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I was fortunate to see a rare screening of this (early) 1929 film. The lure for me was Jeanne Eagels, and her performance did not disappoint. Her screen presence is amazing - there is scarcely a performance from this early talkie period to compare it with. If Eagels was alive at the time (she died in October 1929), if Paramount had more clout with the MGM-dominated AMPAS at the time, she surely would have won the Academy Award for Best Actress (it went to Mary Pickford in one of the WORST performances of the period, in the nearly-unwatchable "Coquette"). Her final confrontation with her husband, one of the most dynamic pieces of film acting from ANY period, is alone worth the price of admission.

This film exists only as a work print, without final dubbed-in music and sound effects, which may be disconcerting to some viewers, but thank God Eagels' performance survives intact. The storyline is similar to the 1940 remake but without several plot variations imposed by the Hays Office, and in many ways this earlier film seems more modern, complete with a few profanities and obvious depictions of a brothel (that scene, with Eagels' character humiliated in front of a bevy of Asian prostitutes, is amazing). The casual racism of colonialists on display throughout the film may be off-putting when viewed today, but is historically and dramatically appropriate.

Rights to this film apparently belong to Universal, so the chance of its being distributed on DVD - along with the many wonderful Paramount pre-1934-code films, the brilliantly restored Technicolor "Follow Thru" and "Paramount On Parade", etc. - is slender-to-none. No studio cares less about its pre-1948 catalog, especially the Paramount titles, and we can only pray that whoever heads their video division will be replaced by someone who knows and loves this eminently under-exploited catalog. In the meantime, Run, don't walk if this is screened in your area, and experience this beautiful and vibrant star who influenced a generation of actresses (not the least of which, Bette Davis, who took much from Eagels).

Jeanne Engles is almost a physical ghost here. Everyone seems to be in love her as an actress. Based on this, I'm not that hooked but she definitely does get your attention.

In this movie, the racism out in the open and cuts both ways which is closer to the real world. The movie does well to bring that forward. Unfortunately, here, as usual, Hollywood fell into bizarre caricatures and images when portraying the Chinese.

With Anna May Wong in Europe at the time, Tsen Mei is cast as Li-Ti and only manages to extract a very average presence. It is difficult to imagine her as a love interest. (Tsen Mei went on to run theatres in New Jersey) With Anna May Wong in that role (and advising the directors), the movie would have been elevated considerably and the confrontation-over-the-letter scene likely would have become an all time classic.

Technically, this movie is crude, especially the sound but a restored version might be a different story.

Only currently available through the American Film Institute, which restored the film, this features a remarkable performance by one of the great stage actresses in the early part of the 20th Century.One sees immediately why Ms. Eagels was a star; this is a powerful, emotional tour-de-force which lasts a little over an hour. Little more than a filmed stage play for the most part, this film is a very important re-discovery that deserves to get into better circulation.

Jeanne Eagels demonstrates why she was considered one of the best stage actresses of the 1920s. Her performance is absolutely outstanding. She's mesmerising to watch. Despite this, even by the low standards of 1929, it's not a particularly good film.

Like so many very early talkies, this is essentially a filmed stage play. It's a good stage play and is very close to Somerset Maugham's story but you inevitably compare it to William Wyler's 1940 version and you appreciate the difference between a play and a film. Although because of the restrictive censorship code introduced in the mid thirties, the story in the "new" version was massively altered to conform, that version is so much more immersive. When you watch miserable old Bette Davis you become the judge and jury when considering the plight of Mrs Crosbie. You enter into what you think is the mind of Mrs Crosbie - or you think you do - Wyler has fun playing with your emotions. In this version however you're just watching the narrative unfold, you're not involved.

Although this is inferior in terms of what you'd expect from a motion picture, it's still worth watching just for Jeanne Eagels' magnificent portrayal of raw emotion especially in the last act. What's remarkable and indeed a testament to her acting is that although you're being told from the onset that her character, Mrs Crosbie is a bad person, you're on her side, you're supporting a murderer! Thus is the power of seduction which this actress strangely imposes on you ninety years after her death.

The film itself is certainly watchable and better than most films from 1929 but it has no innovative or imaginative direction. To be fair, it was Jean de Limur's first film - it seems an odd choice of Paramount to use a novice to direct such a high profile picture but his lack of experience is almost compensated for by Miss Eagels' skill and also by Herbert Marshall who is also fantastic - incredibly it's his first movie as well.

