The arrival of an ex-lover on a young woman's wedding day sets in motion a chain of events which will alter her and her cousin's lives forever.
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Cast verified as complete
| Bette Davis | ... |
Charlotte Lovell
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| Miriam Hopkins | ... |
Delia Lovell
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| George Brent | ... |
Clem Spender
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| Donald Crisp | ... |
Dr. Lanskell
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| Jane Bryan | ... |
Tina
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| Louise Fazenda | ... |
Dora
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| James Stephenson | ... |
Jim Ralston
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| Jerome Cowan | ... |
Joe Ralston
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| William Lundigan | ... |
Lanning Halsey
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| Cecilia Loftus | ... |
Grandmother Lovell
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| Rand Brooks | ... |
Jim
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| Janet Shaw | ... |
Dee
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| William Hopper | ... |
John
(as DeWolf Hopper)
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| Rod Cameron | ... |
Undetermined Secondary Role (scenesDeleted)
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| William A. Boardway | ... |
Wedding Guest (uncredited)
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| Sidney Bracey | ... |
Charles - the Butler (uncredited)
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Marlene Burnett | ... |
Tina as a Child (uncredited)
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| Frederick Burton | ... |
Mr. Halsey (uncredited)
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Ricardo Lord Cezon | ... |
Little Boy (uncredited)
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Oliver Cross | ... |
Wedding Guest (uncredited)
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Jack George | ... |
First Orchestra Leader / Violinist (uncredited)
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| Sol Gorss | ... |
Departing Soldier at Train Station (uncredited)
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| Winifred Harris | ... |
Mrs. Halsey (uncredited)
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| Stuart Holmes | ... |
Man at Train Station (uncredited)
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Lois James | ... |
Girl (uncredited)
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| Carl M. Leviness | ... |
Wedding Guest (uncredited)
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| Doris Lloyd | ... |
Miss Ford (uncredited)
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| Richard Neill | ... |
Wedding Guest (uncredited)
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| Alexander Pollard | ... |
Servant (uncredited)
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Raymond Rayhill Powell | ... |
Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
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| Ellinor Vanderveer | ... |
Wedding Guest (uncredited)
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| Florence Wix | ... |
Townswoman at Railroad Station (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Edmund Goulding | ||
Written by
| Casey Robinson | ... | (screen play) |
| Zoe Akins | ... | (based on the play by: Pulitzer Prize) |
| Edith Wharton | ... | (and the novel by) |
Produced by
| Henry Blanke | ... | associate producer |
| Hal B. Wallis | ... | executive producer |
Music by
| Max Steiner | ||
Cinematography by
| Tony Gaudio | ... | (photography) |
Editing by
| George Amy | ... | film editor |
Art Direction by
| Robert M. Haas | ... | (as Robert Haas) |
Costume Design by
| Orry-Kelly | ... | (costumes by) |
Makeup Department
| Perc Westmore | ... | makeup artist |
| Helen Carpenter | ... | wig designer (uncredited) |
Production Management
| Jack L. Warner | ... | in charge of production |
| Al Alleborn | ... | unit manager (uncredited) |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Jack Sullivan | ... | assistant director (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| C.A. Riggs | ... | sound |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Eugene Joseff | ... | costume jeweller (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Leo F. Forbstein | ... | musical director |
| Hugo Friedhofer | ... | orchestral arrangements |
| Phil Score | ... | music editor (uncredited) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Warner Bros. (1939) (United States) (theatrical) (as Warner Bros. Pictures Inc.)
- Vitagraph Limited (1939) (Canada) (theatrical)
- Warner Brothers Pictures (1939) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Warner Brothers First National Films (1940) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Warner Brothers First National Films (1940) (Norway) (theatrical)
- MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1992) (United States) (video) (laserdisc)
- Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
- ARTE (1999) (France) (tv) (French subtitles)
- France 3 (2007) (France) (tv) (French subtitles)
- Warner Home Video (2008) (United States) (DVD)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Max Factor (wigs)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
After a two-year absence, Clem Spender returns home on the very day that his former fiancée, Delia, is marrying another man. Clem enlists in the Union army and dies on the battlefield, but not before finding comfort in the arms of Delia's cousin, Charlotte Lovell. The years pass and Charlotte establishes an orphanage and eventually confesses to Delia that her dearest young charge, Tina, is in fact her own child by Clem. Jealousy and family secrets threaten to tear the cousins apart. Written by L. Hamre |
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| Taglines | Vividly, unforgettably, a woman's love starved soul is revealed. All those strange secrets she locks in her heart ... moments of rapture and of heartbreak ... longings that no man can fathom. Of these has the year's finest picture been woven! See more » |
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| Parents Guide | Add content advisory for parents » |
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Additional Details
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | There was a lot of bad blood between Miriam Hopkins and Bette Davis, who had won an Oscar for "Jezebel", a role that Hopkins had played on Broadway and had expected to play in the movie. To make things worse, Davis had had an affair with Anatole Litvak, Hopkins' husband, while making "The Sisters". See more » |
| Goofs | Society women such as portrayed here would never have their names printed (on the many invitations and announcements throughout) as "Mrs. Delia ... Mrs. Henrietta" etc. but as "Mrs." before their husbands' names and as long as they remained widows. Obviously this was done for clarity to the viewer, but in period novels you don't see this stylistic error. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Bette Davis (1977). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Yankee Doodle See more » |
| Crazy Credits | The opening credits are shown on facsimiles of wedding invitation cards. See more » |
| Quotes |
Charlotte Lovell:
She thinks I can't understand her. She considers me an old maid. Delia Lovell Ralston: My dear. Charlotte Lovell: A ridiculous, narrow-minded old maid. What else can she ever think of me? Delia Lovell Ralston: Poor Charlotte. Charlotte Lovell: Oh, but you needn't pity me. Because she's really mine. If she considers me an old maid, it's because I've deliberately made myself one in her eyes. I've done it from the beginning so she wouldn't have the least suspicion. I've practised everything I've ever had to say to her, if it was important, so that I'd sound like an old maid aunt talking. Not her mother. Delia Lovell Ralston: Well, after all, darling, there isn't anything important to say to her now. She has every attribute of a modern successful woman - she's healthy, she's young, she's gay, she's attractive... See more » |