 The Letter 1940  N/R, 97 min.
Genre: Mystery / Drama
Director: William Wyler
Cast: Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, James Stephenson, Frieda Inescort, David Newell, Gale Sondergaard, Victor Sen Yung, Bruce Lester, Cecil Kellaway, Doris Lloyd, Elizabeth Inglis, Willie Fung, Tetsu Komai, Leonard Mudie, John Ridgely
Somerset Maugham's play is brought to the screen in this film about circumstances following Leslie Crosbie's (Bette Davis) supposed self-defense murder of her lover, Geoffrey (David Newell). Geoffrey's widow (Gale Sondergaard) appears on the scene and says she has a letter from Leslie inviting Geoffrey to visit and that he was Leslie's lover. Leslie pays the $10,000 in blackmail money that is being demanded for the letter. The trial convenes, and her lawyer's (James Stephenson) defense proves Leslie innocent. Now, her husband Robert (Herbert Marshall) discovers that $10,000 is missing from his bank account, Leslie confesses, and Robert forgives her. But, everyone has not forgiven her, and a surprise visitor is lurking in Leslie's garden. The film received seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Actress (Davis), Supporting Actor (Stephenson), and Director. Remade in 1947 as "The Unfaithful" and in 1982 as "The Letter" for TV.
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The Letter 1982  TV, 96 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: John Erman
Cast: Lee Remick, Christopher Cazenove, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Ian McShane, Soon-Tek Oh, Ronald Pickup, Beulah Quo, Jack Thompson, Kieu Chinh, Sarah Marshall, James Hong, Molly Roden, Byron Chung, Peter Mintun, John Orchard
Somerset Maugham's story is told again. This time around, Lee Remick takes on the role of Leslie who is accused of murdering her lover. Leslie's story is told through flashbacks–first as a victim of rape, then as a victim of blackmail concerning an incriminating letter she wrote involving her deceased lover, and finally as a murder victim.
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The Letter 1929  N/R, 62 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Jean de Limur
Cast: Jeanne Eagels, O.P. Heggie, Reginald Owen, Herbert Marshall, Irene Browne, Lady Tsen Mei, Kenneth Thomson, Tamaki Yoshiwara
Somerset Maugham's story (and play) has been filmed several times, and this was the first of the series. Leslie Crosbie (Jeanne Eagels) shoots a man and claims that he attempted to assault her. Leslie, being wealthy and reputable, should have no trouble in the ensuing trial. Then, her lawyer, Mr. Joyce (O.P. Heggie) gets his hands on "the" letter.
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|  | | The Letter (1940) |
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| Oscars: Best Director for Mrs. Miniver (1942), Best Director for The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), Best Director for Ben-Hur (1959) |
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| Oscars: Best Actress for Dangerous (1935), Best Actress for Jezebel (1938) |
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| Oscar: Best Supporting Actress for Anthony Adverse (1936) |
| | The Letter (1982) |
| | The Letter (1929) |
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