It's interesting to note that a decade later Herbert Marshall is alive again back in the remake - not as Mrs Crosbie's lover but as the wronged husband. Also in the "new" version her lover wasn't sharing a bed with a Chinese woman (a fact used in the trial to prove he was a disreputable and disgraceful human being!) but a respectable married man - married of course to a respectable white woman!

Technically primitive, with some absurd story elements and an abrupt ending, but Jeanne Eagels is terrific; her long courtroom monologue is especially vivid and riveting. **1/2 out of 4.

Although this version of The Letter that I saw was incomplete lacking the final six minutes, if you have seen the better known Bette Davis version from 1941 then you know what fate awaits Jeanne Eagels in this film. Sad to say this and another sound film are all we have of her acting and stage presence. Eagels was most famous on stage for doing another W. Somerset Maugham work, Rain. After seeing this what a shame it was she died of too much living before doing a film version of that. Joan Crawford was unjustly criticized for essentially not being Jeanne Eagels, so vivid was the memory of what she did on stage with Sadie Thompson.

She doesn't do too bad with Leslie Crosbie either in this film. Eagels is the bored wife of rubber plantation owner Reginald Owen and she casually drifts into an affair with Herbert Marshall. But Marshall has been two timing Eagels with a lovely Asian mistress. After deceiving her husband she's not about to be thrown over for an Oriental so she empties a revolver into Marshall. In the Bette Davis version Marshall plays the wronged husband and the character of the lover is only shown at the beginning being ventilated with six bullets.

Eagels gets the best barrister in Singapore O.P. Heggie, but there is the nasty business of an indiscreet letter she wrote to Marshall that the Chinese woman now has. Therein lies the tale.

Somerset Maugham if anything was more observant of the racism in the British colonial community in this version than the later one. What's driving Eagels is the thought of being tossed aside for an Oriental woman, the type she employs as servants and looks down on. Not to mention the scandal of her affair and what would happen to her position in that strict British white colonial society.

Eagels gives a dynamic performance in her confrontations with the various male characters and in a soliloquy in court where she recounts a version for the jury as to why she killed Marshall. Of course it's all lies and the white jurors want to believe her. But that letter should it get out, she's toast.

Shot in Paramount's Astoria studios, The Letter shows its age, but even as she overacted as most of her Broadway contemporaries did when they faced sound cameras, her dynamism is undeniable. Watch this and you'll why Jeanne Eagels was such a big star.

Left alone on her husband's rubber plantation, four miles from Singapore, neglected Jeanne Eagels (as Leslie Crosbie) sends a letter to handsome Herbert Marshall (as Geoffrey Hammond), hoping for a romantic evening. Desperate for attention, Ms. Eagels is instead told, "All good things must come to an end," as Mr. Marshall tells her their affair is over. Eagels is told she disgusts Marshall, who has replaced his blonde English mistress with a Chinese woman. Eagels thinks the native woman is "common" and "vulgar." Declaring she still loves Marshall, Eagels decides to take matters into her own hands. This gets her in trouble with the law. Covering herself, Eagels convincingly hides her secret – but her Asian rival "Lady" Tsen Mei holds "The Letter"...

For her first "talking" motion picture, Eagels wisely agreed to star in W. Somerset Maugham's "The Letter" for producer Monta Bell and debuting director Jean de Limur. Eagels' greatest Broadway success had been in Maugham's steaming "Rain" (1922-26), which was filmed with Gloria Swanson as the hit silent "Sadie Thompson" (1928). Considering her success with this film, Eagels would have likely been considered for the sound version of "Rain" (the part went to Joan Crawford) and further acclaim. However, she had addictions and overdosed after one more film (the presently unavailable "Jealousy"). Notably, Marshall appeared in both the 1929 and 1940 versions, but as different characters...

As many have noted, Eagels shows the effects of drug use in her final films, but it works for the character she plays in "The Letter" – she is desperate and wasting away in a remote location. While employing some stage overplaying at times, Eagels still delivers an electrifying performance. She certainly earned her "Academy Award" consideration, and had the skills to continue into the sound era. This film was famously re-made in 1940 with William Wyler directing and Bette Davis starring. That version is much more polished, and Ms. Davis is likewise stunning. This 1929 version is incomplete and rough in spots, but still enjoyable. The racism is much less confusing, herein; there are scenes and situations which seem to be white-washed for the 1940 version.

