User reviews

I've seen this film a few times, and, perhaps because I'm an admirer of Miss Davis, I've always enjoyed it. Her performance of the long scene in the country house is really magnificent. Brilliant, thrilling acting, of the highest order. I enjoyed the dialogue very much, because, unlike many films, we really get to hear someone let out their innermost thoughts and it's very much like such a scene would be in real life. I think you have to be in the mood for this picture, and it will not strike everyone the same way - but it would be sad not to be able to identify or sympathize with characters trying to come to grips with sad facts in their past, because that's all of us, at one time or another.

Possible *Spoiler*

What I liked about this film was the dialogue. Yes, the dialogue. To me, this film was about two people who were struggling with their inner desires, disappointments, hurts and longings. Both main characters were somewhat stiff in social situations. The uneasiness between them was understandable to me because of their past experiences.

The romantic scenes were awkward in my opinion because of a spinster who is within her shell; and a man struggling with his inner desire to be a priest. Plus it appears the characters were two introverts.

Yes indeed, the film was slow moving, just like real life is sometimes. I do not mind slow moving films, for films should not always be about speed and excess of excitement. There were some really good moments in this film. If you do not mind a story unfolding slowly, with an emphasis on dialogue, check out this film.

Bette Davis stars as lonely NYC poetess Susan Grieve. Her best friend Stacy (John Hoyt) asks her to accompany him on a blind double date along with visiting war hero Slick Novak (Jim Davis) and Stacy's secretary Peggy (Janis Paige). The sparks are immediate between Susan and Slick, and they spend a snowy weekend together in the country where they both confront deep-seated issues.

Bette Davis is dependably good, but Jim Davis is one of the worst regularly-employed actors in Hollywood history. Watching him struggle through his lines is almost as painful as it is humorous. When his character finally reveals his "dark secret", it elicited a chuckle rather than a gasp, which I don't think was the intention. The film's high point is a surprisingly open performance by John Hoyt as the proverbial "gay best friend" from countless future romance films. Of course it's never explicitly stated that Hoyt's Stacy is gay, given this is still the production code era. It's not a mocking or condescending performance, either, which is doubly surprising for the time. Some of the dialogue between he and Davis has a pre-Code vibe, rich in double entendre. If only his character had been in service of a better story and movie.

It takes good critiquing skills to fully appreciate the surprisingly seductive subtleties of Bette Davis during her motion picture making prime. Winter Meeting is an intellectual's & critic's delight. Davis doesn't ever step out of her leading role as an extremely constrained character, Susan Greive. I can't find a flaw in her meticulous performance. The story is also of interest to the period when it was filmed.

Bette Davis at 40yo & 59 films into the height of her acting career, stars as an accomplished, upscale poet, Susan Grieve. Although Grieve is well traveled from soliciting her literary work, she resides in a posh brownstone in NYC. Her closest friend & confidant is an old-monied dapper gentleman, complete with the social graces of exquisitely good taste, Stacy Grant (43yo John Hoyt).

Believing that his secretary Peggy Markham (Janis Paige) will seduce a visiting war hero, Slick Novak (James Davis), Grant arranges a dinner party for the foursome, including the very reserved & demure Grieve (Davis). Instead, Novak instantly falls for the ever so proper poet who has no romantic interests.

After Grieve & Novak engage in a private romance, she's romantically awakened in a way that she's never been before. As such, Grieve is falling in love with Novak. Something has to go wrong to upset as fine a romance as theirs, doesn't it? It always does....

This film offers no exception. Novak has a closely guarded secret that he discloses to Grieve that changes everything between them.

I found the best on-screen chemistry to be between Davis & Hoyt. Davis comes off as the kind of woman who enjoys being around elegant men who aren't hounding after women; perhaps even gay men. Hoyt fits that image to a T. Their ultra close friendship is worth more than any romance~

Bette Davis and Jim Davis have a "Winter Meeting" in this 1948 film about a spinster poetess and a heroic soldier. Based on a novel, it's an odd choice for a film, as it concerns two people wrestling with their inner selves. Both of them are carrying baggage, and each tries to help the other. That kind of scenario doesn't lend itself to the big screen.

