Oh, Those Bette Davis Eyes!

 Marked Woman (1937) – A nightclub hostess refuses to help a young assistant district attorney take down her crime lord boss.  Then her sister is killed and the game changes.

Directed by: Lloyd Bacon & Michael Curtiz (uncredited)

Starring – Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart

There were few, if any, studios that made better gangster movies than Warner Brothers in the 1930s.  The Great Depression hit the studios hard.  Warner turned to socially aware, realistic movies and hit the jackpot.  Beginning with “Little Caesar” and “The Public Enemy”, both in 1931, the studio found the financial lifeline they needed.  The movies could be made on a tight budget, and audiences loved them.  They became star vehicles for stars, including Edward G. Robinson, James Cagney and Paul Muni.

However, the unblinking approach to the subject that had launched the movies was crippled when Hollywood decided to “clean up”.  The Hays Code went into effect in 1935 with the goal of assuring American audiences that their movies would present an idealized vision of the world.  “Marked Woman” arrives after the Motion Picture Production Code (the official name for the Hays Code).  Because of that, Bette Davis’s role as a prostitute had to be cleaned up.  The same solution used in “From Here to Eternity” shows up here-Mary was a “hostess” at a nightclub.  The dialogue makes clear the expectations in that role, while never addressing the topic directly.

With all of that said, “Marked Woman” does a great job of telling the story of vice, violence and vengeance.  Bogart (still considered “not star material” by the studio) plays the driven, incorruptible young assistant DA.  His boss tried to bring the mobster Johnny Vanning many times before with no success.  If he can only get the hostesses to turn on their boss, he’s sure he can win.  Meanwhile, Bette Davis is the alpha girl in this pack.  She’s smart, good at what she does, and has a secret.  Davis made a legendary career from roles just like this.  Smart, tough, fiery women who see no reason to give the men in her life any more control than was necessary. Along with the suitably sinister Eduardo Ciannelli as Vanning, the movie circles these three characters.

Except for the first 25 minutes or so, the tempo of the movie is good.  The beginning is slow.  The setup of life in the nightclub seemed drawn out to me.  There is not one, but TWO full song numbers in that time.  Neither singer gave me any reason to believe in either song’s necessity.  Once you get that behind you, the rest goes quickly.

I must admit that I’ve never gotten the adoration for Bette Davis as a sex symbol.  Just shy of 30 here, she’s as attractive as I ever remember.  But the role also has her in several of the many, in my opinion, strange, unattractive hairstyles seen in her movies.  There’s no doubt the laser quality look, the “Bette Davis Eyes”, is powerful.  There’s no doubt that she was an actress of outstanding talent and determination.  But when I hear people talking about her looks, they lose me.  Whether I “get it” is irrelevant.  Bette Davis was, and is, a great star of the Golden Age.

There is a lot to like here.  Great stars, solid script (based loosely on the conviction of “Lucky” Luciano), and a solid supporting cast.  Sadly, the Production Code stole the edge that would have made this a great movie, and the slow start doesn’t help, either.  But you won’t feel cheated if you spend some time with this “Marked Woman”.

Rating – *** Worth A Look