******* The Letter (3/17/29) Jean de Limur ~ Jeanne Eagels, O.P. Heggie, Reginald Owen, Herbert Marshall

"The Letter" is an absolutely fascinating early talkie. The only surviving talkie made by the legendary stage actress, Jeanne Eagels (whose skill as a Broadway stage actress was obvious in the delivery of her lines - particularly the final scene, which I found mesmerizing) cries out for a restoration! The print of the film I viewed had a very poor visual quality (although I could always discern the action), but became all the more tantalizing - this film probably looked great in 1929, and would still look wonderful in a refurbished print. For a very early "talkie", I was very surprised at how natural and "unstodgy" the dialogue is (and the soundtrack was remarkably clear and strong, with even a little bit of profanity, which I'm sure it raised a few eyebrows in 1929!) It is very unfortunate that Eagels' other talkie "Jealousy" is now lost, and all the more reason that "The Letter" (being the only sound document of this legendary actress) should have a wider distribution. I hope someone some day will spearhead such an undertaking.

A 2011 update: I recently acquired the DVD release of "The Letter" from Warner Archives. It is a revelation - an amazingly good print, particularly considering it is mastered from what is apparently the sole surviving 35mm print. Some segments lack musical background, but the dialogue is intact, and the visuals are far better than I expected (or hoped for!). Congratulations and many thanks to Warner Archives for finally making this treasure available!

This Jeanne Eagels performance should have won the Best Actress Academy Award. I love Mary Pickford but her performance was probably the weakest of the six nominees;however, the personality contest prevailed. Eagels' performance was focused and intense. Somerset Maugham's story of murder and intrigue will hold your attention. Film is difficult to find; it is worth the search.

THE LETTER (Paramount, 1929), directed by Jean De Limur, stars the famed stage actress, Jeanne Eagels (1894-1929) in her talkie movie debut. Having recently starred in the silent melodrama titled MAN, WOMAN AND SIN (MGM, 1927) opposite John Gilbert, it appeared that following this first screen adaptation to the now famous story by W. Somerset Maugham, along with an Academy Award nomination as Best Actress to her name, Jeanne Eagels would be destined for motion picture popularity. Ironically, following her second talking lead, JEALOUSY (Paramount, 1929), opposite Fredric March, Eagles soon met with an untimely death.

Following some silent scenes of visuals focusing of the Harbor of Singapore followed by a sign reading "British Interstate Rubber Plantation," the camera tracks into a bungalow, introducing the British couple, Robert Crosbie (Reginald Owen) and his lovely wife, Leslie (Jeanne Eagels), having been stationed at the rubber plantation for the past seven years. As Robert heads for Singapore alone to go hunting, Leslie, bored and lonely, writes a letter she handles to her servant to deliver to Geoffrey Hammond (Herbert Marshall), her lover. By this time, Geoffrey, who very much prefers the company of one of his Chinese mistresses, Ti-Ti (Lady Tsen Mui), has by now tired of his illicit affairs with Leslie. He goes to Leslie to tell her their infidelity is officially over. The upset Leslie takes out her gun and shoots him repeatedly. At her murder trial, Leslie is defended by Lawyer Joyce (O.P. Heggie). He soon finds that his client has lied under oath, especially when told about Leslie's letter inviting Hammond to come over to see her, the very letter that was submitted to him by Ti-Ti's servant, Onchi Seng (Tamaki Yoshiwara), demanding $10,000 its return to Leslie. Although Leslie is willing to pay the blackmail money to conceal the evidence, will she be able to hide her guilt?

While THE LETTER is better known today for its 1940 stylishly made Warner Brothers remake starring Bette Davis and Herbert Marshall, this edition, the original, is something to consider for those who have seen the Davis version multiple times. It's especially of great interest seeing how different and precise the 1929 film actually is. Aside from Herbert Marshall appearing in both 1929 and 1940 versions in different roles, his lover part is presented for about ten minutes while the remake limits the lovers role to stumbling down after being shot by Leslie. The Lawyer Joyce (James Stephenson) gets more screen time with longer courtroom proceedings than the original. However, both films do have that famous line recited by Leslie, "With all my heart and soul, I still love the man I killed!"

Surprisingly brief at 60 minutes, THE LETTER did go through several remakes and alterations over the years. Aside from the aforementioned classic Bette Davis edition, for which she, too, earned an Academy Award nomination, there was a revised version re-titled THE UNFAITHFUL (Warner Brothers, 1947) with Ann Sheridan and Zachary Scott; and an updated made-for-television movie THE LETTER (1982) starring Lee Remick and Jack Thompson.