There is a Waldo Lydecker character, this time named Stacy Grant, played by John Hoyt. He's the classy closet homosexual full of wit and vinegar who first introduces Susan (Bette) to Slick (Jim Davis), though he has invited his secretary (Janis Paige) as Slick's date. A morose man who obviously doesn't feel much like a war hero, Slick is interested in Susan, and the two begin a romance. She takes him to her house in Connecticut, a place filled with bad memories for her. There, the two fall in love and each discovers what's really bothering the other.

This is a slow moving film filled with dialogue - the lines almost outnumber the cigarettes. We're not used to dialogue anymore - it doesn't leave enough time for the special effects. What's off-kilter in this movie is the direction and the inexperience of Jim Davis, who later would achieve great fame as Jock Ewing on "Dallas." People on this board have said Bette Davis cringed during their love scenes, why did she agree to have him as her co-star, etc. First of all, she was crazy about him as a person and wanted to help him in his career, though that never materialized. I think I remember reading he went to Korea or something and when he got back, she'd never heard of him, though he did have an autographed photo of her as proof that he knew her. Secondly, Bette Davis was not Katharine Hepburn. Hepburn liked to surround herself with the best of the best; Davis, as she grew older, became more insecure and eventually wanted people around her she could cow. She hadn't quite reached that stage yet in "Winter Meeting," but we can see the early signs. She was on her way out at Warners and wasn't given a strong director who really could have pulled this together.

Despite this, Davis gives a very restrained performance; she's excellent. The problem is, why would a returning soldier be interested in her when he has Janis Paige hanging all over him? It stretches credibility. Paige here looks like a cross between a young Jane Fonda and Teri Hatcher - she's gorgeous. Davis looks like the atypical 1940s spinster aka career woman - tailored clothes and severe haircut. Pre-code career women had so much more fun - they dated, they went to bed with men, and they looked good. Then somebody decided it wasn't moral, and all girls should be married, and if you aren't, you'll end up frustrated and wearing suits like Davis wears in this. One can understand a serious young man like Slick being attracted to Davis' intelligence, and if she had looked the way she looked later on in the film (apparently after they had sex), one could have bought it so much more easily.

"Winter Meeting" is worth seeing for a wonderful Davis performance and the thought-provoking character studies. Though awkward at times, it's nevertheless interesting, and one does care about both of the main characters. You can't say that about some of the films today.

In many ways, this film is a nice departure from the typical Bette Davis film. Having her play a not particularly attractive spinster who is reluctant in love is a nice idea. For once, the "plain Jane" in the film gets the man while the sexy vamp is left in the cold--and I appreciate this. Plus, the film talks a lot about psychological motivations and struggles--as both leads are extremely screwed up and are emotionally "stuck". However, despite these decent story ideas, the film manages to never really hit the mark. This is possibly due to the film packing in too many plot points, or it might be because the film ends on a down note or it could be because the male lead was an unknown and didn't especially distinguish himself. All I know is that the film did keep my attention but I just never felt satisfied by much of it--except the final phone call Bette makes as the film concludes.

For huge Davis fans like myself, it's worth seeing. For those who aren't, please try some of her great films first--she was an amazing and great actress and this movie might give you the impression she was just ordinary.

Two final observations. First, in a cliché that I hate but is present in so many films, a round of drinks is bought and no one really drinks any of it! If I were paying about $5 a drink, I'd be sure to drink mine AND I might be tempted to drink all the other drinks--after all, this costs money!! Second, if you see the film, watch John Hoyt's performance and then ask yourself if this role didn't seem exactly the sort you'd normally see Clifton Webb play. It's got "Webb" written all over it!

Bette Davis is one of my favorite actresses but I would not recommend this movie to even die-hard fans. I think what ruins her performance is the lack of a talented co-star. Jim Davis is so wooden in his role that he pulls everyone down who shares a scene with him, and since the movie is mostly dialogue between he and Davis it is insufferably dull. With an actress as outstanding as Bette, there had to be something that could have been done to enliven the performances, but even the conversations were stiff and uncomfortable. Alas, even the gifted Bette Davis couldn't move this one along.

