FILM: Bad Sister
DIRECTOR: Hobart Henley
MY RATING: 5/10
Bad Sister offers a glimpse into the life of a young "flirt" played by Sidney Fox, but has the much more esteemed reputation of being Bette Davis's first film. Here, at the tender age of 23, Davis makes her screen debut in the supporting role of Laura. And though you wouldn't know it from Davis's downturned scowl, Laura is actually the good sister in this film. So don't let that incredibly dark look in those occasionally dead eyes fool you! That's not Laura plotting to kill her sister and the rest of the family, it's just Davis finding her sea legs on film for the first time. And because this is her first picture, her self-consciousness is easily spotted. Her inhibitions fill the screen with a too-slow head turn now and again, or stilted, disembodied movements. Convinced her Hollywood career was over, Bette famously left the premiere of this film before the credits rolled. But showing the remarkable resilience that would create a legend, Bette would learn from this role. She would go on to leave Universal who clearly didn't understand her, in turn leaving these good sister roles behind.
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