Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fate or free will?, August 14, 2002
This review is from: Dangerous [VHS] (VHS Tape)
"Dangerous," directed by Alfred Green, stars Bette Davis as actress Joyce Heath. Joyce is a down-and-out alcoholic who hasn't been able to find work on stage since being labeled a "jinx." Soon she becomes involved with architect Don Bellows (played by Franchot Tone). Intriguing plot twists and revelations follow as their relationship develops. There is some corny dialogue, but "Dangerous" is also filled with great lines. Davis is outstanding as the bitter, passionate, impetuous Joyce: it's another fittingly larger-than-life role for the legendary star. Tone complements Davis brilliantly as the charming but conflicted Don; ultimately, it's the two stars' chemistry which really drives this drama. "Dangerous" is a meditation on free will, fatalism, personal responsibility, and the impact of art on life.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of Bette Davis best performances, July 15, 2001
Bette Davis began appearing in films in 1931 at the age of 23. She was an extremely hard working actor, and by the time she made this film in 1935, she had appeared in 27 films including "Of Human Bondage" for which she received her first Oscar nomination the year before. The story is compelling. Don Bellows (Franchot Tone) is an architect who claims that his life was changed forever by a theater performance by a young actress named Joyce Heath (Bette Davis) who came to prominence quickly and vanished almost as fast. He was so moved by her performance that he re-evaluated his life and took on a new direction, moving from being a stockbroker to indulge his more creative side by studying architecture. One day he comes upon Joyce who is stinking drunk. He recognizes her and attempts to engage her in conversation, but she is cruel and derisive. When she passes out, he takes her back to his place to sober her up and care for her. Despite her decrepit condition, he is captivated by her and falls madly in love with her, breaking off his engagement to Gail (Margaret Lindsay). Don begins the process of rehabilitating Joyce and though she is resentful and bitter at first, she is won over by his devotion to her and agrees to take a part in a play that she always wanted, a play that he used all his money to back. However, Joyce has a secret that dooms the relationship. She is a dangerous woman who ruins the men who love her. The world comes crashing down on her and on the men in her life. This is a well-crafted story that keeps the viewer intrigued from beginning to end. Davis is electrifying in the role. I consider this and her performance in "All About Eve" (where she also played a bitter actress) to be her best. She throws herself into the role and delivers a performance that ranges from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. She won her first of two Academy Awards for this film and went on to be nominated a total of 13 times. This film is a must for anyone interested in Ms. Davis body of work and for the classic film buff in general. I rated it a 10. It is a terrific story that is enhanced by a riveting performance by one of the legends of film.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Early Bette Davis Shines In Pre- Stardom Oscar Winning Role, July 20, 2005
This review is from: Dangerous [VHS] (VHS Tape)
During her often painful and very frustrating "apprenticeship", period at Warner Bros, Bette Davis was forced to appear in many highly forgettable film roles that sported titles such as "Housewife", and "Parachute Jumper", and while she had no illusions about much of her film work and indeed her own performances through this period, 1934's "Dangerous", costarring Franchot Tone was definately the standout in the bunch. It finally provided the young and driven Bette Davis with a character worthy of her dramatic efforts and she responded by giving a sterling performance despite the film's often quite soppy subject matter. As Davis herself was quoted as saying about this film, "I saw potential in the role of Joyce Heath, I realised the pot holes in the story and had to work like ten dogs to stop it from getting bogged down in treacle!". Work she did, and very well indeed as it turned out, being rewarded for her efforts with the 1935 Best Actress Academy Award.
Viewed today "Dangerous", while highly entertaining and featuring a terrific performance by Bette Davis, is very obvious in its weaknesses and contains alot of situations and dialogue that really dont ring true. Nevertheless it is an important film in the career of Davis in that it revealed what she was capable of achieving when time and effort was spent on preparing her films a little better than previously.It tells the story of acclaimed actress Joyce Heath who finds herself a jinx on both the people in her life and in any production she is involved in. Going from being the shining light of Broadway she finds herself in the alchoholic gutter with no friends and no career. A chance encounter with rich architect Don Bellows (Franchot Tone in a good but poorly written role) changes her circumstances as Bellows is immediately attracted to her and becomes her champion in all things. Despite being engaged to be married to lovely socialite Gail Armitage (Margaret Lindsay)he determines to restore Joyce's life as once, she (unknowingly), inspired him to better himself and explore his artistic side in the field of architecture. Taken by Don to sober up at his country estate Joyce, a chronic drinker first resents and verbally attacks Don however as she sees the importance he places on getting her life back in order she responds and finds herself falling in love with him despite warning him of her jinx on men and that she will always be "dangerous", to any person who comes close to her. Don decides to bank roll her return to Broadway and on the eve of the first night it seems that the jinx is again at work when it is discovered that Joyce actually is married and cannot obtain a divorce after Don asks her to marry him after the first night of the play. In an insane rage Joyce tries to kill her sickly devoted husband Gordon (John Eldredge) after he refuses to divorce her and thus jeopardizes the production due to open. It's only after this diseaster and when Don has gone and finally married Gail that Joyce realises that others are important and then attempts to right the terrible wrong she has done to both her now crippled husband and the many peope in the Broadway comunity that had faith in her.
Vintage soap opera? Maybe, but acted with a conviction by Bette Davis that does make us believe the improbable situations occuring. The supporting cast also score great acting points in their various roles. Franchot Tone who never really settled into the Hollywood acting situation has a difficult role to play here as on one side of things he must be a capable business type who is obviously an astute individual while on the reverse having to play a character that really wouldn't probably get involved in the situation he finds himself in. He does well playing Bellows but alot of his situation fails to really ring true. Margaret Lindsay is delightful as Don's spurned fiance but once again her character as written is perhaps a little too excepting of the situation with Joyce to be regarded as totally realistic. Veteran character actress Alison Skipworth as Mrs. Williams, Don's house keeper really scores as a crusty individual who really stands up to Joyce's drunken ravings and helps put her on the course back to respectability. The look of the production has a rich other worldly feel about it as was typical of movie making in the 1930's. It reveals an almost too glamourous world of smart cars, beautiful clothes, palatial country houses and city apartments. Just the tonic for depression weary movie goers in 1935.
I personally love this early performance by Bette Davis a few years before her great period of stardom began. Her great commanding star presence is very obvious even here. I regard "Dangerous", as vital to include in any Bette Davis collection and what you see is raw vital talent that within a few years would be refined in a number of unforgettable performances that are as vivid today as they were 60 years ago. Unrealistic as it may be at times "Dangerous", is highly entertaining viewing and shouldn't be missed when exploring the formidable collection of work by the legendary Bette Davis.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