This is a much more than your typical Bette Davis melodrama. Here, Davis plays a NYC poetess (Susan Grieve), who runs around in high social circles. One of her society friends, Stacy Grant (John Hoyt), invites her to dine with him as he entertains a navel hero, Slick Novak (Jim Davis, Jock Ewing from TV's Dallas) who is staying briefly in town. Stacy's idea was to make Susan his date while pairing Novak up with his secretary, Peggy Markham (Janis Paige). However, the evening doesn't go as planned, since Novak falls for Susan rather than Peggy and invites himself into Susan's house after the evening's entertainment.

In spite of Susan and Novak not hitting it off too well at first, they start to talk. They soon discover--after driving to Susan's family farm in CT--that they each have unresolved issues from their past. Susan's problem has to do with her dead father; how her mother had treated him which lead him to commit suicide.

Susan never forgave her mother for her cheapness. However, Novak's insistence that Susan had not tried to see her mother's side of the issue leaves Susan to question her own beliefs.

Novak's unresolved issue is spiritual in nature. Since he had been 16, he had always felt a strong need to enter the priesthood and had been discouraged from this by talking to a priest before entering the Navy.

The two help each other to resolve these some of these issues. In the end, this is not so much of a romantic story between a man and a woman as it is a mutual guidance about leading each other to spiritual epiphanies (or sudden moments of soulful clarity) of how to proceed with their lives.

P.S. This is one of those movies in which the two leading co-stars stare the last name: Davis & Davis.

"Winter Meeting" is a film that doesn't add anything to Bette Davis' distinguished career in the movies. The melodrama is undermined by a completely miscast Jim Davis, who makes the picture worse than it deserved to be. The part of Slick Novak should have gone to another actor that could have added a few more sparks to the movie.

As directed by Bretaigne Windust, "Winter Movie" is a dull attempt to bring the novel in which it's based to the screen. The adaptation leaves a lot to be desired.

The basic problem with the film is one of credibility. We don't believe, for one second, Slick Novak, the hero Navy lieutenant would even look at Susan Grieve at all, let alone be romantically involved with her. It's easy for us to understand why Susan would make a fool of herself in letting Slick come into her life. After all, plain Susan was no competition for gorgeous Peggy, who is all over Slick at the night club, and clearly wants him.

Stacy Grant, the man about town, kept reminding us of a subdued Waldo Lydecker, from "Laura", in the way he tries to get Susan under his influence. He wants to expose her to a society that she doesn't care to belong. This role was one of the ways Hollywood dealt with the subject of homosexuality in those days. Everyone knew about them, but the movie making people wanted to keep Stacy and his ilk in a permanent closet.

Bette Davis underplays Susan with mixed results. Obviously, Ms. Davis had no influence for getting out of this second class melodrama unworthy of her talent. Then again, one questions her wisdom in letting a light weight actor like Jim Davis play opposite her, when it's clear he is not in her league.

The wonderful John Hoyt makes the best out of Stacy Grant and Florence Bates, one of the best character actresses of that era, is fine as the housekeeper who knows a lot about the mistress of the house. Janis Paige, in all her beauty and youth, doesn't have much to do.

This is a film to be seen as a curiosity more than a Bette Davis signature vehicle.

As usual, Bette Davis is awesome. In my opinion, the movie has depth. I wish there were more movies nowadays like this one. There are very few movies that I will watch more than once but this one is the exception. I won't say anymore because I don't want to give away the surprise. I consider this movie one of my favorites.

I caught 'Winter Meeting' the other day on Turner Classic Movies and decided to watch because I was interested in seeing a young Jim Davis, some 30-odd years before his famous Jock Ewing role. He clearly was in over his head. His acting style was wooden and awkward and he seemed uncomfortable playing the romantic lead. You could almost see Bette Davis cringing in their love scenes. His dismal performance dragged her down with him. You should have stuck to westerns, Jim. One of the film's few bright spots was the performance of John Hoyt in a sarcastic supporting role. He brought some comic relief (intentional comic relief) to this otherwise drab soaper.

