I want to live my life

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Movie
German title I want to live my life
Original title In This Our Life
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1942
length 97 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director John Huston
script Howard Cook
John Huston
production David Lewis
Hal B. Wallis
music Max Steiner
camera Ernest Haller
cut William Holmes
occupation
synchronization

I want to live my life is an American movie from the year 1942 with Bette Davis , Olivia de Havilland and George Brent in the lead roles. Directed by John Huston . The film is based on Ellen Glasgows novel In This Our Life , for which she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1942 .

action

Stanley Timberlake is about to marry lawyer Craig Fleming, but has a relationship with doctor Peter Kingsmill, her sister Roy's husband. Roy regrets that her relationship with her sister has changed and that the old relationship of trust no longer exists. The young woman is surprised when she discovers her husband packing his suitcase. Peter says he has to go to a medical congress. Roy notices that he is acting rather strangely towards her. With the words that he loves her, Peter then almost escapes. When Stanley's boyfriend Craig wants to hang out with her, she sends him away on a pretext with the strange remark that he's way too good for her. Then she packs her bags. The next day, Asa Timberlake, the sisters' father, is looking for Stanley. He also asks his brother-in-law William Fitzroy about Stanley's whereabouts. In contrast to the Timberlake family, Fitzroy lives in excellent economic circumstances. Stanley could always wrap her uncle William around his finger, he was always extremely generous towards her. His love for her probably goes beyond that of an uncle. When Asa mentions that Peter has also disappeared, William is extremely upset. Back home, Asa learns from his wife Lavinia that a message has been received from Stanley that "she is sorry, but she and Peter couldn't have done otherwise." Stanley ran away with her sister's husband. Roy is extremely disappointed and reacts bitterly. She no longer wants to be "soft", but to be as selfish as Uncle William and Stanley.

A long time has passed, at Stanley and Peter in Baltimore everyday life has come, which looks like Peter works as a doctor all day and Stanley is bored. When she and Peter go to a dance hall in the evening, it's their wedding day, there is an argument because Stanley is stubborn. Peter has to go to work early the next morning, but she doesn't want to go home yet. In the period that followed, there were repeated arguments between the couple because of Stanley's lack of insight and selfish behavior. Peter says that she keeps presenting him with bills that he cannot pay and that his hands would tremble during operations. In his desperation he starts drinking.

Roy and Peter are now divorced and Roy has developed a friendly relationship with Craig, whom she was able to take courage again and to devote more attention to his job. They even meet up to do something together. There is also a first kiss. The increasingly intimate relationship between the two eventually leads to a marriage proposal from Craig. Roy asks him to give her a little more time. When William Fitzroy makes Craig an offer to represent him as his sole attorney in all his affairs, but he then has to forego "certain unsuitable" clients, Craig refuses to Fitzroy's great indignation. However, Roy is proud of him and says they won't have to wait any longer to get married.

Then comes a call from Baltimore. Peter took his own life. Roy is convinced that Stanley made him do it. Uncle Williams' first thought is Stanley again and what she is going through now. Roy goes to see her sister in Baltimore to take her home. Stanley is constantly suing herself, which is more of a guilty conscience. Roy takes her comfortingly in his arms and shows great poise. She looks sadly at the photo of Peter standing by Stanley's bed.

