Great Lie (B&W)

Mary Astor plays the role of Sandra, a temperamental concert pianist, who marries Peter (George Brent), the on again, off again beau of Sandra's rival, Maggie (Bette Davis). They get married while Peter is in an alcoholic stupor in New York. After spending the night together, it turns out that their marriage was not legal, as Sandra's divorce from her first husband was not final. When Sandra is faced with the choice of marrying him on the day the divorce is final or playing a concert, she makes a choice that leaves Peter free to marry Maggie.

Shortly after their marriage, Peter, an experienced aviator and cartographer, is called away on a governmental mission. In the interim, Sandra tells Maggie that she is carrying Peter's child and vows to use that fact to get him back. Peter's plane, however, is reported missing over a remote area of the Amazon jungle, and he is presumed dead. This, of course, throws a monkey wrench into Sandra's plans, as she does not want the baby without Peter. Maggie, who is not pregnant and has no hope now of ever having a child by Peter, strikes a deal with Sandra that will allow Maggie to pass off Sandra's and Peter's baby, as if it were hers and Peter's. It is like making a pact with the devil, as Maggie will soon find out.

This is an enormously entertaining film with great dialogue between the two protagonists, Sandra and Maggie. Ms. Astor does a decided star turn as the temperamental and brilliant, world acclaimed concert pianist. Ms. Astor plays her as a diva of the first order, and she deservedly won an Academy Award for her performance. The role of Maggie, who is the good girl from the south, has its moments in the hands of such an accomplished actress as Ms. Davis. The dialogue between the two is always crisp and interesting. George Brent is perfectly cast in the role of Peter, a wealthy chap who is desired by two gloriously different women. Lucille Watson has a small part as Maggie's aunt, and Hattie McDaniel plays Maggie's ever present mammy. The film is topped of by the powerful music of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto.

This is a film that lovers of classic melodramas will enjoy, as will lovers of classical music.


Excellent film with great performances from Davis and Astor   April 11, 2002
Simon Davis
12 out of 15 found this review helpful

This is one of the long run of film successes Bette Davis enjoyed in her golden period at Warners in the Early 40's. The film is very interesting as it provides a strong role for another female, in this case the marvellous Mary Astor. The film develops into an emotional tug of war between these two strong women, first over the George Brent character and then Astor's son. Bette Davis in a refreshing change in pace plays the nice girl while Mary Astor has a field day in the role of the selfish concert pianist for which she rightly won the academy award that year as best supporting actress. I always enjoy Astor's film acting from "Midnight" to "The Maltese Falcon" to "Meet Me in St Louis" She was a superb actress who had a rather disjointed film career ranging from playing femme fatales to loving mothers. In "The Great Lie" she has never been better and more than holds her own up against Bette Davis in the acting honours. One would have thought there would be fireworks on the set of this production as there was between Bette and Miriam Hopkins during production of the superb "The Old Maid" but no the two got on very well together, worked beautifully together and Mary Astor ever after spoke highly of Davis's care towards her during production and publicly thanked her during her Oscar acceptance speech for her help during production of "The Great Lie"
The production itself shows all the care that went into a Bette Davis production during the 40's. The supporting cast from the Warner Bros stable namely George Brent is excellent as always. With superb actresses like Lucile Watson and the wonderful Hattie Mcdaniel (who has some really beautiful dialogue in the scenes after Davis "adapts" Astor's baby ) how could the production go wrong? The musical score is also one of the best of the early forties as well.
Soap Opera it may be but done with such finesse that the whole viewing is an engrossing experience. There are a number of amusing scenes included as well like the scene of Bette "pacing" up and done like an expectant father while Astor goes into labour which at the time was viewed as being "too Lesbian"!!! Also worth mentioning is Astor's "mad" scene as she gets fed up with living in the desert with Davis..it's a riot and her scream sounds like something out of "Whatever happened to Baby Jane"!! It's such a hoot
I recommend this great film strongly, firstly as a great showcase for two fine actresses working superbly off each other and secondly as a great example of Hollywood production and the excellent care that went into these films in the Golden era of Hollywood


Great Astor, Subdued Davis.   May 11, 2000
9 out of 12 found this review helpful

IF you're expecting a stunning tour-de-force by Davis, forget it. In this creamy, beautifully photographed creation from Warners in l940, it's Mary Astor who really jumps out with her sparkling portrayal of the brilliant but really bitchy Sandra Novak, a world-wide famous pianist. Although Davis is quiet, subdued, almost mousy, you still like her. I just wish she had flashed some anger now and then and slapped Sandra around. The music is great, especially when the Warner Brothers logo appears and you're thrilled to hear Tschaikovsky and you see Sandra Novak playing those dynamic chords in beautifully lit medium shots of her hands. A dreamy fantasy from l940 which is perfect viewing on a cool, autumn night.


Watch Mary Go!!   December 30, 2002
James L. (Toronto, Canada)
8 out of 12 found this review helpful

George Brent is having a hard time managing the women in his life. He spends years in love with Bette Davis, but she won't marry him because he isn't ready to settle down. He marries fiery concert pianist Mary Astor, only to discover her divorce from her first husband isn't finalized. When she won't bend to his will, he goes back to Davis and marries her, only to disappear in the Brazilian jungle, leaving behind a broken-hearted Davis and a pregnant Astor. The story behind The Great Lie is, needless to say, a bit farfetched. It relies a lot on the viewer suspending their disbelief. What really keeps this film moving is the sparring between Davis and Astor. I've always enjoyed and appreciated Mary Astor, and in this film she's given a character right up her alley. She sinks into the roll, throwing out her lines with obvious relish and taking control of every scene she's in. Davis is good in a quieter performance, letting Astor have the spotlight. Brent is his usual self, and Hattie McDaniel is given more dialogue and character to work with than her standard maid role, and she is very strong. The music is a bit overpowering and over the top, but then again, so is the whole scenario of the story. The strength of this melodrama is Mary Astor in one of her best performances. The film is never believable, but she makes it fun to watch.


BETTE DAVIS SWEET AND SIMPLE!   December 22, 1999
7 out of 10 found this review helpful

After her great triumph in a bravura role as the murderess in THE LETTER, Bette Davis decided she would portray a sympathic heroine in her next picture, THE GREAT LIE. The plot is admittedly soap opera, but director Edmund Goulding stages it with style, and the basically artificial, contrived story comes across with surprising believability. Davis play her role with great sincerity and Astor's performance a Sandra, the bitchy concert pianist is a personal triumph. She is beautiful and authoritive and offers a stunning portrayal of a temperamental musical artist; she entirely deserved her best supporting actress AA. An accomplished pianist in real life, Astor played Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto brilliantly and the realism adds much to the picture as a whole. The film revived a renewed interest in Tchaikovsky's haunting melody and it again swept the country via radio broadcasts and records galore.