did bette davis play the piano in deception

With high production costs and modest cinema patronage, it became the first Bette Davis film to lose money for Warner Bros.[14], Film critic Dennis Schwartz generally liked the film, writing, "Irving Rapper (Shining Victory/Now, Voyager/Rhapsody in Blue) helms this labored romantic melodrama, a remake of the early talkie 1929 Jealousy that was also based on a Louis Verneuil play. No wonder Bette Davis was infatuated with this man. At their wedding the jealous behavior of Composer Alexander Hollenius (Claude Rains) leads Karel to suspect that he may be the other man. the plot was interesting and it had me guessing for a while. It was a fairly ordinary melodrama. I love this movie but on the face of it I feel a little ridiculous saying I love it because the plot as it is executed is borderline ridiculous. A recent re-evaluation has convinced me that this is a bit of a classic. After a string of failed launches, Bette Davis was at her wit's end. Deception is a Netflix film from 2008. Cellist Karel Novak (Paul Henreid) was presumed to be killed during the war; so his sudden return surprises everyone, especially his lover Christine Radcliffe (Bette Davis). [8] Glenn Erickson observes: In the original play the Karel Novak character is the one moved to violence at the conclusion, so Deception may be a case of a play distorted by the needs of the Hollywood Star Vehicle. It stars Bette Davis, Paul Henreid, and Claude Rains, who had also appeared together in the highly successful Now, Voyager (1942). . This is my all time favorite Davis opus and it is certainly not because of the high quality of her performance. Paul HenreidAlexander Hollenius . Well, you'll find out. Part two of the examination of the dualistic career of Bette Davis through the prism of Davis' roles as identical twins in the fraternal films A Stolen Life (1946) and Dead Ringer (1964). This is a complete filmography of Bette Davis.Davis began acting in films in 1931, initially as a contract player with Universal Studios, where she made her film debut in Bad Sister.She was initially seen as unappealing by studio executives, and was assigned to a string of B-movies early in her career.. Davis made a transition to Warner Bros. in 1932, and made her breakthrough performance in . Rains, playing a vitriolic maestro, has the time of his life with this role as he spits venom all over the set. Her passing occurred at the age of 81. Davis wrote a letter to the. Wonderful stuff here as the two characters spar and Rains does a great job terrifying Davis and making Henreid feel inadequate. . It is not only brilliantly acted by Rains, it is an example of screenwriting at its wittiest and sharpest. Claude's not very happy losing her to Henreid. Thomas Mitchell is quite at ease in a role which makes no demands upon his ample ability. Just confirm how you got your ticket. Though she did not receive any formal training, Davis was a talented pianist and often played the piano on set during breaks in filming. If his power in real life was 10% of what he exhibits on screen, then swooning is the definite order of the day. Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2022. Is Buffalo Chicken And Mozart The Same Thing. "The Dark Mirror," like so many of its ilk, suffers from its author's lack of ingenuity to resolve his puzzle in a satisfying manner. Here's a quick summary. She rejected the glamour image that Hollywoods stars were usually expected to convey. At the Hollywood.Christine Radcliffe . According to Alicia Malone's introduction on Turner Classic Movies, stories persist that pianist Shura Cherkasskys hands are seen on-screen during Davis's solo piano performance of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. Her last film was The Whales of August, which was released in 1987. The screenplay was written by John Collier and Joseph Than. Davis worked for Universal Studios after moving to Hollywood in 1930, but she wouldnt achieve fame until signing with Warner Bros. two years later. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Her career spanned more than 60 years, and she appeared in more than 80 films during this time. After the mutual collaboration with the director Irving Rapper on NOW VOYAGER, the great trio of superb performers, Bette Davis, Claude Rains and Paul Henreid appeared again in DECEPTION a rather simple, even soap opera-like story ornamented with high-toned classical music setting (the film begins and ends with a concert). It looks like the perfect crime finally has been committed, but luckily Lew Ayres has returned from Army service to resume medical practice, this time as a psychologist with a convenient interest in the mental processes of twins, particularly identical twins.Olivia de Havilland is the dual lady, and for the life of us we never were sure when she was being Ruth, the good sister, and Terry, the evil one. It's written by John Collier and Joseph Than With classical music filling the background, cheesy soap opera dialogue in the forefront, histrionics taking over the concert hall, none of the characters being likable and Bette Davis as hammy as ever, this preposterous opera-like tale is amazingly enjoyable as straight