Mr. Skeffington (1944)

50% of critics liked it
(6 reviews)
81% of users liked it
(2,556 ratings)

Whose face ravaged, grotesque is in the mirror? Surely it's not that of Fanny Skeffington, the prettiest woman in New York. Fanny always used her beauty to manipulate her way through life. She's encouraged dozens of suitors, even after her marriage. But now diphtheria has robbed her of her only… More Whose face ravaged, grotesque is in the mirror? Surely it's not that of Fanny Skeffington, the prettiest woman in New York. Fanny always used her beauty to manipulate her way through life. She's encouraged dozens of suitors, even after her marriage. But now diphtheria has robbed her of her only attribute. And without her looks, she's lost. Bette Davis earned her eighth Best Actress Oscar nomination portraying Fanny.

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr. 7 min.
Directed By: Vincent Sherman
Written By: Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein
Genres: Drama, Romance, Classics

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1944 Wide
On DVD: Jun 14, 2005
Studio: MGM Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
A squishy tearjerker melodrama that questions how to handle life when beauty fades, for someone who vainly lived for her beauty.
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
On target Warner super soaper features standouts Bette Davis and Claude Rains.
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central
Largely forgotten and for good reason, interesting now as a mile-marker on Davis' lonesome road to irrelevance.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Sherman conduz bem a narrativa, que abrange três décadas das vidas de seus personagens, e é auxiliado na tarefa por excelentes atuações de Davis, Abel e Rains.
Dan Callahan, Slant Magazine
An arduous test of loyalty for Bette Davis fans.
Dan Callahan, Slant Magazine
This is a star vehicle in extremis.

Read all 6 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Carlos M

Davis is totally outstanding in her performance, as well as Rains, and Sherman does a perfect job as he fluidly conducts us through more than twenty years of their characters' lives.
Randy T

A wonderful showcase for the talents of Bette Davis and yet another opportunity for her to play a most distasteful character.
Stella D

bette davis is a wide eyed, breathy caricature of herself but claude rains is outstanding as the husband she doesn't love
moon r

i didn't even know this one was out there, but absolutely loved it when i first saw it. one of the great "undiscovered" films with one of the most underappreciated actors in film history, senor mister rains.
Laura C

Worth watching for Bette Davis and a subdued but touching performance by Claude Rains. I loved how vanity was tackled in this film, as Fanny (played by Davis) becomes increasingly desperate to cling to her youth,. It is shocking how Davis ages in this film. Thankfully the makeup… More
Worth watching for Bette Davis and a subdued but touching performance by Claude Rains. I loved how vanity was tackled in this film, as Fanny (played by Davis) becomes increasingly desperate to cling to her youth,. It is shocking how Davis ages in this film. Thankfully the makeup department does a wonderful job- a bad job would've completely undermined the power of the film!
nefnie l

Claude Rains can definitely hold his own with Bette Davis. Davis' performance seems to forshadow her excellent work in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane.
cody f

Great film about a beautiful women who marries for security and 25 years later when her looks fade she begins to see what a vain shallow person she really is. Bette Davis and Claude Rains are fantastic in this and the supporting cast is at times dramatic and funny.Great direction and… More
Great film about a beautiful women who marries for security and 25 years later when her looks fade she begins to see what a vain shallow person she really is. Bette Davis and Claude Rains are fantastic in this and the supporting cast is at times dramatic and funny.Great direction and the script is very realistic. A nice film, worth a watch.
Audrey L

Wow!!!

Read all 8 featured audience ratings

Cast

            Bette Davis as "Fanny" Beatrice Trellis Skeffington

            Claude Rains as Job Skeffington

            Walter Abel as George Trellis

            Richard Waring as Trippy Trellis

            George Coulouris as Dr. Byles

            Jerome Cowan as Edward Morrison

            Marjorie Riordan as Young Fanny

            Johnny Mitchell as Johnny Mitchell

            Robert Shayne as MacMahon

            John Alexander as Jim Conderley

            Dorothy Peterson as Manby

            Peter Whitney as Chester Forbish

            Bill Kennedy as Thatcher

            Tom Stevenson as Rev. Hyslup

            Halliwell Hobbes as Soames Fanny's 1st Butler

            Sylvia Arslan as Young Fanny at Age 10

            Bunny Sunshine as Young Fanny at 5

            Dolores Gray as Singer

            Walter Kingsford as Dr. Melton

            Molly Lamont as Miss Morris Secretary

            Harry C. Bradley as The Rector

            Georgia Caine as Mrs. Newton

            Ann Codee as French Modiste

            Joe Devlin as Boat Employee

            Ann Doran as Marie Nursemaid

            Edward Fielding as Justice of the Peace

            Bess Flowers as Mrs. Thatcher

            William Forrest as Clinton Fanny's 2nd Butler

            Sol (Saul) Gorss as Plainclothesman

            Creighton Hale as Casey Employee

            Vera Lewis as Justice's Wife

            Matt McHugh as Drunk

            Dagmar Oakland as Woman

            Gigi Perreau as Young Fanny at Age 25

            Cyril Ring as Perry Lanks

            Erskine Sanford as Dr. Fawcette

            Will Stanton as Drunk

            Lelah Tyler as Mrs. Forbish

            Minerva Urecal as Woman in Beauty Shop

            John Vosper as Artist

            Regina Wallace as Mrs. Conderly

            Crane Whitley as Louie Speakeasy Owner

            Richard Erdman as Western Union Boy

            Mary Field as Mrs. Hyslup

            Frances Sage as Skeffington's First Secretary

            Jack George as Henri

            Janet Barrett as Witness
See full cast

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