I do not know as much as I would like about Director Michael Gordon, but ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST is probably the finest opus in his directorial output, surpassing gems like AN ACT OF MURDER, THE LADY GAMBLES or UNDERGROUND AGENT. It is the prequel to THE LITTLE FOXES (US 1941), which boasted a fantastic cast that included Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, Dan Duryea and Charles Dingle at the very top of their superlative acting powers.
Duryea is the sole survivor of that cast, and he delivers yet another superb performance, not the inferior of his outing in THE LITTLE FOXES, as the useless hollow-head son who has fallen for a woman who keeps flirting with other men, and who thinks nothing of begging father, brother and anyone else for money,
Gordon's direction is greatly helped by Hal Mohr's cinematography, even if the latter falls well below the quality of Gregg Toland's camera work in THE LITTLE FOXES; and by the acting of Fredric March, Edmond O'Brien, Dan Duryea, Betsy Blair, and Dona Drake, who has a small but eye-catching role as the cancan dancer who winks at just about any moving male.
The script, off a Lilian Hellman play, is very good, improving as the film progresses and reaching its zenith in the final 30 minutes, with zinging, intelligent dialogue that sees Birdie really fly in spiritual terms over the rest of her family because she has nothing to hide and no weight on her conscience.
From my standpoint one of the few letdowns comes from Ann Blyth. She had risen to considerable visibility as Veda in Mildred Pierce (1945), but her Regina lacks the cutting, unfeeling and vindictive edge of Bette Davis' Regina in FOXES. Above all, she is no acting match for Bette, even less so in the face of what I rate as the latter's best, most rounded performance ever.
Fitting, pleasant soundtrack by Amfitheatrof.
If you like quality cinema, ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST and, especially, THE LITTLE FOXES, warrant watching.
Duryea is the sole survivor of that cast, and he delivers yet another superb performance, not the inferior of his outing in THE LITTLE FOXES, as the useless hollow-head son who has fallen for a woman who keeps flirting with other men, and who thinks nothing of begging father, brother and anyone else for money,
Gordon's direction is greatly helped by Hal Mohr's cinematography, even if the latter falls well below the quality of Gregg Toland's camera work in THE LITTLE FOXES; and by the acting of Fredric March, Edmond O'Brien, Dan Duryea, Betsy Blair, and Dona Drake, who has a small but eye-catching role as the cancan dancer who winks at just about any moving male.
The script, off a Lilian Hellman play, is very good, improving as the film progresses and reaching its zenith in the final 30 minutes, with zinging, intelligent dialogue that sees Birdie really fly in spiritual terms over the rest of her family because she has nothing to hide and no weight on her conscience.
From my standpoint one of the few letdowns comes from Ann Blyth. She had risen to considerable visibility as Veda in Mildred Pierce (1945), but her Regina lacks the cutting, unfeeling and vindictive edge of Bette Davis' Regina in FOXES. Above all, she is no acting match for Bette, even less so in the face of what I rate as the latter's best, most rounded performance ever.
Fitting, pleasant soundtrack by Amfitheatrof.
If you like quality cinema, ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST and, especially, THE LITTLE FOXES, warrant watching.