The Letter (1940)

My Review

Bette Davis stars as a woman accused of murder in the film noir classic “The Letter.” Director William Wyler (“Ben Hur” 1959) did an excellent job assembling this melodrama with great production values, memorable performances, and good writing. The screenplay by Howard E. Koch was adapted from the 1927 play of the same name by W. Somerset Maugham.

The cast includes Bette Davis in the lead role, Herbert Marshall as her husband, Gale Sondergaard as the heavy of the piece, James Stephenson, Cecil Kellaway, Bruce Lester, Elizabeth Earl, Sen Young, Willie Fung, and Tetsu Komai. “The Letter” was a box office smash for producer Hal B. Wallis and Warner Bros. Pictures. It received seven Oscar nods with zero wins – Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Davis), Best Supporting Actor (Stephenson), Best Cinematography/Black-and-White (Tony Gaudio). Best Film Editing, and Best Original Score (Max Steiner).