After a woman shoots a man to death, a damning letter she wrote raises suspicions.
Acting
Davis's opening murder—no buildup, just bang, then porcelain composure.
Cinematography
Tony Gaudio's shadows swallow the colonial mansion whole.
Costume
That white lace dress: weaponized innocence in fabric form.
Director
William Wyler
Bette Davis
Leslie Crosbie
Herbert Marshall
Robert Crosbie
James Stephenson
Howard Joyce
Frieda Inescort
Dorothy Joyce
Gale Sondergaard
Mrs. Hammond
Bruce Lester
John Withers
Elizabeth Inglis
Adele Ainsworth
Cecil Kellaway
Prescott
Victor Sen Yung
Ong Chi Seng
Doris Lloyd
Mrs. Cooper
Willie Fung
Chung Hi
Tetsu Komai
Head Boy
Brooks Benedict
Party Guest (uncredited)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Gale Sondergaard's Eurasian Mrs. Hammond—played without yellowface—was progressive casting that still trapped her in 'exotic' roles for decades.
US
