Old Movie Teams
Weren’t they also in that other movie?Bette Davis & George Brent
Good Friends in So Big!
Bette Davis is reputed to have preferred George Brent over any other leading man she ever appeared with in film. Perhaps the evidence for that preference or simply the reason she claimed a preference for Mr. Brent lies in the fact that they appeared together in eleven feature-length movies over a period of ten years:
So Big! (1932)
The Rich Are Always with Us (1932)
Housewife (1934)
Front Page Woman (1935)
Special Agent (1935)
The Golden Arrow (1936)
Jezebel (1938)
Dark Victory (1939)
The Old Maid (1939)
The Great Lie (1941)
In This Our Life (1942)
The two are usually found playing characters caught up in the throes of a love triangle (e.g. The Rich Are Always With Us, Housewife, Jezebel, The Old Maid, The Great Lie, In This Our Life). Sometimes the triangle becomes deadly (Jezebel, In This Our Life) or afflicted by death (The Old Maid) or near-death (The Great Lie). Sometimes the two are casts as husband and wife (The Golden Arrow, Dark Victory) with complications, sometimes humorous, sometimes not. Other times, they are cast as friends or friendly (So Big!, Front Page Woman, Special Agent) peaceably and not so peaceably. Every time, there’s no mistaking the level of comfort they share opposite one another.
Not Such Good Friends for In This Our Life
13 Comments»
Dennis Gilman wrote @
Bette Davis made more good to excellent movies than anyone else in the 30’s & 40’s. George Brent was in many of them. Right now I’m sitting here watching one of them, Old Maid. After all these years they’re still so entertaining.
George wrote @
Best actress ever, the original Meryl Streep, always another persona in every movie, always bigger than life.
My top 10 favorites or recommendations, although there are so many good ones!
All About Eve
The Letter
Now, Voyager
Dark Victory
Of Human Bondage
In This Our Life
Jezebel
The Little Foxes
.Whatever Happened to Baby Jane
The Anniversary (hilarious!)
Beverly Jackson wrote @
I have about half of their films and have never been let down. Together they are hypnotic.
Linda McKee wrote @
Love watching old movies on TCM and these are my favorites, especially Dark Victory.
Belinda Billingsley wrote @
Omg! Bette Davis my favorite actress of all times! Her acting was spectacular!
Jean wrote @
Favorite Bette Davis movies are Mr Skeffington and All this and Heaven too….both make me cry.
pkingwp wrote @
Two great vehicles for Bette Davis’ talents, showing her courage in taking on not only challenging roles, but roles that were not necessarily glamorous or flattering in the physical beauty department.
Bette Davis wasn’t in the movie, “So Big.” That was Barbara Stanwyk with GeorgevBrent.
Bette Davis was in the 1932 version of “So Big!” along side Barbara Stanwyck and George Brent. Miss Davis plays the role of Dallas O’Mara, the artist being courted by Hardie Albright, who is in the role of Dirk De Jong. In the 1953 “So Big,” Nancy Olson assumes the role played by Bette Davis to Steve Forrest’s Dirk DeJong. Jane Wyman and Walter Coy take on the roles Ms. Stanwyck and Mr. Brent play in the 1932 film.
You are correct
Yes she was. She played “So Big’s” adult friend. Ms. Stanwyck played his mother.