How Bette Davis and Mary Astor Saved a Film They Thought Was Junk
In short: When Bette Davis was cast in the 1941 drama The Great Lie, she famously told her co-star Mary Astor the script was a piece of junk. Together, the two actresses took matters into their own hands, rewriting dialogue and creating their own character business to salvage the production from soap-opera mediocrity.
The production of The Great Lie was fraught with challenges from the start. Davis, fresh off the film The Letter, was initially unenthusiastic about the role of Maggie Patterson until fan mail convinced her to play a sympathetic, nice character for a change. Finding a co-star for the role of Sandra Kovak proved even more difficult. Davis insisted on Mary Astor, despite producer Hal B. Wallis being disinclined to hire her. Davis even went as far as to demand a piano test for Astor, who was an accomplished musician, to prove her suitability for the role. By November 8, 1940, the studio finally acquiesced to Davis's demands.
Once filming began, the set was plagued by illness and misfortune. The infant actor playing the child was injured after being dropped by a nurse, leading to a lawsuit, and the main cast members, including Davis, Astor, and George Brent, all suffered bouts of illness. Astor also dealt with personal turmoil regarding her marriage to Manuel del Campo. Despite these setbacks, Davis and Astor formed a strong bond. They viewed the original screenplay by Lenore J. Coffee as overly dramatic and worked to strip away its more synthetic elements, aiming to ground their performances in something more authentic.
The film’s musical sequences were a particular point of pride. While Astor was a skilled pianist, she performed with a dummy instrument while Max Rabinovitch played the actual music behind the scenes. Her synchronization was so precise that professional pianist Jose Iturbi was convinced she was playing live. Critics were divided on the final product; Bosley Crowther of The New York Times dismissed the story as a trifle, while Variety praised the performances and direction. Ultimately, the film’s legacy was secured by Astor, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of the cold and conceited Sandra Kovak.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The Great Lie
- Also: Wikidata — The Great Lie · CC0
- Also: Wikidata — The Great Lie · CC0
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