When I was growing up, Sunday afternoons were special. My big sister and I loved to watch movies on TV. We both especially loved Bette Davis; whether she was a bad lady or a good girl, she was a SUPER STAR!!
In this particular movie, she was Julie Morrison, a brazen, sassy, bold, and audacious Southern belle. She dared to be an independent woman with a mind of her own, who challenged society's norms. In the process of being rebellious, arrogant, and contrary, she caused a rift between her and her future husband. What did she do that was so outrageous and shameful? Uumm … she showed up to a party in a red dress!
I was very young at the time, and being that red is my favorite color, I didn't get what all the huffing and puffing was about. My older sister explained to me that refined and cultured women in polite society would never wear a red dress. That's the mark of a whore!! A wicked woman!! A she-devil!!
With that very clear and graphic explanation provided by my big sister, I was able to better understand this scene and this line in the movie, and that also explains the name of the movie.
“๐ ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฉ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐จ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช, ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐ก๐ฅ ๐ข๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ช๐ข๐๐ก๐ฎ ๐ ๐๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ค๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐.” ~ Bette Davis - JEZEBEL (1938)
(All that groveling, and then the man told her he got married and left her in the dust! Her reaction was a typical Southern Belle response. "You're funning."๐ฒ๐ข)
More trivia? Bette Davis’s first Oscar was for Best Actress for the film Dangerous (1935). She wasn’t even officially nominated that year — but her performance was so powerful that the Academy gave her the award through a special write‑in vote. Classic Bette: too good to ignore.
**
Here are some fascinating, lesser-known facts
about Jezebel (1938) with Bette Davis:
Bronze vs. Red Dress
Although Julie
Marsden’s iconic gown at the Olympus Ball is widely remembered as red, on film it was actually a bronze colored dress. The reason: bronze showed up better on black and white film than red would. (IMDb)
Delayed and Over Budget — Wyler’s
Perfectionism
The production ran 28 days behind schedule, and the film was significantly over its original budget (about $400,000 over). Much of the delay came from director William Wyler demanding many takes and insisting on precision, especially in scenes with Bette Davis. (Watch TCM)
Multiple Costume Workers & Expense
About
75 seamstresses worked for roughly a month on the costumes. The film’s wardrobe budget was large, with some dresses
(like the bronze /red dress) costing about $850
each. Overall, several thousand dollars were spent on costumes. (AFI Catalog)
Rushed into Production in Response to Gone
With the Wind
Warner Bros. moved Jezebel forward in part because they saw the success and impending cultural presence of
Gone With the Wind. They wanted a Southern set,
antebellum romance starring Bette Davis to hit screens beforehand.
(Watch TCM)
Broadway Origins & Flop
The movie was adapted from a Broadway play by Owen Davis Sr., which had opened and closed in 1933 after only 32 performances. Miriam
Hopkins originally played Julie in the play. (Classic Movie Hub - CMH)
Casting Last Minute Changes
Henry
Fonda was not originally cast as Pres Dillard. He replaced another actor (Jeffrey Lynn) who could not be released from another commitment. (Classic Movie Hub - CMH)
Personal and Romantic Tensions Behind The Scenes
On set, there were personal entanglements: Bette Davis and William
Wyler developed a romantic relationship during filming. Also, there was tension with Henry Fonda early on about the many takes and schedule delays. (IMDb)
Wyler’s Directorial Insight vs. Davis’s
Artistry
One famous anecdote: Wyler made Davis watch dailies (the raw uncut takes) with him and showed her a take of
Julie coming down a staircase — she’d been irritated by how many takes it took. But in the dailies, she saw a single take with a fleeting expression that captured the essence of Julie, and it changed how she trusted Wyler’s process. (IMDb)
Role of Close-ups Without Leading Man
Because
Fonda had a contractual commitment and had to leave before all of
Davis’s close-ups were shot, some close-ups of Davis were done without Fonda opposite her. That meant she often had to emote and react off-screen, relying on direction rather than partner chemistry in certain scenes. (AFI Catalog)
Costume Continuity Goof (Sleeves Disappear)
A
small but interesting “goof”: In some shots of the gown, the red/bronze dress has sleeves, and in others (including the ball scene) it appears sleeveless. Continuity in costume wasn’t perfect. (IMDb)
—
REFERENCES:
“Jezebel (1938) – Trivia & Fun Facts.” Turner
Classic Movies (TCM). Includes info on the 28-day delay,
costume budget, red/bronze dress, etc. (WatchTCM)
“Jezebel – Catalog Entry.” AFI Catalog (American
Film Institute). Provides production details including costuming,
shooting schedule, completion date, etc. (AFICatalog)
“Facts about ‘Jezebel’ – Classic Movie Hub.”
ClassicMovieHub. Various trivia tidbits: delays, stage play origin,
etc. (ClassicMovie Hub - CMH)
“Happy Birthday, Bette Davis—You ‘Jezebel’!” Library
of Congress – Now See Hear! Blog. Background on the Broadway
play origins, Wyler’s interest in the play, etc. (The Library of Congress)
“Exploring JEZEBEL (1938)” – Kellee Pratt (blog). On Wyler’s
directorial style, takes, costume details, and anecdotes about the film’s
production. (Outspoken
& Freckled)
“๐ ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฉ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐จ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช, ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐ก๐ฅ ๐ข๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ช๐ข๐๐ก๐ฎ ๐ ๐๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ค๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐.” ~ Bette Davis - JEZEBEL (1938) ~ #ClassicMovies ~ #Vintage #BetteDavis
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