Episode 50: Jezebel (1938)

The 1001 Movies Podcast - A podcast by Sean Homrig - Mondays

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"I'm thinkin' of a woman called Jezebel who did evil in the sight of God!" The late 1930's were quite a popular time for dramas about Southern belles.  Bette Davis had just come off winning an Academy Award for Dangerous (1935) when she jokingly passed on the role for Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939), Jack Warner offered her the lead role in Jezebel (1938). The film is the story of Julie Marsden, a New Orleans debutante who is shunned when she dares to wear a red dress to a ball.  For me, the film succeeds not as a drama, but as a showcase for Bette Davis, who seems to take so many more chances that her costars.  Jezebel would earn her a second Academy Award. Have a comment or question for the host?  Email Sean at [email protected], follow him on Twitter via @1001MoviesPC, and look for the podcast's Facebook page.