Could've used a better leading man
A different leading man would've given Bette the right energy to play off of and added more sizzle to the film.
shareI agree! The actor just seemed horribly miscast. Interesting film though.
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MovieChat Forums > Winter Meeting (1948) Discussion > Could've used a better leading man
The story was weak and all the actors around Bette were poor. You could tell she was not into this film and probably had to do it. Her eyes were kept half closed most of the time and she rarely looked at her leading man in their scenes. When they were popping corn over the fire I had to laugh when she absentmindedly poured about 3 cups of melted butter onto about 1 cup of popcorn.
share....and all the actors around Bette were poor.
You're kidding, right? Janis Paige, poor? John Hoyt, poor? Florence Bates, poor? Walter Baldwin, poor? I guess you know nothing about great actors, or acting for film. The problems with this movie are a dull, talky screenplay, a mannered leading lady and a wooden leading man. The supporting cast is, in fact, first rate. share
I'm with you netshopper. My guess is that she was forced to be in Winter Meeting as punishment. The story had potential but such terrible writing in the screenplay, a dreadfully slow pace from a newbie director, and a slug of a co-star. The otherwise wonderful Florence Bates was also sleepwalking through her part. As great as Miss Bette Davis was, she didn't have the discipline to act her best in a dog of a film.
shareI think Davis is perfect. He has to be someone totally different from the men Susan knows, so he can't be sophisticated, urbane, smooth, intellectual, or even conventionally handsome.
He's different, so she looks at him differently, and so she looks at herself differently too, lets herself fall for him.
My main quibble with the movie is the TA-DAAAH music when Novak shared his big secret. The music was more appropriate for "I'm a serial killer" than "I've always wanted to be a priest."
The story was weak and all the actors around Bette were poor.
Really? Janis Paige? John Hoyt? Florence Bates? Please rinse out your eyes and ears. share
Can you imagine how great this film might have been with the right leading man. It was still a good film thanks to Bette and John Hoyt playing her obviously gay pal. They had more chemistry together than Bette and her leading man.
John Hoyt and Bette Davis? You gotta be kidding! I remember my mom telling me this was a terrible movie. I watched maybe 5 minutes and turned it off. I've always liked Jim Davis and thought Monster from Green Hell was his worst. I still remember him on Hollywood Squares and doing a coffee creamer commercial.
He only worked with Wayne three times which is surprising. The last time was in Rio Lobo where he admitted anybody could have played the role. Unfortunately his daughter was in a terrible auto accident which left her of life support. Davis said he and his wife had to tell the doctors to turn off the machine. When word got around to Wayne about the tragedy, he called Davis and asked him to come down to where he and Hawks were making Rio Lobo. Davis said that showed a side of Wayne people rarely heard about.
Tv Guide called him "the poor man's John Wayne. When you can't get John Wayne, get Jim Davis." I think even Wayne would have looked embarassed in this movie. The last time I saw Davis in a romantic leading role was on Wagon Train which gave him a rare chance to do comedy.
Happy to see I'm not alone in thinking that James Davis was terribly miscast.
I also never heard of the director before.
I wonder what happened to Bette Davis being able to handpick her director and costars. The film is boring indeed, but Davis looks great and I can't help but imagine what a better movie this could have been with another male co-star. He looks like he was beamed to 1948 from another era too.
I was pleasantly surprised to see Bette had a gay best friend in this movie by the way. Their interaction was so much fun. I can't help but imagine what a movie with Bette Davis's life with her gay pal John Hoyt in New York could have been!