Dead Ringer (B or 3/4 stars)
If you're in the mood to watch 50-something yr. old Bette Davis play twin sisters, commit murder, enlargen her eyes in her typical fashion, smoke her head off, & glide from opulent room to opulent room in different ballgowns for 2 hours, then maybe you should check out the credibility-stretching, but enjoyable little thriller, 'Dead Ringer' (adapted from a creepy Spanish story & directed by famous Hollywood actor, Paul Henreid).
The film opens in L.A. where mousy, financially-struggling Edith Phillips (Davis) attends the funeral of wealthy twin Margaret's husband, Frank DeLorca. The 2 sisters have not seen each other for 20 yrs. because Edith had originally been dating Frank & Margaret stole him from her claiming pregnancy. Margaret invites Edith back to her mansion after the funeral, but insults start flying early. A quarrel commences where Edith accuses Margaret of never having loved Frank. In a huff, Edith departs. While talking to Margaret's chauffer during the drive home, Edith learns that the pregnancy ploy that Margaret used yrs. before was a lie. When she arrives at her bar in a seedy part of town, she is met by her rental property agent, who informs her that she is 3 months behind in rent & he wants her outta there.
The only bright spot in her life is the friendship she has with Det. Jim Hobbson (Karl Malden). In her apartment above the bar, now furious at her twin & fairly irrational, Edith comes up with a macabre plan to have Margaret visit, murder her & take on her identity. Margaret arrives & soon after, shoots her dead. In an intoxicating scene, we see Edith manage to change clothes & make it look as though "Edie" committed suicide. She now leaves in "Margaret's" chauffered car & enters a grand new life. Physical resemblance aside, Edith must now adopt Margaret's lifestyle & pull-off every single nuance of that life. She must convince her household servants, friends, the police, & Tony Collins (Peter Lawford), Margaret's sleazy lover, that she is, indeed Margaret. But several plot twists ensue.
Before I tackle Better Davis, I'll comment on the other performances. I enjoyed Jean Hagen as one of Margaret's glamorous, shallow friends. Estelle Winwood (who lived to the ripe 'ole age of 101 in real life) is quite good as the annoying relative, Dona Anna. Peter Lawford also impresses as the suave, yet slimy Tony Collins. And Karl Malden is sweet/tender in his early scenes with Edith, yet alllll business in his late scenes when he isn't so sure about "Margaret's" sense of self. Good ensemble cast, good performances.
Bette Davis is superb at playing 2 very different sisters. She's earthy & down-on-her-luck as Edith. And as the Margaret, Bette has to play her as more haughty & in control - and yet, she comes across as somewhat flighty because she's really "Edith" trying to hold it together. Even though 'Dead Ringer' is a relatively small film, this is a signature performance by Bette Davis. Davis wears her emotions on her sleeve, on her face, even on her cigarettes {haha}. So yeah, the movie is a minor one. It stretches credibility. And if Davis wasn't in it, ther'd be little reason to check it out. But she IS in it. She's great. And the moody black-&-white cinematography + some neat trick photography (with dual Davis') make this an interesting film, to boot.
The film opens in L.A. where mousy, financially-struggling Edith Phillips (Davis) attends the funeral of wealthy twin Margaret's husband, Frank DeLorca. The 2 sisters have not seen each other for 20 yrs. because Edith had originally been dating Frank & Margaret stole him from her claiming pregnancy. Margaret invites Edith back to her mansion after the funeral, but insults start flying early. A quarrel commences where Edith accuses Margaret of never having loved Frank. In a huff, Edith departs. While talking to Margaret's chauffer during the drive home, Edith learns that the pregnancy ploy that Margaret used yrs. before was a lie. When she arrives at her bar in a seedy part of town, she is met by her rental property agent, who informs her that she is 3 months behind in rent & he wants her outta there.
The only bright spot in her life is the friendship she has with Det. Jim Hobbson (Karl Malden). In her apartment above the bar, now furious at her twin & fairly irrational, Edith comes up with a macabre plan to have Margaret visit, murder her & take on her identity. Margaret arrives & soon after, shoots her dead. In an intoxicating scene, we see Edith manage to change clothes & make it look as though "Edie" committed suicide. She now leaves in "Margaret's" chauffered car & enters a grand new life. Physical resemblance aside, Edith must now adopt Margaret's lifestyle & pull-off every single nuance of that life. She must convince her household servants, friends, the police, & Tony Collins (Peter Lawford), Margaret's sleazy lover, that she is, indeed Margaret. But several plot twists ensue.
Before I tackle Better Davis, I'll comment on the other performances. I enjoyed Jean Hagen as one of Margaret's glamorous, shallow friends. Estelle Winwood (who lived to the ripe 'ole age of 101 in real life) is quite good as the annoying relative, Dona Anna. Peter Lawford also impresses as the suave, yet slimy Tony Collins. And Karl Malden is sweet/tender in his early scenes with Edith, yet alllll business in his late scenes when he isn't so sure about "Margaret's" sense of self. Good ensemble cast, good performances.
Bette Davis is superb at playing 2 very different sisters. She's earthy & down-on-her-luck as Edith. And as the Margaret, Bette has to play her as more haughty & in control - and yet, she comes across as somewhat flighty because she's really "Edith" trying to hold it together. Even though 'Dead Ringer' is a relatively small film, this is a signature performance by Bette Davis. Davis wears her emotions on her sleeve, on her face, even on her cigarettes {haha}. So yeah, the movie is a minor one. It stretches credibility. And if Davis wasn't in it, ther'd be little reason to check it out. But she IS in it. She's great. And the moody black-&-white cinematography + some neat trick photography (with dual Davis') make this an interesting film, to boot.