and expect of Miss Davis.
In this film, she plays a "hostess" in a gangster's nightclub. The costumes that she and the rest of the female cast wear are amazing and are sure to delight fans of period 30's outfits and flashy clothes.
Bogart plays a role that is atypical for him in this movie, and pulls it off with ease. In fact, all the actors do a superb job, and though there are elements of camp to this film, it does a fine job of portraying the true-life overturning of Lucky Luciano's gangland empire. See this film if you are a fan of Warner's gangster period or craving Bette's familiar set-chewing swagger.
Movie Review: Davis and Bogart Combine For High Drama
Summary: 4 Stars
Bette Davis is Mary Dwight, a woman on a mission: to bring down the mobster who killed her younger sister. Bogart is the crusading Prosecutor who after being duped by Davis, is cajoled by her into going after mob kingpin Johnny Vanning (Eduardo Ciannelli.)
While Bogart's character is a cliche, his performance is not overblown and he brings the role a level of believability. Under the capable direction of Lloyd Bacon, the story also unfolds without all the melodrama film noir is oftentimes noted for, which is necessary since the film is loosely based on a true story--the saga of Lucky Luciano.
This film is a must not only for both Davis and Bogart fans, but anyone who loves noir cinema.
Movie Review: Thirties gem a long time coming...
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a nifty little thirties 'bad girls' flick with the unbeatable line-up of Bogie and Davis. It definitely falls into the 'early over-acting period' of Davis' career however interesting to note is the fact that it also stars Bogie's third wife Mayo Methot with whom he had trouble extricating humself especially when Lauren Bacall came along and married him. She was found dead in a small town hotel room five years later while he filmed The African Queen.Movie Review: a black mark
Summary: 3 Stars
try as i may, this is one bette davis film that contains a davis performance i don't like. until the final two reels or so, she never relaxes in to the story or to lloyd bacon's fast-paced direction.
it may have been where she was in her career. she had just finished fighting a losing battle with warners. she hated her husband. and she probably wasn't too fond of the rest of her family as well. but to make professional amends, warners offered her this film and tricked it out with good sets, a firm cast, some sharp orry-kelly costumes and murky, inky camera work that hints at film noir. davis responds to this care with a brittle, strident performance that doesn't start to go somewhere until the scene where her character mary dwight is in the hospital after a brutal workover.
besides being her snarling davis self, she seems way too nervy to play a woman that survives by using her face and body. i always watch this film wishing for joan blondell or glenda farrell to be the lead.
so, what keeps drawing me back to the film besides davis' last moments?
humphrey bogart as the crusading attorney, jane bryan as the daffofil-lovely baby sister of davis' clip joint hostess, mayo methot and lola lane as hardened b-girl friends of davis and eduardo cianelli as slimy underworld figure johnny vanning. and the very best performance in the cast is isabel jewell as the provocative emmy lou. look at her closely. some of her costumes and her tightly curled platinum bob were borrowed for madonna's look as breathless mahoney in 1990's 'dick tracy'. had madonna played breathless with a southern accent, the theft would have been complete. jewell makes the most of every moment she has, whether she's vamping vanning or outwitting his goons.
and the final image of the five women heading in to the mist--poetic!
Movie Review: A forcible gangster melodrama directed by Lloyd Bacon...
Summary: 3 Stars
A night-club owner called Johnny Vanning (Eduardo Ciannelli) was exploiting his hostesses, one of whom was Mary Dwight (Bette Davis). She was asked with her companions of the Club Intime to induce clients to drink, gamble and spend freely...
A few nights later Mary brings a sucker, Rulph Krawford (Damian O'Flynn) to the club... After Krawford loses a large amount of money gambling and then refuses to pay off the debt, Vanning orders his henchman Charley Delaney (Ben Welden) to get rid of him...
When special prosecutor, David Graham (Humphrey Bogart), questions Mary concerning Krawford's assassination, she denies in providing any helpful information...
Bogart's performance successfully applied malice determination and calmly exhibited compassion and concern... He was particularly effective, both firm, and penetrating, in his courtroom scenes, which served as an early warm-up for similar role twelve years later in Nicholas Ray's "Knock On Any Door."
Mayo Methot was also in the cast as one of the hostesses and it was during the filming that Bogart took her as his second wife...