As Bette Davis herself often confirmed, in the "George Arliss Unit" as it was called, director Adolfi was simply a tool in the hands of producer, George Arliss. Whilst Adolfi had some control over camera set-ups, it was Arliss himself who directed all the actors. Not only that but Arliss also functioned as an executive producer. He was not answerable to either Warner or Zanuck. Arliss was answerable only to himself. He functioned independently and was actively engaged in selecting what he would produce, whom he would cast and all other work from preliminary through to final.
So here's the team of George Arliss-John G. Adolfi back again. Mr. Adolfi lets Mr. Arliss have his head, which we don't mind because Mr. Arliss is a charismatic person who can carry a scene and make weak dialogue sound strong if nobody can. But unfortunately Mr. Adolfi also lets rotten players like J. Farrell MacDonald (and to a lesser extent Theodore Newton and Hardie Albright) chew up the scenery too. Bette Davis plays another youthful heiress in this one but Adolfi and Arliss obviously thought well of her ability because most of her scenes with the actor are filmed in long takes. Some reliable character actors like Gordon Westcott, Douglass Dumbrille and Edward Cooper (who plays a particularly opportunistic butler) are also present but it is Arliss's film and he makes the most of it, even though he does seem a trifle out of place in modern dress.
So here's the team of George Arliss-John G. Adolfi back again. Mr. Adolfi lets Mr. Arliss have his head, which we don't mind because Mr. Arliss is a charismatic person who can carry a scene and make weak dialogue sound strong if nobody can. But unfortunately Mr. Adolfi also lets rotten players like J. Farrell MacDonald (and to a lesser extent Theodore Newton and Hardie Albright) chew up the scenery too. Bette Davis plays another youthful heiress in this one but Adolfi and Arliss obviously thought well of her ability because most of her scenes with the actor are filmed in long takes. Some reliable character actors like Gordon Westcott, Douglass Dumbrille and Edward Cooper (who plays a particularly opportunistic butler) are also present but it is Arliss's film and he makes the most of it, even though he does seem a trifle out of place in modern dress.