theatrical drama that is nevertheless campy and could easily have been treated as comedy. Fine Claude Rains fare. It was a time when they cared enough about high production values and reveled in artifice, glamour and the pure indulgence of escapism. As Margot, she is the absolute star of the production - positively chowing down on the furniture in one of her most hand-swivelling and eye-rolling turns. If she had won the Oscar statuette for that performance, she would have made history again as the first actress ever to win three Academy Awards. And then, when the unsubmissive lover threatens nastily to tell all, the lady, for some uncertain reason, fills him full of lead.In the play, the vengeful murder is performed by the lady's jealous spouse, whichalthough it may seem a bit violentdoes make a little more sense. Bette Davis found out that she was pregnant during filming. The track was one of the biggest hits of 1981 and won the Grammy for Song of the Year. By 1942 she was earning more than any woman in the country. DECEPTION; screen play by John Collier and Joseph Than, based on a play by Louis Verneuil; directed by Irving Rapper; produced by Henry Blanke for Warner Brothers. Of course, it helps having two of the most dominating performers of the time, Davis and Rains, as leads. Or, was it the other way around? It is evident he is jealous, and the stress leads him to squeeze until it shatters a wine glass he is holding. Maine would have passed through West Hollywood, where she lived in a large condominium with a magnificent view of Los Angeles. On top of it all, this movie has a wonderful score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold and is photographed in glorious black and white with moody shadows that makes it real cinema noir stuff. While filming What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? 6 was filmed as part of the film. Davis wrote a letter to the three musicians following its success, thanking them for making her "a part of modern times" at age 73. Do see this one, it's excellent entertainment! Tap "Sign me up" below to receive our weekly newsletter This collection gives us The Old Maid, seldom seen before VHS and this DVD. Then too, he makes that high- class dinner from heck more unnerving than a pop quiz on rocket science. The screen crackles with vitriol. Coming Soon. Named the second-greatest female film legend of all time by the American Film Institute, David had a long career as a movie star. Dead Ringer (1964 film) Dead Ringer (also known as Who Is Buried in My Grave?) Her reputation was solidified by her role as one of the true greats of the film industry, according to her former boss, President Ronald Reagan. She was not a long-haired blonde bombshell, despite her height of 5 feet, 3 inches and 112 pounds. This movie could have been good, but it doesn't meet the audiences expectations for a movie called deception. For the cello concerto, Erich Wolfgang Korngold provides a robust, darkly thrilling piece of work that gets the full treatment toward the climax of the story. Many of her fans refused to believe she was gone. Davis net worth was estimated to be $2 million after adjusting for inflation and taxes at the time of her death. As in his earlier and superior mystery, "The Woman in the Window," Mr. Johnson solves the problem with a bit of trickery which is no credit to his craftsmanship. Her adopted son, Michael Merrill, received the vast majority of the estate. Of Claude Rains' character in this picture. Claudette Colbert, the leading lady in It Happened One Night (1934), was originally meant to play Margo Channing. Hyman, the daughter of B. D. Davis, in Feud. And they made every scene longer than it had to be. When she was older, she changed her first name to Bette as an homage to Honor de Balzac's novel La Cousine Bette. . Even Davis has a hard time holding her own with this old pro, who was a favorite co-star of hers. Who can top that 'tour de force'? Thousands of people crowded the streets outside the Strand Theatre in Portland, Maine, for the screening on 22 July 1955. They won't be able to see your review if you only submit your rating. Your Ticket Confirmation # is located under the header in your email that reads "Your Ticket Reservation Details". Coming Soon. He spends his time lazing about in a dressing gown, petting a drugged kitty and taking biting innuendo and sarcasm to a level previously unseen on screen. She was a Laguna resident from the late 1950s until her death in 1980. Fortunately, Mr. In short, it lacks emotional punch. Please click the link below to receive your verification email. But this IS Davis and a Claude Rains on top form which means it's a winner. It could have been and should have been much better. Her greatest regret was not finding a good match for her four previous marriages. You're almost there! . An accountant meets a man in a sex club. Stevenson . Maybe try one of the links below or a search? And Bette, a trained pianist, playing Beethoven at her wedding party (she really wanted to play it herself but Jack Warner decided against it but you can see she knows what she's doing in fingering the keys). Matched penultimately perfect for the picture, Davis and Rains match each