On the streets of New York, gin-soaked former stage diva Bette Davis (as Joyce Heath) prefers not to be recognized. At the mere mention of her name, charming Franchot Tone (as Don Bellows) recalls how Ms. Davis inspired him to become an architect. Out on a date with socialite fiancée Margaret Lindsay (as Gail Armitage), Mr. Tone sees Ms. Davis drowning her sorrows. He sends Ms. Lindsay home with a friend and introduces himself to Davis by offering her more gin. Davis eventually passes out, and Tone brings her to his home in the country, hoping she will dry-out and consider returning to the stage...
You'll have no trouble figuring out what happens to Davis and Tone, although the script does offer some surprise.
The real mystery is how Davis won an "Academy Award" for this picture. "New York Film Critics" winner Greta Garbo (in "Anna Karenina") and everyone's favorite runner-up Katharine Hepburn (in "Alice Adams") were obviously better. Perhaps, as has been widely reported, the voters underwent mass hysteria over their failure to award Davis "Best Actress" for the much more deserving "Of Human Bondage" (1934). More likely, most "Academy" members finally became fully aware that a truly electrifying new actress had arrived on the scene. In hindsight, Oscar should have had it Davis in '34 and Garbo in '35.
****** Dangerous (12/25/35) Alfred E. Green ~ Bette Davis, Franchot Tone, Margaret Lindsay, Alison Skipworth
You'll have no trouble figuring out what happens to Davis and Tone, although the script does offer some surprise.
The real mystery is how Davis won an "Academy Award" for this picture. "New York Film Critics" winner Greta Garbo (in "Anna Karenina") and everyone's favorite runner-up Katharine Hepburn (in "Alice Adams") were obviously better. Perhaps, as has been widely reported, the voters underwent mass hysteria over their failure to award Davis "Best Actress" for the much more deserving "Of Human Bondage" (1934). More likely, most "Academy" members finally became fully aware that a truly electrifying new actress had arrived on the scene. In hindsight, Oscar should have had it Davis in '34 and Garbo in '35.
****** Dangerous (12/25/35) Alfred E. Green ~ Bette Davis, Franchot Tone, Margaret Lindsay, Alison Skipworth