Now, Voyager.

Review #1362: Now, Voyager.

Cast: 
Bette Davis (Charlotte Vale), Paul Henreid (Jeremiah "Jerry" Duvaux Durrance), Claude Rains (Dr. Jaquith), Gladys Cooper (Mrs. Windle Vale), Bonita Granville (June Vale), John Loder (Elliot Livingston), Ilka Chase (Lisa Vale), Lee Patrick (Deb McIntyre), Franklin Pangborn (Mr. Thompson), and Janis Wilson (Tina Durrance) Directed by Irving Rapper.

Review: 
"This has always been a motto of mine: Attempt the impossible in order to improve your work."

I think we all can say we have had our moments involving an ugly duckling. The feeling of inferiority or the feeling of isolation within having a lack of self confidence or missing people to help in that regard. Simply put, sometimes we just need help. The screenplay was done by Casey Robinson as an adaptation of the 1941 novel of the same name by Olive Higgins Prouty, the third in a five-book series of the Vale family. She had spent time in a sanitarium herself due to a mental breakdown sixteen years prior due to the death of one of her daughters. The depiction of psychotherapy in the book and film were thought of as pioneering for the time, and she was also noted for her philanthropic work. At the helm for stars is quite an interesting pair in Davis, Henreid, and Rains. Davis had lobbied hard for the role, which had been thought of for actresses ranging from Irene Dunne to Ginger Rogers, while directors considered had gone from Edmund Goulding to Michael Curtiz. Who better to helm the production than Hal B. Wallis, who was behind several hits for Warner Bros since 1930 with films such as The Letter (1940, featuring Davis) and Casablanca (1942, featuring Henreid and Rains). Rapper had started his career in Hollywood as a dialogue coach and assistant director in 1936 for Warner Brothers, and he made his debut in 1941 with Shining Victory, which had Davis in a cameo appearance. He directed her in four other films while having a moderate career in directing, with his last being Born Again in 1978.

Who better to sink into a tortured main role in terms of showing struggle and growth than Davis? She was always known for her intensity as a perfectionist, reading the novel and being involved in the wardrobe design for her character. She gives a dignity to this role that dominates the film in sincerity, a transformation that she makes thoroughly believable with chemistry to boot with Henreid, best signified by the sequence where they share a cigarette together after he lights two of them in his mouth (a scene that had been done in a few productions before but made notable here) and puts one in her mouth. Henreid proves to be a fair match for Davis, one with inviting charisma. Rains (described by Davis as her favorite co-star) pulls through with professionalism in his moments on screen (with are a bit scattered after the initial scenes), never seeming unbelievable at any moment. Cooper pulls in venom with ease for her clashes with Davis, which seem to be like a soap opera just as much as the rest of the film is. On the whole, the movie pulls through in tugging at the heartstrings (aided through Max Steiner's dynamic music, which naturally won an Oscar) for 117 minutes that succeeds most of the time in capable drama without becoming a complete soggy sponge of drama. It's a film with its own spirit of independence that one can still find useful today, where one only needs to look to the stars to find something to behold for themselves.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.