Jezebel

William Wyler directed this antebellum drama featuring a title that says a lot about what to expect from its headstrong, central character. Like the Old Testament Jezebel, this 1938 film’s Julie (Bette Davis) is full of over-the-top, destructive impulses that are released through vindictive whims. Her self-centered behavior as a spoiled belle is often in startling contrast with the tone of chivalry and formal ritual that defines her genteel society. Based on a 1933 play by the Pulitzer Prize-winning Owen Davis, and adapted in part by John Huston, Jezebel finds Julie engaged to banker Pres (short for Preston), played by Henry Fonda. Upset that Pres, due to work obligations, can’t accompany her to help shop for a dress to wear at the most important ball of the season, Julie defies convention and the warnings of her friends, choosing a scandalous red dress to embarrass Pres at the event. Since single women are typically expected to wear a white gown for the occasion, Julie’s choice sends everyone fleeing from the dance floor. Pres stands up to the humiliation that his fiancée has wrought by dancing one dance with her, then ending their engagement. What follows is a prolonged separation as Pres spends a year elsewhere, during which several crises emerge involving an epidemic of yellow fever and still more spiteful actions by Julie. Featuring sumptuous cinematography by Ernest Haller and music by Max Steiner, the film offers a tour de force performance by Davis, who won an Academy Award as Best Actress for her role as catty, careless Julie. Extras include audio commentary by film historian Jeanine Basinger, a retrospective featurette, a vintage musical short, and a classic cartoon. Recommended. (T. Keogh)