The Sisters is a 1938 drama starring the very dashing Errol Flynn and the always-sensational Bette Davis. Featuring Anita Louise, Jane Bryan, Alan Hale, Donald Crisp, and Ian Hunter in supporting roles, The Sisters begins in Silver Bow, Montana, in 1904. The nation has just re-elected Theodore Roosevelt to the presidency, and the Elliot family is among those who are enjoying a lavish election-eve ball.
Mr. and Mrs. Elliott (Henry Travers and Beulah Bondi) are the parents of three daughters---Louise (Bette Davis), Helen, (Anita Louise), and Grace (Jane Bryan)---all of whom are of marriageable age. Oldest daughter, Louise, is involved with the banker's son, Tom; however, since Tom hasn’t popped the question yet, Louise is all eyes when a family friend (Alan Hale) makes his entrance, accompanied by a handsome stranger (Errol Flynn) in town on business.
As Louise is dancing with another man, the good-looking stranger cuts in,
and after introducing himself as Frank Medlin---a newspaperman from San Francisco---he proceeds to sweep Louise off her feet. For the remainder of the evening, Frank's eyes are only for Louise, and Louise's eyes are only for Frank.
By the time they part company several hours later, they are both smitten with each other, causing Frank to stay on in Montana awhile longer.
Telling Louise that he is trying to write a novel but isn’t really getting anywhere with it, Frank admits that he is a bit of a dreamer and has a touch of wanderlust in him. Knowing that, however, doesn’t change Louise’s feelings for Frank; she realizes he is restless and irresponsible and not as ambitious as she and her sisters were brought up to expect, but, still, she loves him and upon his asking, marries him and returns to San Francisco with him.
Though she tries to encourage Frank to get to work on his novel, he just can’t seem to get his act together long enough to be successful. In due time, feeling as though he’s the kind of husband who makes people feel sorry for his wife, Frank starts to drink heavily; upset because he knows Louise’s sisters, who have both recently gotten married to financially stable men, have everything, Frank begins to indulge in self-pity.
Though he wants to be a successful writer...though he longs to be a strong husband…though he loves his dear wife and yearns to be worthy of her love, in the end, Frank desires freedom and the excitement around the next corner even more. Therefore, when he hears a group of men talking about the wonders of world travel, he is absolutely certain that he has finally discovered the life which will bring him happiness; so, penning a short note to Louise, in April 1906, Frank boards a ship and sets sail for the China seas.
While Frank’s ship is sailing away, an earthquake of monumental proportions blasts San Francisco and the wife he left behind. Buildings tumble to the ground…
flames erupt heavenward…
all the world is chaos. Will Louise survive the devastating destruction of that day? Will Frank find the happiness he is longing for? And what of Louise's sisters, both of whom have their own marriage troubles? All of these questions will be played out in the remainder of the film?
While The Sisters is not a favorite Bette Davis film by any means, I did find it enjoyable and interesting. It's a very solid film, with the usual wonderful acting I've come to expect from my #1 gal. Her character is strong and resilient...very easy to root for. Errol Flynn was quite good in his role too, and I thought he and Miss Davis had great chemistry together. Funny, I've read that they didn't like one another and didn't work well together...I sure didn't pick up on that. I really thought they were great...I found their love believable. The supporting cast quite added to my enjoyment of the film. I liked them all...especially the always-delightful Alan Hale and Lee Patrick, who portrayed Bette's San Francisco neighbor.
This film was released on DVD in late 2011, so I think you should be able to track it down. Bette and Errol fans will most likely quite enjoy it.
Happy viewing!!
