Victoria MacGregor

JEZEBEL

To say that Henry Fonda, George Brent, and Bette Davis starred in Jezebel would be correct, strictly speaking, but it would be a mistake. Although the gentlemen do a fine job of fleshing out their roles, they are eclipsed by the luminous presence of Davis. Indeed, as the camera focuses continually and adoringly upon the leading lady, Fonda and Brent have little choice but to be reduced to functioning primarily as supporting players.

The film, set in New Orleans, 1852, anticipates Davis’s appearance as Miss Julie Marsden—capricious southern belle—from the first opening shot. Buck Cantrell (George Brent) plays the spurned admirer of Marsden, who in the tradition of southern gentlemen, acknowledges her engagement to Preston Dilllard (Henry Fonda) with good humor and respect. Cantrell overhears Miss Julie’s name being mentioned amongst a group of men, decides that Miss Julie has been slandered, and challenges a Creole gentleman to a duel. This duel for her honor occurs offscreen, but a similar duel is echoed later in a pivotal scene between Buck and another offender. Cut to a party, also held in Miss Julie’s honor, to which she willfully arrives late. Davis makes her grand entrance on horseback. Riding up to her house and dismounting a black demon of a horse, the tardy Julie hitches up her riding habit and struts into the party without changing into the appropriate formal attire. Miss Julie excuses her delay by explaining that her colt was high handed and needed to be taught some manners while he was young. The comparison to Miss Julie is unavoidable.

The job of teaching Miss Julie some manners falls to her prospective husband, Pres Dillard. Pres proves to be an unequal match for Miss Julie’s headstrong spirit. In a continued effort to snub New Orleans culture (also to prove herself beyond her fiancé’s control), Miss Julie wears a red gown to the Olympus ball. As a young unmarried lady, Miss Julie is required to wear white. Fonda gives his penultimate performance in his role of escort to this wayward woman. Dillard accompanies Miss Julie in her tawdry gown, defending her right to make a complete fool of herself, yet recoiling internally from her capricious action. As they take to the dance floor, a sea of pure white gowns parts and falls away from the couple in horror. Dillard, stony-faced, continues to swing her around the floor, allowing the social impact of her mistake to register. Miss Julie tearfully begs him, “take me out of this place.” The evening closes when Dillard drops Miss Julie home with a significant goodbye—he has had enough.

The second phase of the movie—post-Olympus ball—now commences. A year has elapsed, New Orleans is gripped by yellow fever, and Pres Dillard is expected back from the North. Miss Julie prepares for his arrival in high animation, producing the white gown, which she ought to have worn to the ball and announcing her intention to humble herself before Dillard and beg his love. To Miss Julie’s dismay Dillard arrives with a bride from New York, Miss Amy Bradford (Margaret Lindsey). Miss Julie declares she will fight for Pres and steal him from his wife. Her manipulations result in the second duel for her honor, causing the death of Buck. At this point Julie is named a Jezebel, a woman who did evil in the sight of God. The final phase of the film is the redemption sequence. Pres falls sick from fever, and Miss Julie nurses him in an effort to prove herself “brave and unselfish” and “to wash herself clean.” The movie closes around a scene of squalor and disease, Miss Julie angelically accompanying Pres to a quarantine area and certain doom.