Most of the previous reviews have been correct. This is a boring, talky flick that feels like a filmed play for the most part. Maybe it was a play, I don't know.

Strange but I thought Davis' love interest in the film Jim Davis (later of TV Dallas fame...who I completely did not recognize) was way too young to play opposite her, but when I looked up both their ages, he was actually only a year younger than Davis! Davis was 40 in this movie. What I find strange too is the fact that in this movie, in 1948 she is very slim, as if she'd gone on a diet or something. Her next movie, in 48 as well, is June Bride. A great comedy with Robert Montgomery. In that film she's slim as well, and showing her age a tad bit more than in this movie, where she is just starting to show signs of 40ish-ness.

But then something must have happened to Davis in her personal life because the following year, in 1949, in that, little seen, Beyond the Forest (where she utters the famous line - What a dump) she seems to have aged 5 or 10 years instead of just 1. And her figure too has gone to the dogs too. She's all lumpy in Beyond the Forest! I've never seen someone go to pot in so short a time.

Then in 1950 she did her famous All About Eve in which she plays a woman who is 40 (when in real life she was 42). But in All About Eve she LOOKS like she could be 50! I'd be curious to hear from any fans out there, if they could shed some light as to what happened to Davis in those 2 years to go from a slim and attractive 40 in this movie Winter Meeting & then appear as she did only a year later in Beyond the Forest & one year more in All About Eve.

As for Winter Meeting, now that I've seen it, I can scratch it off the must see Bette Davis movie list and never have to see it again.

Oh, as for Mr. Davis' acting in this movie, he was HORRIBLE! Where oh where was George Brent (one of Davis' frequent Warner Brothers co-stars) when you need him? Don't THINK he was dead! I'll have to check on IMDb!

The first thirty minutes may repel some.It's very talky ,it's filmed stage production style.This is a film which grows on you,you 've got to be patient for the "action" is minimal,and most amazing thing, in what is pure psychological drama ,there's not the easy way out : the flashbacks.Another director -it's the first film I've seen by Bretaigne Windust-would have at least enlivened things by introducing two very long flashbacks dealing with the two characters' past.Both have a secret to conceal .This is the very long conversation between them which reveals us that the poetess was demanding,idolizing her father,displaying no compassion for a mother who did not live up to her /their expectations;the soldier is a hero but someone told him something that has completely changed his way of seeing things .

People who expect a mushy romance ,a melodrama ,a love triangle (with the secretary) will be disappointed."Winter Meeting" shows the way to compassion for the others,be they hopeless.

First, I love Bette Davis. I thought I saw every movie she had been in. Loved her in Perry Mason sitting in for Raymond Burr (a big favorite of mine).

Second, I was a huge fan of James ("Jim") Davis when he was on the TV show Rescue 8. He went on to become a big TV star playing Jock Ewing in "Dallas."

The reason I never heard of this movie is because nobody ever talks about it. Jim and Bette just don't have the chemistry she has with her other costars. And James just isn't into it. Rather one toned throughout. The negative reviews here say it all.

I watched the movie because of my love for her. But this one can be missed if you're not a Bette Davis fan.

A rarely shown, post war, bette davis film. But watch it for the fun supporting cast -- flo bates as mrs. Castle, woody herman and his band. Janis paige is tacky peggy, who puts her make-up on at the dinner table, and tries so hard. When a famous poet (b. Davis) meets a reluctant war hero (j.davis), they hit it off... kind of. They both seem to have issues keeping them from expressing their true feelings, but if they can face their own demons, they both might have a chance for love. As davis pointed out, the film censors wouldn't allow them to discuss the differences of the religions, so it wasn't as powerful as it might have been. Which is probably why they don't show it too often. Based on the novel by grace stone.... credited as ethel vance at the open. Directed by bretaigne windust, who died young at 54. Directed a couple films, and then some television. It's good... weaker premise than some of davis' plots, but it's watchable.