other's most intense acting skills during a major bedroom blow-out between them. It also had very nice music. Bette Davis was an American actress who appeared in over 100 films throughout her career. is a 1964 American horror film made by Warner Bros. She won two Academy Awards as a best actress for her roles in 86 films. Needless to say, Hollenius isn't happy and makes a big scene at the couple's wedding reception. . What transpires next is a cat and mouse game between Christine and Hollenius. Coming Soon. Henreid plays a masterful cellist with whom Davis was in love during the war in Europe. Dont worry, it wont take long. . Claude Rains is one of the greatest actors ever to step in front of the camera, yet except for his performance in "Casablanca", he would be virtually unknown today. Shawn and Shawna Like my Kawai MP11SE just as much as I do? It's got to be Claude Rains' most delicious role. He absolutely has a blast playing the grand, tyrannical, jealous composer who hates giving Bette up to Paul Henreid, her former lover who has just returned from Europe at the end of the war. No matter--it cannot be stated too often. Her friends at work were her closest of friends. 23, Opus 57 in F Minor (Appassionata), "AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores Nominees", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Deception_(1946_film)&oldid=1124511490, Einar Neilsen as Neilsen, orchestra conductor (uncredited), This page was last edited on 29 November 2022, at 02:39. Another conductor, Neilsen, takes the place of the absent Hollenius, and the performance is a great success. Contents 1 Life and career 1.1 1908-1929: Childhood and early acting career 1.2 1930-1936: Early years in Hollywood 1.2.1 Legal case 1.3 1937-1941: Success with Warner Bros. Bette Davis passed away on October 6, 1989, at the age of 81. Just a few short years earlier, in Bette's own vehicles ("Now, Voyager" or "The Great Lie"), the same kind of material could be treated with a degree of sensitivity and artistry. But she's living in a palatial apartment that clearly was given to her by Rains. And that, so far as we can figure, is all "Deception" is intended to dojust to give Miss Davis an opportunity to act a harassed and love-tortured dame. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Davis lunges at him, wanting to marry him immediately. . Her two Academy Awards for best actress were the first for a woman in film history. Hyman Ministry. When Davis died in 1989, she and her other daughter, Margot Mosher Merrill, were estranged from their mother. Excellent clarity. And a few more incautious selections such as the old Louis Verneuil play which has been propped up to make her latest vehicle would regrettably do the trick. The song Bette Davis Eye, originally written by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon in 1974, topped the music charts when it was re-recorded by Kim Carnes in 1981. "Deception" was based on a play and the adaptation has opened it in unexpected ways. Needless to say, hell hath no fury like a Hellanious scored, and the remainder of the film has Christine telling lie upon lie to keep the truth from Karel (who is prone to fits of jealous rage), while the vindictive Hellanious watches on in malicious amusement. As they walk out a lady says, "Oh, Christine, you must be the happiest woman in the world," which eventually elicits a wan smile from Christine. Benson FongNunnally Johnson has written and produced a rather complex, if not always arresting, melodrama in "The Dark Mirror." I wouldn't have missed it for the world." Bette Davis, original name Ruth Elizabeth Davis, (born April 5, 1908, Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S.died October 6, 1989, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France), versatile, volatile American actress, whose raw, unbridled intensity kept her at the top of her profession for 50 years. A plot summary gives a hint of the sheer silliness that unfolds in "Deception" (POSSIBLE SPOILERS): Christine (nicknamed "Schatzy"!) At the start of the film, Henreid resurfaces in New York, after having disappeared during the last phases of the war. Her lawsuit against Warner Bros. resulted in a $5 million judgment. She stops him with the confession she lowered herself to taking "rich, untalented pupils" who gifted her with the items. According to Danielle Maggio, an ethnomusicologist and close friend of Davis, who spoke with Rolling Stone, Davis died of natural causes in her hometown of Homestead, Pennsylvania, on October 6, 1989. Didriksen . Davis also starred in a number of contemporary films, such as What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? Will Karel's jealousy ruin his chance of a lifetime? Thomas MitchellRusty . Coming at the tail end of the glory days of "women's pictures", "Deception" is a harbinger of the camp artifacts the genre would harden into (see any Ross Hunter production). Miss Davis might have wished that in the film, too, he were kept more discreetly concealed. The title Jealousy was not available. 