Quite a while ago, Stanley is back home with his parents. Slowly she gets tired of the black clothes, she wants to live again. She also envies her sister's new luck with Craig, who once "belonged to her." However, all flirting doesn't help her, Stanley lets her down. The young woman struggles with her fate and tries to get money through Uncle William, but is bothered by the conditions he imposes on her. Many years ago, William Fitzroy had tricked Stanley's father on a business basis and used unfair means to take the tobacco business they had built up for himself alone. Stanley shows up at Craig's office on a pretext. When she realizes that Craig is immune to her advances, she throws at him that he is fooling himself and that he will never get over her and that he would like to kiss her and just not trust himself. Then she says she'll be waiting for him in the “Sunset Bar” in the evening and even put the “appointment” in his calendar. Craig does not come to the date, extremely disappointed and angry, Stanley sits down in her car and speeds away at completely excessive speed. There is a serious accident. She just looks around and drives on. When the police rings the next day, Stanley pretends they don't know about anything. The inspector tells her that a child was killed in a traffic accident and that her car was found on a side street with blood on the bumper. Cornered, Stanley turns to another lie and blackens Parry Clay, a dark-skinned boy who works in the office of William Fitzroy's company. Parry is a very smart, ambitious young man who wants to study and become a lawyer. She left the car in the street because Parry should have washed it. She doesn't know what he would have done with it then. Parry's mother, Minerva, later tells Roy that her son has been home all evening studying his books. Stanley called that she still needed the car and that it didn't need to be washed. When Roy tells Craig about it, he defends Stanley and doesn't want to believe her that Stanley had anything to do with the accident. When Roy Stanley confronts the testimony of Parry's mother, she poisons her sister in an ugly way and goes on to claim that Craig is only with her because he cannot have her. This unsettles Roy so much that some time later she suggests to Craig that she will release him for her sister, whereupon he just takes her in his arms and assures her that he will love her and will always need her as long as he lives. Even when Craig takes Stanley to jail for a confrontation, where Parry has since been taken, she insists on her version. It cannot even ease the young man's desperation. Stanley and Roy talk to her again and want her to tell the truth. Craig confronts her with the calendar entry and the statement from the bartender, who remembers her very well. Lavinia Timberlake, who is ailing anyway, collapses when Stanley finally admits everything. Stanley has always been her favorite daughter. Craig and Roy want to escort Stanley to the police station. Stanley says that she just wants to change clothes and then come along to make her statement. However, she runs to her car and drives to Uncle William. Like a little child, she begs him for help. However, the old man is sitting in his chair, completely indifferent. He has just learned that he only has about six months to live. Stanley doesn't care at all, she yells at him that he has already lived his life, but she still has her life ahead of her, nobody would think of her.

Back in her car, she is caught by two police officers in a patrol car because of excessive speed and is followed by the officers. At breakneck speed, she races off along a winding road. When she repeatedly depresses the gas pedal fully, it happens, she flies out of the curve, breaks through the railing, the car catches fire. The police can just pull it out. However, Stanley is dead. Craig receives a call to this effect. "It is no longer in our hands, we can no longer do anything for her," he says sadly to Roy.

Movie notes

  • Sometimes it is announced that Humphrey Bogart and fellow film colleagues from The Falcon's Trail had a guest appearance in this film, which is not true. John Huston filmed The Hawk's Trail right before I want to live my life .
  • However, there are connections to the film The Trail of the Falcon . Both films depict the disintegration of a group of people, in the “Maltese Falcon” it's an artificial one, in I want to live my life an actual family. In both films an unfaithful husband has to die and in both films the title character loves a woman with abysses. He later disdains her, but suffers from the fact that he cannot help her.
  • Bette Davis was of the opinion that John Huston did not get the direction of the film because of his talent, but through his father Walter Huston . There were additional problems that Huston fell in love with Olivia de Havilland at the beginning of the filming and the Davis said that he was considering de Havilland with more close-ups, after which she made it clear to him who the star of the film was.
  • The film studio struggled to find a suitable cast for the role of Parry Clay. Bette Davis noticed Ernest Anderson, who worked as a waiter in the studio, and was so impressed with his demeanor and charisma that she brought him to the attention of Huston. He got the role.
  • John Huston's father Walter Huston is a key figure in this film, even if he only plays a minor role as a bartender. It is he who can expose Stanley's ( Bette Davis ) lie because he remembers her very well. He is listening to a boxing match when Stanley enters the bar and turns the jukebox up so loud that he can no longer understand anything. If she hadn't, no one would have remembered her.
  • The highlights of the film include the appearances of Charles Coburn as Uncle William and Bette Davis as Stanley; especially the final scene in which she - cornered - begs him for help and doesn't care that the old man has just received devastating news. The joint scenes by Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland are also captivating and impressively demonstrate the differences between the two main characters, who are supported by the contrasting play of their actresses. Olivia de Havilland and Bette Davis were close friends in private and had a great respect for each other's work. The scene in which Stanley (Bette Davis) thinks that a black American like Parry Clay has no chance in court against her is also revealing, since his testimony is against her (that of a southern daughter from a good family).
  • Davis made a total of 11 films with George Brent , including some of their most successful. She and George Brent were friends in private.
  • In later years there was a critical argument between Bette Davis and the original writer Ellen Glasgow. Glasgow expressed their dissatisfaction with the film and the Davis stood up to it.
  • There is also a computer-colored version of the film shot in black and white .

