Femmes marquées

'Marked Woman' was most interesting to see acting legends Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart together and in early roles against type. Before their careers properly took off, so a large part of me was really interested in seeing how they would fare. Seeing as when somebody does something different from the moment, it can either be great or out of their depth-like. The idea for the film, actually based upon a true story, sounded great and gave the impression that it would be an intriguing and investable film.

It was to my relief that 'Marked Woman' works well as a film. Neither Davis and Bogart deliver work that is among their best and both went on to much better things, the best of which iconic work in film history. This is before either of them, well certainly Bogart as Davis was already showing some versatility if not quite had perfected it, had properly found their footing and found what they were best at in terms of namely types of roles. That is not to say that 'Marked Woman' is a bad film, in my view it is an interesting and good one that packs a punch, and Davis is served well.

For my tastes though, in an atypically non-gritty role with the gritty type of roles being one that he would embody later, Bogart is a little too subdued (one of the exceptions though being the closing speech which is very powerful) and doesn't seem as fully engaged. He is still watchable and the dynamic presence with Davis works very nicely.

Perhaps at times, 'Marked Woman' is a bit slow in the early stages with the set up taking a little too long to do so. The prison scene with Davis and Eduardo Ciannelli was a slight missed opportunity, that could have been a scene that wrenched the gut and chilled if it stayed with the film's overall uncompromising approach. But it took too much of an easy way out and censorship restrictions may have played some part in this.

However, Davis goes full throttle and gives a performance of intensity and poignancy. Ciannelli is persuasively sinister, while Isabell Jewel lives up to her surname and Allan Jenkins has a fun small role that doesn't jar. The production values are not audacious but to me they weren't that cheap, while the film is beautifully directed, never going too heavy handed or trivialising the subject. The music is haunting without being melodramatic.

The script is taut and thoughtful, also remarkably explicit for back then and not that tame now. Bogart's dialogue towards the end is quite powerful. The story is always absorbing, exploring a bold topic not covered to this much an extent at this particular time in a pulling no punches way. Did appreciate that there wasn't a romance as such, that may have had potential of slowing the film down and taking away from the tautness. When 'Marked Woman' gets going, it is swift in pace.

Summing up, very well done on the whole. 7/10

Back to Hollywood and this is Warners 30s black & white highly dramatic fare starring Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart. Not much of Bogart's work from around this time is all that strong but here he almost already seems the big star he would become, most comfortable in the forthright and caring lawyer. He takes nothing away from Davis, of course, though who still shines through a film that is clearly centred around her. It is a very good performance throughout from the not quite dizzy blonde to the pioneering and ruthless dame. The film begins with great scenes inside the clip-joint where the girls work and money and drinks flow as the girls flirt and the gangsters prowl. The film doesn't exactly lose its way in the middle but it just seemed to me that it might be going to lapse into some moralising crusade. Not at all, this really gets into another gear and the violence surprises. Good low key ending too. Impressive with good script, stirring music and fine performances all round.

A night-club owner called Johnny Vanning (Eduardo Ciannelli) was exploiting his hostesses, one of whom was Mary Dwight (Bette Davis). She was asked with her companions of the Club Intime to induce clients to drink, gamble and spend freely…

A few nights later Mary brings a sucker, Rulph Krawford (Damian O'Flynn) to the club… After Krawford loses a large amount of money gambling and then refuses to pay off the debt, Vanning orders his henchman Charley Delaney (Ben Welden) to get rid of him…

When special prosecutor, David Graham (Humphrey Bogart), questions Mary concerning Krawford's assassination, she denies in providing any helpful information…

Bogart's performance successfully applied malice determination and calmly exhibited compassion and concern… He was particularly effective, both firm, and penetrating, in his courtroom scenes, which served as an early warm-up for similar role twelve years later in Nicholas Ray's "Knock On Any Door."

Mayo Methot was also in the cast as one of the hostesses and it was during the filming that Bogart took her as his second wife

In New York, the powerful and ruthless mobster Johnny Vanning (Eduardo Ciannelli) acquires the Club Intimate and presses the hostesses to entertain the men with dance and drinks and then taking them to gamble to spend money. The party girl Mary "Dwight" Strauber (Bette Davis) and her roommates Dorothy 'Gabby' Marvin (Lola Lane), Emmy Lou Eagan (Isabel Jewell), Florrie Liggett (Rosalind Marquis) and Estelle Porter (Mayo Methot) entertain a group of Wardolf Astoria's guests and Mary's date loses a great amount of money in the casino and gives a bounced check to the thugs. Mary borrows some money for the cab to him but the mobsters follow him.

On the next morning, Mary's sister Betty Strauber (Jane Bryan), who is supported by Mary and does not know the real "profession" of her older sister, visits Mary and the girls. However, police detectives arrive in the apartment and arrest the women. In the precinct, they lean that Mary's costumer was found dead and her address was found in his pocket. The young and ambitious District Attorney David Graham (Humphrey Bogart) presses Mary to snitch Johnny Vanning, but his lawyer gives instructions to Mary to deceive David and Johnny escapes from justice.

When the naive Betty is invited by Emmy Lou to go to a private party promoted by Johnny Vanning, she has an incident with one costumer. Johnny hits Betty and she tumbles on the stairs and is seriously wounded. However Johnny orders his men to dump her body in the river. When Mary discovers that Johnny has murdered her sister, she seeks out David Graham and promises to put the criminal behind bars. But the task is not easy and the gangsters are violent.

"Marked Woman" is an attractive film of gangsters with and unusual theme – the hostesses in illegal nightclubs. The fantastic Betty Davis performs the lead role of a party girl ahead of time with her attitudes. The screenplay has witty and cynical dialogs with insinuations about the infamous profession of Mary and her roommates. The conclusion with the five hostesses vanishing in the mist after the trial while the spots are on the young district attorney is magnificent.

Betty Davis and Humphrey Bogart are my favorite actress and actor ever, and "Marked Woman" is an unforgettable chance to see them acting together. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Mulher Marcada" ("Marked Woman")

Bette Davis plays Mary Strauber, a nightclub hostess working in club 'Intime' which gets taken over by a gangster Johnny Vanning (Eduardo Ciannelli) who soon changes the decor and the name to 'Intimate'. Mary stands up to the gangster right from the start,defending a friend he tries to fire, and letting him know he won't intimidate her. Her resolve is tested to the limit after her younger sister comes to stay, who unwittingly crosses Vanning's path, leading to tragedy. Davis gives a commanding performance and Eduardo Ciannelli is effective as the ruthless gangster. Humphrey Bogart also puts in an appearance - cast against type as an earnest DA. They don't make movies like this any more - enjoy!