Deception (1946)
Directed by Irving Rapper

Film Review

It was most probably the success of Now, Voyager (1942) that led Warner Brothers to reunite director Irving Rapper with the winning team of Bette Davis, Claude Rains and Paul Henreid for what was to be one of the studio's most costly woman's pictures.  Although Davis was still a box office magnet and Henreid's matinee idol status hadn't yet deserted him, the film was a notable flop, the first of Warners' Bette Davis films to lose money.  The production was not a happy one - Davis's personal problems (stemming from her turbulent marriage to the artist William Grant Sherry) exacerbated the on-going deterioration in her relationship with Jack Warner, and she fell ill several times during the shooting of the film, causing the production schedule to slip by several weeks.   Although Davis enjoyed working with Claude Rains and Paul Henreid, two of the actors she most liked and respected, she had an intense dislike for Irving Rapper, one of the few directors whom she failed to intimidate.  The main cause of contention was the very last scene of the film, which Davis always felt was unconvincing, despite several rewrites.  Deception may have a reputation as a film maudit but it is a popular one amongst Bette Davis fans, and it is not hard to see why.

The film originated as a French stage play entitled Monsieur Lamberthier, written by Louis Verneuil and first performed in Paris in 1927.  The play, a two-hander, was performed on Broadway under the title Jealousy in 1927, and was subsequently made into the film Jealousy (1929) by Jean de Limur, with Jeanne Eagels and Fredric March in the main roles.  Deception is a remake of the 1929 film, but differs in its ending, which was a change required by the Hollywood censor.  The production code of the time was notoriously strict on sexual morality - it was simply not allowed that a woman in an illicit relationship could go unpunished.  Consequently, the film's ending was altered so that the Bette Davis character receives the appropriate sanction for her immoral conduct (i.e. being a kept woman).  The dramatic denouement and its unlikely aftermath constitute the one notable flaw in the film.  Even with a performer of Davis's calibre, Christine's sudden transformation at the end of the film is hard to swallow.  Deception is not the only film to have been derailed by the obsessive prudishness of the censor, but it does a reasonable job of extricating itself from a tricky situation (via the time-honoured method of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut).

What makes Deception such a particularly enjoyable film is the insanely brilliant pairing of Bette Davis with Claude Rains, for what is effectively the film noir equivalent of a medieval jousting tournament.  Claude Rains is one of the few actors who was capable of holding his own against Davis, and, more significantly, one of the very few actors whom Davis would allow to steal the focus away from her.  As superb as the film is in its entirety, it only really comes to life when Davis and Rains are brought together and the two start biting lumps out of each other.  More entertaining than a gladitorial combat, and certainly more viciously played, the Davis-Rains encounters are what cinema was invented for.  Both actors are clearly having the time of their lives, exchanging venomous quips with a sardonic relish, as only two former lovers can after their passion has turned to ice.  With this histrionic hurricane breaking around him, Paul Henreid is almost totally airbrushed out of the picture - no wonder he decided to give up acting and become a film director.  The highpoint is an unforgettable restaurant scene in which Claude Rains, at his comedic best as the king of the bons vivants, does his utmost to reduce Henreid to a gibbering wreck, by ordering a meal (a light snack) as if he is preparing a great military campaign.  Rains succeeds in relegating both Davis and Henreid to the level of novice bit players as he shamelessly steals the scene, chewing up every last inch of the set as he does so.

Bette Davis's performance in Deception is not generally regarded as one of her best.  Indeed, some consider it to be excessive, bordering on the self-mocking campery that would gradually creep into her subsequent work.  There is certainly an edge to her performance, which may be attributable to her domestic anxieties and her poor working relationship with Irving Rapper, or it could be she just felt she had to 'up the ante' to avoid being totally eclipsed by Claude Rains as he turns supernova.  Whilst Davis's performance may not be subtle, it is appropriate for the part she is playing, that of a woman to whom duplicity is both second nature and essential.  If the actress sometimes comes across as artificial, it is because her character is precisely that, someone who must present one face to the audience (her true self) and another (the perfect wife) to her trusting lover. Rapper's recurring use of reflections throughout the film emphasises the dual nature of the main protagonist, and it is this sense of a split identity which Davis conveys so magnificently throughout the film.

Deception has two other great assets - Ernest Haller's atmospheric film noir cinematography and an equally evocative score from Erich Wolfgang Korngold, one of the greatest of Hollywood film composers.  Haller (a favourite of Bette Davis) had a natural flair for drawing the greatest amount of drama and emotional impact from each scene and his work here is some of his best.  With some skilful positioning of light and shade, Haller creates a brooding noir-like dreamscape which reverberates with the story's dark undercurrents and makes us aware of the sinister forces that are slowly building to a deadly climax.   This is most evident in the two main sets - the lavish apartments belonging to Davis's and Rains' characters, both of which resemble a gigantic spider's web.  Haller's artistry culminates in the climactic showdown between Davis and Rains - the latticework of shadows which envelop their characters reinforces the impression that they are victims in a fiendish celestial engine, and that their fate is now inescapable.  Korngold's score is the perfect accompaniment to the drama being played out on the screen, subtly heightening the extraordinary power of the central performances.  It was Korngold who created the cello concerto for the film - he later expanded this and published it as a complete opus.

With so much going for it, it is hard to fathom why Deception was both a critical and commercial failure (particularly when its previous manifestations had been so successful).  Critics were quick to point out the failings in the narrative, its melodramatic contrivances and implausible characterisation.  Bette Davis's natural audience (working class women) may have felt the film (with its classical music set-pieces) was too highbrow and opted to give this one a miss.  The film's failure certainly had major repercussions for its star, hastening her departure from Warner Brothers (not a bad thing, as it turned out).  It may not be Bette Davis's finest hour, but Deception is easily one of her most entertaining and most expertly crafted films.  The film does have its shortcomings, but the sheer pleasure that comes from seeing Davis (at the height of her powers) in action against Claude Rains (at his most gloriously uninhibited) makes it a classic that is simply too good to miss.  Expect a very bumpy ride when you climb aboard this one.

Film Synopsis

It has been many years since Christine Radcliffe last saw her lover Karel Novak, in Europe during WWII.  Convinced that Karel is dead, Christine has attempted to build a new life for herself as a musician in New York, supported by her wealthy new lover, the world famous composer Alexander Hollenius.  Some time after her affair with Hollenius has burned itself out, Christine is astonished to find Karel alive and well, giving a cello recital at a college near to where she lives.  Karel is equally delighted to be reunited with Christine and the couple immediately decide to get married.  Karel's happiness is tempered by suspicion - he cannot understand how Christine can afford to rent such a luxurious loft apartment.  Christine assures him that her income as a private tutor is enough to pay for her extravagances, but Karel is uncertain.  At their wedding reception, Hollenius puts in an unexpected appearance, furthering Karel's suspicion that Christine is keeping something from him.  When Hollenius offers Karel the chance to perform his new concerto, Christine imagines that the composer intends to make mischief at her expense.  How far will she go to prevent the composer from revealing the sordid details of their affair and thereby destroy her marriage?