31. Jezebel

Jezebel is often mentioned in the same breath as Gone With the Wind. Yes, both movies have a Southern sensibility about them and a headstrong and selfish main character, but those are pretty much the only similarities between the two.

Jezebel opens in New Orleans in 1852 at a party for Julie Marsden (Bette Davis). However, Julie hasn't shown up yet -- and some of the guests are scandalized that she would be late for her own party! Julie is quickly established as a non-traditional Southern girl -- she rides a horse vigorously, wears her riding outfit to the party because she can't be bothered to change, drinks whiskey, and worst of all, she's marrying a Northerner! Julie's engagement to Preston "Pres" Dillard (Henry Fonda) is to be announced shortly.

However, Pres is busy with his work as director of a bank, and doesn't have as much time as Julie would like to spend with him. She shows up while he is in a meeting to request his presence at a dress fitting. Pres decides that he'd rather be at the meeting than go to Julie's fitting, and she gets mad. And Julie doesn't just get mad, she decides to get even. She attending the Olympus Ball with Preston that very evening, and at this dance, all the unmarried ladies wear white. Julie decides to wear a scandalously red dress. Preston comes to apologize to Julie that evening -- although he brings a cane up to her room with him to "discipline her to be more obedient" -- and eventually she shows him the red dress. He says that she must be dressed properly for the ball...in white!

Julie decides to try to get Buck Cantrell (George Brent), her old beau, to take her to the Olympus Ball in the red dress, but he won't take her -- he's got his rules and he goes by them. Preston reluctantly takes Julie to the ball in her red dress, after she makes him ashamed -- he's a coward who won't defend her. However, once they get to the dance, Preston decides to teach her a lesson and dances with her until they are the only couple on the dance floor. They leave the dance together, and Preston says good-bye. Julie won't call him back -- she's convinced that he'll be back.

One year later, Julie is still waiting for Pres to come back. She has closed up her house and doesn't receive any visitors, but once she hears Pres is coming back, she decides to have a house party at the Halycon Plantation. But Preston isn't coming back alone -- no, he has a Yankee wife, Amy.

Julie shows up in a lovely white dress and kneels before Preston and asks for his forgiveness. And then Amy enters and Preston introduces the two, causing Julie to react by tilting her head and taking control, becoming brittle again. Julie isn't going to take Amy sitting down -- she says to Aunt Belle, "I've gotta think, to plan, to fight." Aunt Belle says, "But you can't fight marriage." But Julie disagrees, saying, "Marriage, is it. To that washed-out little Yankee. Pres is mine. He's always been mine. And if I can't have him... "

It turns out that yellow fever is sweeping throughout New Orleans, and no one can leave Halycon Plantation. But Pres makes it back to New Orleans just in time to get the fever. Julie sneaks back on the river, with the help of one of her slaves, and nurses him back to health. The doctor won't not report Pres to the authorities, so it looks like he's going to be heading to the fever victim island to die. His wife shows up and is willing to go with him to the island to die, but Julie takes control. However, she does ask very convincingly, "I'm askin' for the chance to prove I can be brave and strong and unselfish. Help me, Amy. Help me make myself clean again as you are clean. Let me prove myself worthy of the love I bear him." So the film ends with Julie and Pres going off in the wagon to the island of fever victims.

I really enjoyed Jezebel. It's definitely different than Gone With the Wind, and is actually effective in its brevity, compared to GWTW. Bette is fantastic, and I loved her hair. Sounds silly, but she looks absolutely gorgeous in this film. Henry Fonda is super dreamy, and even manages to pull of the silly facial hair of the Civil War period. I would definitely recommend this film as a good counterpoint to Gone With the Wind, although Jezebel also suffers from some of the same revisionist history as GWTW -- happy, happy slaves singin' with their mastah. Honestly, I think it's good enough to overcome those few cringe enducing moments. So, Jezebel is worth watching!

And so ends the Thirty-one Movies in Thirty-one Days Challenge! It's only took me forty-two days to do it, but I'm done. Sadly, with the TCM schedule, I don't think I'll have another challenge for a while. But, looking ahead to October, I might be convinced to do a series on musicals. Who knows?

FILE UNDER: Classic Film ; 31 Films in 31 Days