During "Marked Woman," (1937) Bette Davis stars as Mary Dwight, a hostess at Club Intime. When it's overtaken by a ruthless mobster, Johnny Vanning (Eduardo Ciannelli), Mary & the other hostesses, who share an apartment, are abused as if prostitutes by bully pimps. After 1 of Mary's 'johns' is murdered, the District Attorney David Graham (Humphrey Bogart), questions her; but, out of fear, she isn't cooperating to speak a word against Vanning Thus, when Vanning's on trial, he's acquitted.
The story becomes complicated after Mary's younger sister Betty (Jane Bryan), shows up on holiday from college. Mary works to provide her littler sister with a college eduction. Betty doesn't know what Mary does to earn money. Once Betty learns what Mary's job is, she goes to the nightclub & takes a job as a hostess, too. When the naive college girl won't be man-handled by a nightclub attendee who makes sexual advances that she refuses, Betty is murdered by one Vanning's hoods.
Broken-hearted, furious & loyal to her dead kid sister, Mary sings like a canary about Vanning to D.A. Graham. Vanning's mob beats Mary until she's disfigured. Gathered at her hospital bedside, Mary's roommates agree to testify in solidarity against Vanning.
Davis is 29 & Bogey's 37yo when this movie, their 4th together, is released. Considering that Bogey's roles were usually either the tough & bad guy or a private detective who skirted the law, playing the role of the D.A. good guy who's trying to rid the city of mobsters provides a character study of another face that Bogey could expertly put on. By their 4th film together, the screen chemistry between Davis & Bogart is titillating. They play off of each other terrifically well. Nevertheless, Bette Davis easily steals the show with a fine-tuned, right on the mark, emotional character performance.
The story becomes complicated after Mary's younger sister Betty (Jane Bryan), shows up on holiday from college. Mary works to provide her littler sister with a college eduction. Betty doesn't know what Mary does to earn money. Once Betty learns what Mary's job is, she goes to the nightclub & takes a job as a hostess, too. When the naive college girl won't be man-handled by a nightclub attendee who makes sexual advances that she refuses, Betty is murdered by one Vanning's hoods.
Broken-hearted, furious & loyal to her dead kid sister, Mary sings like a canary about Vanning to D.A. Graham. Vanning's mob beats Mary until she's disfigured. Gathered at her hospital bedside, Mary's roommates agree to testify in solidarity against Vanning.
Davis is 29 & Bogey's 37yo when this movie, their 4th together, is released. Considering that Bogey's roles were usually either the tough & bad guy or a private detective who skirted the law, playing the role of the D.A. good guy who's trying to rid the city of mobsters provides a character study of another face that Bogey could expertly put on. By their 4th film together, the screen chemistry between Davis & Bogart is titillating. They play off of each other terrifically well. Nevertheless, Bette Davis easily steals the show with a fine-tuned, right on the mark, emotional character performance.