Long unseen and virtually forgotten, THE LETTER, formerly a lost movie later discovered and restored, is slow pace, lacking mood music/underscoring, except for the Chinese dancing sequence. It consists of certain scenes very much like a filmed stage play. Jeanne Eagles herself makes this watchable, even through some of her over-the-top performance. British born Reginald Owen and Herbert Marshall also give good performances in their American movie debuts. Distributed onto DVD, THE LETTER did have its cable television presentation for the first time on Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: October 24, 2012).

As much as the name of Jeanne Eagles may be known to modern viewers more for her movie biography, JEANNE EAGELS (Columbia, 1957) starring Kim Novak, than for her stage and movie career, the availability to THE LETTER is a worthy discovery of her work and legend. Seeing her in THE LETTER, it's amazing how much she almost resembled the youthful blonde Bette Davis, and speaking and laughing almost like character actress, Mae Busch, famous for her work opposite Laurel and Hardy in their comedy shorts of the thirties. Had she lived, it's a wonder if it would have been Eagels rather than Joan Crawford playing Sadie Thompson in the sound remake of RAIN (1932)? We'll never know. (*** stamps)

This film has recently been restored to a 35mm print. I was fortunate enough to see it. A great deal is already said here about Jeanne Eagels' performance. The only thing I can add is that Bette Davis seems to not have so much modeled her performance in the remake, as to have modeled her own physical persona in general on Eagels, who has a subtle body twitch that Davis took to (delightful) extremes later on. Certainly Davis would have seen this original movie version, and may have even seen Eagels on stage in other properties.

The sound is very primitive in this early version. At first it seemed like the sound wasn't even working. But the problem is that there is no sound until the film gets to a scene that has dialogue. It would have been interesting to hear more ambient sound added so you would be less likely to notice the old-fashioned audio, but then purists might complain.

Nevertheless, the film is fascinating and so is Eagels. I saw the film with an Asian friend who liked the fact that the film doesn't shirk from racism. The sequence where the heroine delivers the letter to the dragon lady was fun to compare to the later version. The early version is a lot racier! Also, I must point out that Herbert Marshall, who appears in the later version as the heroine's husband, is very young and handsome as her murdered lover in this 1929 production.

This is a superb character-driven performance from Jeanne Eagels as the bored wife who turns from her indifferent husband "Robert" (Reginald Owen) to the caddish "Geoffrey" (Herbert Marshall). When the latter shows her his true colours, he gets his comeuppance and a trial ensues. Provocation bordering on attempted rape is cited and she looks set for acquittal until it emerges that his Chinese mistress is in possession of a letter that might not quite support her version of the story - and she wants £10,000 for it! The production is quite heavily styled, very theatrical without very much visual intensity (the print I saw was really rather dark and gloomy) - but it's the performance from the star that sets this apart. She is enthralling, her stage background helping to provide us with an excellent tour de force that is really good to watch.

What are the reviewers here smoking? Jeanne Eagels turned in perhaps the worst acting performance I've ever seen in this movie. And she was nominated for an Academy Award? Her indistinct, overtly affected accent was grating on the ears. Her facial expressions were hardly better- grade school drama productions feature more credible acting. And when she shot her lover; there are no words to describe how laughable she appeared, as she waved the gun in spectacularly unconvincing fashion.

The screenplay was awful as well, like it had been written by the nephew of a local dinner theater owner. All the actors delivered their lines in wooden, disinterested fashion, but Eagels was in a class of her own here. As for the Chinese mistress, who can believe that anyone in 1929 would have chosen this decidedly plain-looking actress over the still very attractive Eagels?

This has just been restored and will be included on the DVD of the Bette Davis version of THE LETTER. You've got to see it to check out Jeanne Eagles in one of the rawest, most powerful performances I've ever seen. She was a stage actress who disdained film -- and who died soon after making this and the lost JEALOUSY. Too bad because she truly is amazing. The film is frequently stagey and flat (and perhaps a bit racist). But you can't fault her: she is towering and emotional and unpredictable every moment. Supposedly Davis saw this and modeled her performance on Eagles'. The final scene will probably leave you breathless because it's so powerful -- and unrepentant. I'm so happy people will be able to see this soon.