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Bette Davis, George Brent, Mary Astor, Lucile Watson, Hattie McDaniel ... see more see more... , Grant Mitchell , Jerome Cowan , Charles Trowbridge , Thurston Hall , Russell Hicks , Olin Howland , John Farrell MacDonald , Addison Richards , Sam McDaniel , Virginia Brissac , Georgia Caine , George Kirby , Doris Lloyd , Alphonse Martell , George H. Reed , Georges Renavent , Cyril Ring , Charlotte Wynters , Richard Clayton , Napoleon Simpson

The Great Lie is Soap Opera Deluxe from Bette Davis' peak period at Warner Bros. Davis plays a socialite who is madly in love with playboy aviator George Brent. Brilliant but bitchy concert pianist Ma... read more read more...ry Astor (who won a well-deserved Academy Award for her chain-smoking histrionics) is also in love with Brent, going so far as to marry him in a secret ceremony. When it appears that the marriage may be invalid, Astor is too devoted to her art to take the necessary corrective steps, so Brent returns to Davis, who is too proud to be picked up on the rebound. While flying an important government mission, Brent disappears and is presumed killed. Davis meets Astor, who had been impregnated by Brent before the question of their marriage's validity came up. Since her first marriage had been in secret, Astor is terrified that her career will be ruined by the sudden appearance of an unexplained child, so Davis, out of love for Brent, agrees to claim the baby as her own. When Brent, who of course has not been killed after all, resurfaces, Astor demands that the child be returned to her, hoping that the child will forever bind Brent to her. Davis tells Brent the whole sad story, whereupon our long-absent hero declares his love for Davis and his willingness to give up the child to Astor. At the last moment, Astor returns the kid to Davis and Brent, and the film ends on a splendiferous musical chord courtesy of overworked Warner Bros. composer Max Steiner. In lesser hands, The Great Lie would have been outrageous hokum, but somehow Bette Davis and Mary Astor (and, to a lesser extent, George Brent) make you want to believe that the story has some resemblance to Real Life. The film was based on the novel January Heights by Polan Blanks, which was not governed by Hollywood censorship and thus didn't have to bend over backwards to "legitimize" the baby in the story. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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67% liked it

537 ratings

Unrated, 1 hr. 47 min.

Directed by: Edmund Goulding

Release Date: April 5, 1941

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DVD Release Date: April 1, 2008

Stats: 55 reviews

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Bette Davis & Lucille Watson in The Great Lie George Brent & Bette Davis in The Great Lie Hattie McDaniel & Bette Davis in The Great Lie Bette Davis in The Great Lie Hattie McDaniel & George Brent in The Great Lie Mary Astor in The Great Lie George Brent & Bette Davis in The Great Lie George Brent & Bette Davis in The Great Lie George Brent & Bette Davis in The Great Lie Mary Astor & Bette Davis in The Great Lie Mary Astor & Bette Davis in The Great Lie Bette Davis, George Brent & Mary Astor in The Great Lie George Brent & Bette Davis in The Great Lie Mary Astor in The Great Lie George Brent & Bette Davis in The Great Lie Mary Astor in The Great Lie Mary Astor in The Great Lie Mary Astor & George Brent in The Great Lie
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Flixster Reviews (55)

  • jjnxn
    April 6, 2008
    jjnxn
    Mary Astor really dominates this in an oscar winning performance but she and Bette have a good chemistry together.
  • dougallen75
    March 10, 2011
    dougallen75
    A lot of people don't know that Mary Astor and Bette Davis were good friends - Bette turned down Mary Astor's part in this film because she wanted Mary to have the "lead", thinking it would boost her career. The powers-that-be agreed, and Bette took the supporting role. Bette's... read more instincts were right - Mary Astor won the Academy Award for the role Bette handed her on a silver platter.
  • mkatchan
    January 9, 2008
    mkatchan
    Good movie with great performances by Bette Davis and Mary Astor. Kinda interesting to see Ms. Davis as the "good" one. :) Oscar-winning performance by Ms. Astor.

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Critic Reviews

Wesley Lovell
August 16, 2011
Wesley Lovell, Oscar Guy

Predictable to a fault, even Bette Davis can't save this film. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
December 17, 2009
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

This Edmund Goulding-Bette Davis soap opera has achieved notoriety for several reasons, a presposterous plot, Mary Astor's one and only Oscar, and catfights on the set between the two ladies! Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
February 15, 2008
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

I'd be lying if I said I enjoyed this absurd sudser. Full Review

March 26, 2009
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Bosley Crowther
March 25, 2006
Bosley Crowther, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Derek Adams
February 9, 2006
Derek Adams, Time Out

Click to read the article Full Review

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  • Who starred in all three of the following films; 'Dangerous', 'The Great Lie' and 'Deception'?  Answer »
  • What is the tagline on the film Shark Tale? Behind every little fish is a great white....  Answer »
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