For many fans of classic films, this is a fun favorite, mainly because of the performances of Bette Davis as Maggie and Mary Astor as Sandra. George Brent plays a playboy, Pete, who marries concert pianist Sandra, only to find out a few days later that her divorce wasn't final. Apparently (though this isn't explained) he was involved with Maggie shortly before, but she refused to marry him because he's a drunk. However, she does marry him.

There's a problem, though, which is that Sandra turns up pregnant. Then Pete is missing in Brazil somewhere and is believed dead. Maggie talks Sandra into having the baby and letting her and Brent raise it, in exchange for supporting Sandra financially, and she can continue with her concert career unfettered. The two go to a cabin in Arizona where Sandra, a big drinker with other lousy habits, can be supervised.

Well, it's pretty hilarious and only gets better. Davis and Astor give as good as they get to each other, with Sandra screaming that she's an artist who can't get nourishment from a lettuce leaf, and Maggie offering to make her a sandwich. And we all know what happens - Sandra is a nasty you know what and reneges big time.

This is truly a wonderful movie for some reason - actors in those days were able to make you believe anything and go right along with it, and take the plight of the characters seriously. This is probably because the stories were character-driven and audiences invested in the people and therefore bought the story.

Well-directed by Edmund Goulding, the performances are wonderful from the women, Davis, Astor, and Hattie McDaniel as Maggie's maid, who again proves her strong acting abilities. Brent, who made a career out of supporting these huge female stars, is good.

Can't beat this one for entertainment.

This is one of those women's films that you have to suspend disbelief and simply enjoy. The chemistry between the two female stars (Bette Davis and Mary Astor) is so powerful, and what is nice here is that the two stars got along famously; In fact, Davis handed the juice over to Astor (a veteran star since the 1920's) on a silver platter, and the result is so much more interesting than if Davis had played the scheming role and Astor the heroine. You know you're in for a good time when Astor offers Davis a cigarette and Davis declines, saying that she's just had one.

The storyline concerns government worker George Brent's drunken marriage to classic pianist Mary Astor that ends as quickly as it began because he finds out her previous divorce was not final. Brent should have been forewarned; One character describes Astor as quite striking; In fact, she is literally. She has no qualms in slapping her masseuse across the face for working on her sore arms too hard. Once sobered up, Brent decides he'd rather be with the kinder Davis, and they are wed, which sets Astor up for revenge. She vows she'll break them up, and announces to Davis while Brent is away on business that she is pregnant. But Brent is believed to be dead, and Davis steps in with a plan to give the baby a name. The only stipulation is that Davis will raise it, and Astor will make no claims. But like a bad penny, Brent turns up, and Davis fears all will be revealed, especially when Astor goes out of her way to bond with the now one year old child.

Fiery Astor is the entire show, and watching the battle of bitchy Mary and benevolent Bette, you are truly gripped. The silliness of Astor and Davis in the middle of a desert preparing for Astor to give birth is like Henry Fonda pushing Lucille Ball to Florida in a wheelchair in "The Big Street", but somehow, it all becomes palatable, and the ridiculousness of it actually makes it more fun. Toss in Astor beating out a beautiful classic tune on the piano (Tchaikovsky's "Piano Concerto No.1 in B flat minor, Op. 23"),a sudden musical number sung by Hattie McDaniel and the servants on Davis's ranch and the scene where Astor goes crazy in the desert, practically destroying the shack the two are staying in, and you have one of the most memorable melodramas of the 1940's, a soap opera plot that has been repeated over and over on daytime television. Lucile Watson, Grant Mitchell and Thurston Hall offer amusing bit performances, while McDaniel seems to be playing the wife of her real-life brother, Sam McDaniel. This isn't a classic like "Now Voyager", but it's all unpretentious and fun, and that's what classic Hollywood cinema is all about.

To my mind this film is perfect - a classic example of what the studio system of the golden years of Hollywood could achieve. Strong direction, witty dialogue, beautiful music, sublime cinematography, crisp editing, gorgeous production design and costuming, brilliant performances - every element of this film is perfect.

Add to all that the daring (for its day) story-line, Bette Davis at the height of her dramatic powers and at her most beautiful, and Mary Astor delivering what I think is one of the great screen performances of all time, and you have a very special film indeed.

Although the film may seem to have dated elements, especially in the depiction of the African-American characters, if you let yourself watch the film with 1941 eyes you will be richly rewarded. Besides which the wonderful Hattie McDaniel brings so much depth to what could have been a simple stereotype.

As you can tell, I love this film. I understand Bette Davis and Mary Astor loved working together - and you can see that on the screen. The scenes between the two of them are electric, with so much being said beyond the words. Thank God Astor won an Oscar for her work here. She truly deserved it.