One of the common criticisms of Bette Davis is always that without a strong directorial hand she'd start chewing the scenery. But that also has saved some mediocre films and made them entertaining. Davis's strong personality comes through in the clinch.

Here though I wish she had chewed some scenery, if she had the film might have become a camp classic. Instead it is unbelievably dull.

Bette Davis is a poetess, a 20th century Emily Dickinson, who meets and falls in love with a war hero played by Jim Davis. Yes, that's right, Jim Davis who later became Jock Ewing. He's a navy veteran, a war hero, who is considering the priesthood as a vocation.

But first before the curtain of celibacy falls, he wants to have a fling or two, so Jim is on the make for Bette and for the young Janis Paige. Bette wins out so they go to her late father's place in New England where they talk and talk and talk about all of their problems and the world's problems.

When you have engaging and likable characters even a plot less movie is entertaining. The best example I know is The Sundowners. But there is absolutely nothing in this film that makes you care an iota about the people here. A little Davis histrionics might have saved this film, but we'll never know.

John Hoyt has an interesting part. It's as though he's trying to be a poor man's Clifton Webb. We should have had more of him as well.

Despite all the contemporary low marks and low box office, I totally enjoyed this one. I have been watching all Bette Davis's films - in sequential order - had never heard of this one but along with Now Voyager and Dark Victory I can add a 3rd to my 'best of' list for her. Her performance is way under the top, her acting superb. Yes, the costar is a cowboy and ham fisted but it works. And maybe because films and film goers have matured and gotten more sophisticated and nuanced over the past 70 years, not only were the performances a pleasure to watch, but the angst of their individual lives shines through with nary a club in sight to hit us over the head with.

Catherine Turney's screenplay and Bretaigne Windust's direction are too melodramatic for an incisive character study of two discontented people in love and not melodramatic enough for a fun ladies weepy. Therefore, like most films that fall between two stools, this one is disappointing and easily forgettable. What does stay with you is the usual good work of Bette Davis, the absurd casting of Jim Davis, who excelled in western psycho villainy, as a tortured priest (kinda like Lee Marvin playing King Lear) and a chance to see the fine 40s and 50s character actor John Hoyt show his considerable skill in portraying jaded cynics (as he did with principal Warneke in "Blackboard Jungle"). Give it a C plus.

First off you get Betty Davis who can deliver films up like a chocolate treat. Then the story is one to ponder and takes its place in the genre as part of lifes big picture and our personal journeys along the way. Two people meet and instead of selfish pursuits of which some takes place, they discover the true purpose of the meet to begin with but only after they have lived through it all. This concept can apply to all of our wanderings and gives us a reason to pause and ponder while pursuing things and going from point A to point B. Nicely done talkative film and acted out to perfection this leaves you with afterglow for watching it. For those that like to eat while watching (I do), nice scene with bacon and pancakes with hot maple syrup and delicious coffee. Have yours ready and join in or choose your own delight and go for it. Listen to the dialog, watch the scenes and receive this...

Same old relational drama. Done multiple times before and after. For hard core BD fans. Love her but the stiff and charisma-less Jim Davis is spoiling the enjoyment of BD's acting. She does look good in this part, hair and costumes are top notch.

Reviewers really had their hatchets out when this one opened to dismal reviews. Fortunately, Bette had 'All About Eve' coming up in few years. But this one is worse than 'Beyond the Forest'. She plays a sad-eyed neurotic spinster poetess--and is made up to look as drab as possible since she's supposed to be the daughter of a New England minister. Her co-star is the then unknown James Davis (later a TV star) who is saddled with the role of a naval war hero who confesses he wanted to become a priest. It takes 104 minutes of screen time for Davis to decide that he should do exactly that, spurning his advances and telling him he has at least helped one person through her own personal turmoil. Davis must have relished the chance to have 90% of the talky dialog--it's a marathon guaranteed to make the audience either suffer or go to sleep. It is directed at a snail's pace so that it seems more like a photographed stage play. Janis Paige is wasted in a small role. Undoubtedly, the talkiest turkey of Miss Davis' career based on a novel by Ethel Vance. You're not likely to see this one on video--but be warned.