The Sisters (1938)

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Begins well but after an hour or so, losses steam. Still worth watching for Errol & Bette along with solid Supporting Cast but the Hollywood ending is crass. Almost laughable. Errol was right: should have stayed with ending in the book. They could pull that off now but not back then.Well done effects on San Francisco earthquake scenes. Flynn delivers some wickedly cool romantic lines but one could say Errol's acting really didn't venture far from real life. Henry Travers steals every scene. Alan Hale a delight, as always, along with Beulah Bondi.One great Flynn line:Do you want to hear the story of my life?No, but it's exciting!Hadn't got any point to it but it might serve as a warning to you.

This film begins as a wonderful period piece taking place in Silver Bow, Montana, which today is a suburb of Butte. At the beginning of the film the Elliot family (headed up by wonderful character actors Beulah Bondi and Henry Travers) are preparing to attend an election night ball to celebrate the election of Teddy Roosevelt. At the ball, daughter/sister Bette Davis (Elliot) meets Frank Medlin (a rather young looking Errol Flynn). Of course, the main story line of the film follows the marriage (disasterous) of Davis and Flynn. But the story is about the 3 sisters, so it follows their lives, as well.Among the many character actors in the film are Dick Foran (who also made many budget singing-westerns), Anita Louise, Donald Crisp, Ian Hunter, and Alan Hale (who often appeared in films with Flynn).If you prefer films where there is a straight-forward plot that goes from beginning to end, this film might disappoint you. Rather, this is a story of the marriages of three sisters (as the title suggests), with all the ups and downs of what is as true about marriages at the turn of the last century as is true today at the turn of the current century. The strength of the film is the acting.The scenes of the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco (where Flynn/Davis were living) is not on the scale of MGM's film "San Francisco" (made two years earlier), but it is still very well done, although it focuses on the smaller scale of the destruction in the apartment where Bette Davis is living after husband Flynn leaves her. There is no doubt that this was a fairly big budget film.This film was so good, that I decided I'd like to read the novel. I found one copy of the novel online for $2,500! Nothing available digitally. Guess I won't be reading that anytime soon.There is one disappointment here -- the ending. I don't want to spoil it, but in the film Bette Davis' character makes a bad decision at the end of the film. Ironically, the original screened version of the film had the right decision, but preview audiences disliked...well, you'll find out. Even Bette Davis later admitted the final film version had the wrong ending.Nevertheless, it's a wonderful film.

PLOT SPOILERS IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH!!! In the early 1900s three sisters meet and marry different men. The main one is Louise (Bette Davis) who marries carefree and very handsome Frank (Errol Flynn). She elopes to marry him and they go to San Francisco. Then the complications pile up...She gets pregnant and then looses the baby, Frank gets fired and leaves her, the famous San Francisco Earthquake hits...this movie really piles it on. The other sisters lives are shown occasionally here and there throughout the film. It all leads to a tearful happy ending.This was (for Warner Brothers) a very lavish production. It's obvious they spent a lot of money on sets and costumes so it always looks great. Storywise it's pretty predictable and silly but I was never bored. It moves VERY quickly and the earthquake sequence alone is incredible.All the acting is good but this is Flynn and Davis' movie all the way. Flynn is incredibly handsome and gives a very good performance. Davis looks pretty and gives a more controlled (for her) performance but it's still good. But I never believed the two of them were in love for one second though. They're both acting well but the spark isn't there. Still this is a lavish, well-done movie and worth catching. I give it an 8.

Bette Davis (as Louise Elliott) is a Montana woman who marries San Franciscan sports reporter Errol Flynn (as Frank Medlin). Her sisters Anita Louise (as Helen), and Jane Bryan (as Grace) marry at the same time; the three sisters find wedded bliss is short-lived. Supporting floozies Lee Patrick and Laura Hope Crews are a very well-matched mother and daughter tag-team who befriend the deserted "Louise".Whatever the film's original intentions may have been, it is really about ONE sister; naturally, it's the sister played by Bette Davis, and HER marriage to the character played by Errol Flynn. The stars are in fine form as the love-struck young couple who hit on hard times. Ms. Davis is refreshing as a housewife who becomes ill in a smoke-filled boxing arena, and Mr. Flynn is convincing as the husband who drinks to heal his wounded pride. Flynn asks a significant question about his character: why did marriage make his wife strong, and himself weak? Similarly, the objective of "The Sisters" as a film is strong, and the story weak. Yet, the production level is high; and, historical events like Presidential elections (Roosevelt, Taft) and the San Francisco earthquake are used to great advantage. ****** The Sisters (1938) Anatole Litvak ~ Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, Anita Louise