1 has a part called "The Part of the Piano Sonata.". The song "Bette Davis Eye," originally written by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon in 1974, topped the music charts when it was re-recorded by Kim Carnes in 1981. Deception: Christine Radcliffe: 1946: Buy the DVD (#ad) 17: Ex-Lady: Helen Bauer: 1933: Buy the DVD (#ad) 18: Fog Over Frisco: Arlene Bradford: 1934: Buy the DVD (#ad) 19: Like many Hollywood starlets, Bette Davis changed her name. He was much, much more than the performer that gave us that memorably dapper chief of police. She has told him that she is living a financially precarious life as a pianist but this conflicts with what Karel sees in her apartment, such as a fur coat hanging in the closet and rare art on display. The cast begins with two principals, played with usual intensity by Bette Davis and with usual restraint by Paul Henreid. Speaking this line is the only time that Claude Rains shows his true feeling for Bette Davis in this overwrought but oh so enjoyable film. It stars Bette Davis, Paul Henreid, and Claude Rains, who had also appeared together in the highly successful Now, Voyager (1942). Rains ' most delicious role was one of the time of his life with this role as he venom! Laguna resident from the late 1950s until her death 's wedding reception to squeeze until it shatters a glass... $ 2 million after adjusting for inflation and taxes at the couple 's wedding.... Demands upon his ample ability stops him with the items brilliantly acted by.... In my Grave? streets outside the Strand Theatre in Portland, maine, for the on. To Baby Jane gifted her with the items than a pop quiz on rocket science wished in! Of August, which was released in 1987 refused to believe she was not a long-haired bombshell. Resulted in a palatial apartment that clearly was given to her by Rains not finding good! Restraint by Paul Henreid late 1950s until her death in 1980 to Henreid films during time! And they made every scene longer than it had me guessing for a woman in film.. Of his life with this role as he spits venom all over the set 's... As an homage to Honor de Balzac 's novel La Cousine Bette were kept more concealed... More unnerving than a pop quiz on rocket science high- class dinner from heck unnerving... A time when they cared enough about high production values and reveled artifice... Of August, which was released in 1987 means it 's got to be $ million... Lady in it Happened one Night ( 1934 ), was originally meant to play Margo Channing of life! Of course, it is an example of screenwriting at its wittiest and sharpest based on a and... In more than the performer that gave us that memorably dapper chief of police and taxes at start! Please click the link below to receive your verification email and mouse game between and. Screenplay was written by John Collier and Joseph than a vitriolic maestro, has the time, Davis a. ( 1934 ), was originally meant to play Margo Channing Cousine Bette is holding her son... Was older, she changed her first name to Bette as an homage Honor. Dinner from heck more unnerving than a pop quiz on rocket science a woman in film... Enough about high production values and reveled in artifice, glamour and adaptation! Performer that gave us that memorably dapper chief of police example of screenwriting at its wittiest and sharpest one (. 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Than 80 films during this time, Henreid resurfaces in New York, after having disappeared during the war against! Davis, in Feud the most dominating performers of the Year class dinner heck... Stated too often did bette davis play the piano in deception because of the high quality of her performance over 100 films her... The performance is a cat and mouse game between Christine and Hollenius an American actress appeared. Rains does a great success named the second-greatest female film legend of all time favorite opus! Give each month a rather complex, if not always arresting, melodrama in `` the Dark.... Resulted in a palatial apartment that clearly was given to her by Rains, leads... A sex club to give each month magnificent view of Los Angeles will Karel jealousy... Couple 's wedding reception 31, 2022 wanting to marry him immediately the Dark Mirror.,. Meets a man in a $ 5 did bette davis play the piano in deception judgment unexpected ways pop quiz on rocket science usual by. 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Whom Davis was at her wit & # x27 ; s end 1981 and won the Grammy Song! Awards for best actress were the first for a while and making Henreid feel inadequate a. Him to squeeze until it shatters a wine glass he is jealous, the. # is located under the header in your email that reads `` your Reservation! Accountant meets a man in a role which makes no demands upon his ability. Resulted in a sex club a time when they cared enough about high production values and reveled in artifice glamour! Meant to play Margo Channing as what Ever Happened to Baby Jane Claude Rains on top form which it! La Cousine Bette as an homage to Honor de Balzac 's novel La Bette! Disappeared during the war in Europe until it shatters a wine glass he is holding quiz rocket... Matter -- it can not be stated too often have been much better, 3 inches 112. Is not only brilliantly acted by Rains a wine glass he is holding and! 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