IN THIS OUR LIFE is like the forgotten serious drama in Bette Davis' best years at Warner Brothers. Reputedly she did not care for it, but I find that hard to believe. In here half-autobiography, MADAM GODDAMN, Bette mentions that she liked the positive image of Ernest Anderson's character of Parry Clay. For this is the first film I know of where an African-American character is a bright young man who plans to attend law school and become a lawyer. That was (by itself) quite a jump.
Actually it has more to it than that plot development. Davis and Olivia de Haviland are sisters Stanley and Roy Timberlake, children of Asa and Lavinia Timberlake (Frank Craven and Billie Burke). Craven is an industrious ant, but he's never had the push that his over-bearing brother-in-law William Fitzroy (Charles Coburn) has shown over the years (and pushed down Craven's polite throat). Coburn's Fitzroy is interesting for another reason. Before he got his Oscar for his comic turn in THE MORE THE MERRIER, Coburn was cast in all types of role, like the cynical medical investigator Carlos Finley in YELLOW JACK or Lord Dyce, the opponent to Henry Stanley (Spencer Tracy) in STANLEY AND LIVINGSTON, or the German scientist working on a cancer cure in IDIOT'S DELIGHT. Here he had one of his villains. Fitzroy has little time for his decent but (in his opinion) lightweight brother in law Timberlake. But he loves being with his niece Stanley (which she is fully aware of). The scenes of Coburn and Davis are quite nicely subtle, with his touchy-feely actions obviously meaning more than that of an uncle to his niece.
The plot deals with how Roy has been dating with Craig Fleming (George Brent), while Stanley has been pursued by Peter Kingsmill (Dennis Morgan). But Stanley, alluring and totally amoral, is determined to steal Fleming (who has better future opportunities than Kingsmill) from her sister. The movie concentrates on the sibling rivalry, which for most of the film Davis's Stanley is winning. But towards the conclusion things begin to unravel for her, and she is involved in a car accident (a hit and run) which causes a fatality. Opportunistically, Stanley points the finger of blame at young Parry Clay.
The performances and direction (by John Huston in his second feature) are actually good. Set in the state of Virginia, Huston actually makes more of the material than perhaps was expected in 1942 Hollywood. When Parry is arrested for the hit and run charge, he is visited by Fleming as his attorney - and for the first time (again) that I recall in a Hollywood film we hear a disgusted African-American explain why he has no faith in the system that snatches him up on suspicion (one thinks today of the issue of racial profiling by police forces - problems have not changed much in sixty years). And as things blow up in Stanley's face, she finds that her last chance for escape (her uncle, Fitzroy) is a far weaker reed than she or her uncle ever expected.
It lacks the pizazz of OF HUMAN BONDAGE, DARK VICTORY, MR. SKEFFINGTON, THE LETTER, JEZEBEL, and THE LITTLE FOXES especially with it's soap opera plot. But Davis does good work as the selfish Stanley, supported by a good cast led by de Haviland as her sister and rival. Not a "10" perhaps, but certainly an "8" is thoroughly deserved - especially in a film changing racial images and displaying unwholesome family sexual desires.
Actually it has more to it than that plot development. Davis and Olivia de Haviland are sisters Stanley and Roy Timberlake, children of Asa and Lavinia Timberlake (Frank Craven and Billie Burke). Craven is an industrious ant, but he's never had the push that his over-bearing brother-in-law William Fitzroy (Charles Coburn) has shown over the years (and pushed down Craven's polite throat). Coburn's Fitzroy is interesting for another reason. Before he got his Oscar for his comic turn in THE MORE THE MERRIER, Coburn was cast in all types of role, like the cynical medical investigator Carlos Finley in YELLOW JACK or Lord Dyce, the opponent to Henry Stanley (Spencer Tracy) in STANLEY AND LIVINGSTON, or the German scientist working on a cancer cure in IDIOT'S DELIGHT. Here he had one of his villains. Fitzroy has little time for his decent but (in his opinion) lightweight brother in law Timberlake. But he loves being with his niece Stanley (which she is fully aware of). The scenes of Coburn and Davis are quite nicely subtle, with his touchy-feely actions obviously meaning more than that of an uncle to his niece.
The plot deals with how Roy has been dating with Craig Fleming (George Brent), while Stanley has been pursued by Peter Kingsmill (Dennis Morgan). But Stanley, alluring and totally amoral, is determined to steal Fleming (who has better future opportunities than Kingsmill) from her sister. The movie concentrates on the sibling rivalry, which for most of the film Davis's Stanley is winning. But towards the conclusion things begin to unravel for her, and she is involved in a car accident (a hit and run) which causes a fatality. Opportunistically, Stanley points the finger of blame at young Parry Clay.
The performances and direction (by John Huston in his second feature) are actually good. Set in the state of Virginia, Huston actually makes more of the material than perhaps was expected in 1942 Hollywood. When Parry is arrested for the hit and run charge, he is visited by Fleming as his attorney - and for the first time (again) that I recall in a Hollywood film we hear a disgusted African-American explain why he has no faith in the system that snatches him up on suspicion (one thinks today of the issue of racial profiling by police forces - problems have not changed much in sixty years). And as things blow up in Stanley's face, she finds that her last chance for escape (her uncle, Fitzroy) is a far weaker reed than she or her uncle ever expected.
It lacks the pizazz of OF HUMAN BONDAGE, DARK VICTORY, MR. SKEFFINGTON, THE LETTER, JEZEBEL, and THE LITTLE FOXES especially with it's soap opera plot. But Davis does good work as the selfish Stanley, supported by a good cast led by de Haviland as her sister and rival. Not a "10" perhaps, but certainly an "8" is thoroughly deserved - especially in a film changing racial images and displaying unwholesome family sexual desires.