Jezebel

If there is one thing to remember from William Wyler's antebellum soap opera, "Jezebel", it is that red dress. The dress (actually black to create greater contrast given the black and white cinematography) is an icon, on par with Judy Garland's ruby slippers, and James Dean's fire engine red jacket. Today relegated as a smaller, black and white version of "Gone With the Wind", "Jezebel" does bear several on screen similarities, as well as off screen connections, to its more famous counterpart, but that does not diminish its impact upon viewing. It is true, the film takes place in roughly the same time period (New Orleans instead of Atlanta), and impressively (through sets and costumes) recreates the antebelleum South on the sets of Warner Bros. backlot. The most popular rumor though, revolves around how Bette Davis came to star in this film. Under contract with Warners, Davis was one of the first stars to chafe under the studio system, taking Jack Warner to court over her contract and threatening to move to England to void her contract. The two sides settled; Warner promised Davis better roles and in return, probably ruined Davis' chances of starring in "Gone With the Wind". The casting of the main role of Scarlett O'Hara contains enough drama to be a compelling film of its own, and at the time Bette Davis made it known loud and clear that she wanted it. Warners was not about to let its biggest female star make a guarenteed box office smash for another studio without compensation of some kind, and insisted that MGM take on Errol Flynn as Rhett Butler if they were to have Davis. Knowing that this stipulation would be a poison pill (Davis had already made a film with Flynn, "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex", and hated him after that experience), and that MGM would never take on two combatant stars to play two of the screen's greatest lovers (even if theirs is a tumultuous relationship), Warner allegedly "made it up to" Davis with the role of Julie Marsden in "Jezebel", a role oddly enough Vivien Leigh (who would ultimately play Scarlett) turned down. Still with me?

As the film opens, Julie Marsden is the belle of New Orleans. She is young, beautiful, wealthy and engaged to Preston Dillard, also young, handsome, and wealthy (played by Henry Fonda). While we never doubt Julie's love for Preston, we certainly doubt his love for her. Preston is as stoic and proper as they come, and it is instantly obvious that he chafes under the free spirited Julie's ways. Julie would rather die than be told what to do, an ultimatum put to the test when she refuses to compromise for tradition. The Olympus Ball, attended by all of New Orleans society, dictates that the women wear white. Julie insists on wearing a blood red gown to the dance, dismissing the objections of her family, and especially Preston. She shows up at the ball seemingly invincible, then learns just how grave a mistake she made. Immediately ostracized from society for her blatant faux pas, Julie has her heart broken by Preston, who calls off their engagement. The severity of Julie's mistake is compounded when she goes an entire year without seeing Preston, who moves to the North to attend to his family's banking matters. Just as he is to return, New Orleans is in a panic because of an anticipated yellow fever outbreak. Julie's family plans to move out to their country estate, Halcyon, but Julie is entirely preoccupied with Preston's return, thinking he is coming back to marry her. Julie is absolutely stunned when Preston instead introduces his wife, Amy to the family. She immediately reverts to her scheming ways, and sets Buck Cantrell, a family friend and former lover of Julie's, against Preston and his new Yankee wife. When Preston is called back into the city to help Dr. Livingston, another family friend, Julie goads Buck and Preston's brother Ted into a duel, in which Ted kills Buck. Julie's guardians, specifically her Aunt Belle who always took her side, renounce their guardianship of her for what she did, and it is here that Aunt Belle refers to Julie as a "jezebel", for using her femininity to fool men into killing each other. Julie is to be thrown out of her own home by her family, but everything is halted when word arrives that the fever has reached epidemic level in the city and the governor is forbidding anyone outside its limits from re-entering. The reality soon sets in amongst Julie and Amy: Preston is behind the fever line.

Back in New Orleans, the city is in chaos. Martial law has been instated and troops are patrolling the streets, piling up the sick and the dead together and shipping them to Lazarette Island, a former leper colony in the Mississippi delta. Preston and Dr. Livingston find refuge in the bar of a hotel, where all those not infected have seemingly turned. Just as Preston learns of Buck's death at the hands of his brother, he collapses, and Dr. Livingston makes his unfortunate prognosis: yellow fever. Removing Preston to his family's home in the city, word gets back to Halcyon of Preston's condition. Julie immediately sneaks back into the city with the help of one of the family's slaves, a treacherous row boat ride through the bayou, and takes up vigil by his bedside. A few days later, Amy, Aunt Belle and the rest of the family are permitted inside the city limits, but Preston's condition is the same, which means he must be taken to Lazarette island. Amy insists on going with him, but Julie, in an impassioned speech, offers up her own life to be with him, arguing that she has a chance of nursing him back to health and helping them both survive the horrors of the island. The film ends with Julie, an unconscious Preston on her lap, being driven away in a wagon, presumably doomed, but finally together. The arc of Julie's character is very similar to that of Scarlett O'Hara; she begins the film as a spoiled and petulant child, who through complete loss and utter humiliation emerges as a strong, selfless character. Of course Scarlett O'Hara throws it all away again when her vices return, driving the love of her life, Rhett Butler, away from her, while Julie is ultimately reunited with Preston. This film was a huge success for Warner Bros., and it won Bette Davis her second Oscar for Best Actress, and secured Fay Bainter Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Aunt Belle. At the time Warner Bros. was second only to MGM in terms of star power and quality productions, and it was films like these, which combined a strong cast, meticulous sets and art direction, gorgeous costumes (by famed designer Orry Kelly) with an immesenly talented director (not Warners' go-to director for A-list films, Michael Curtiz, but the extremely capable William Wyler, whose long, illustrious career was just getting started). "Jezebel" may be dismissed as "Gone With the Wind" lite today, but it packs enough power and prestige to firmly stand on its own.