production

The film rights to Ellen Glasgow's novel was in 1941 by Warner Bros. for 40,000 US dollars purchased. The main roles were originally supposed to be cast with Olivia de Havilland and Errol Flynn . Was filmed from October 1941 to December 1941 in the Warner Bros. studios in Burbank in the US state of California . The film premiered in New York on May 8, 1942 . On May 31, 1963, I want to live my life was shown on television for the first time in the Federal Republic of Germany .

The film was mostly panned by the critics at the time, but there were also some for whom Bette Davis' performance in this film was considered one of their best. The movie Warner Brothers grossed a hefty profit at the box office.

synchronization

In 1962 the film was dubbed in German .

role actor Voice actor
Stanley Timberlake Bette Davis Marianne Mosa
Roy Timberlake Olivia de Havilland Gisela Hoeter
Craig Fleming George Brent Axel Monjé
Minerva Clay Hattie McDaniel Katharina Brauren

Reviews

“Not entirely convincing melodrama by John Huston, who had made“ The Falcon's Trail ”shortly before. Bette Davis is allowed to organize pretty much everything that is written in the big book of the deeply evil women: she teases her sister (Olivia de Havilland) the man, drives him to suicide, wants to steal the next groom from her, kills a child in a traffic accident and blaming someone else. In addition, there are clear signs of an incestuous relationship with her uncle, so that it is hardly surprising that in the end fate allows justice à la Hollywood to prevail. "

- Video Week

“'In This Our Life' ('I want to live my life') is not a very good film; he seems excessive and unconvincing. But it's an interesting film with strong moments. "

- Jerry Vermilye: Bette Davis your films - your life

"Bosley Crowther of the New York Times said at the time about the film," that the role of Stanley was only cast with Bette Davis because of her uncharacteristic, pleasant role in The Man Who Came to Dinner (›The man who came to dinner ‹) To make up for something.” He recalled “the excellent portrayal of a southern girl in The Little Foxes ”, criticized “the contrived portrayal of Davis in the film In This Our Live (› I want my life live ‹)" and concludes: "Her evil is so theatrical and so completely inexplicable that her death in a car accident is the happiest moment in the film." "

- Bosley Crowther , The New York Times

“The overloaded pseudo-drama reduces the persuasiveness of the film, whose production was not particularly lucky. Reshuffles were necessary, the script was changed until the last minute, subplots that suggested incest were eliminated. Despite its star cast, the film remains lackluster in terms of acting, and Bette Davis, in the role of the bad sister, tends to exaggerate here, despite the director's dampening interventions. "

- Lexicon of international film

DVD release

The DVD was released on June 13, 2008 by Warner Home Video. There is an English, a German and a Spanish language version on it. There are some specials included, including the original cinema trailer.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j In This Our Live at TCM - Turner Classic Movies
  2. ↑ a b Cf. Stuart Kaminsky: John Huston His films - his life , Heyne-Filmbibliothek No. 32/41, Wilhelm Heyne Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, Munich, 2nd revised edition from 1981, pp. 56, 57.
  3. ↑ a b c d e f Cf. Jerry Vermilye: Bette Davis Your Films - Her Life , Heyne Filmbibliothek No. 32/4, Wilhelm Heyne Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, Munich, 2nd updated edition from 1988, p. 102, 103. Quote: "The scenes in which Bette Davis appears with Olivia de Havilland are also fascinating, if only as a demonstration of the contrasting styles of different actresses."
  4. ↑ I want to live my life. In: Synchrondatenbank.de. Retrieved May 20, 2020 .
  5. ↑ I want to live my life. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 30, 2019 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  6. ↑ I want to live my life ( Memento from June 15, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) at digital vd