The Little Foxes

Featuring Bette Davis

Dir. William Wyler. 1941,116 mins. 35mm. With Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, Teresa Wright. Lillian Hellman’s juicy post-bellum Southern gothic drama of intrigue among the scheming members of the Hubbard clan features a dazzling, assured performance by Bette Davis. The role is suitably grand for this point in her career, and she brings to it the kind of size and power that not only enlarges the character but also deepens her. The deep focus photography is by Gregg Toland, who shot Citizen Kane the same year.