The Great Lie

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The Great Lie

1941

1h 47m

Romance

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

60%

Tomatometer

5 Reviews

70%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

After her long-time boyfriend, pilot Pete Van Allen (George Brent), marries fiery concert pianist Sandra Kovak (Mary Astor) while drunk, Maggie Patterson (Bette Davis) is heartbroken. Pete learns the marriage is illegal, yet dutifully offers to remarry Sandra. But when she refuses to alter a performance date to do so, Pete returns to Maggie and marries her. Soon after, Pete goes missing on a flight -- and when Maggie learns Sandra is carrying Pete's baby, she makes the pianist a shocking offer.

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John Kinloch

California Eagle

10/31/2019

This is another in the series of intelligent, talkative pictures of which La Davis has become the patron saint.

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Elena de la Torre

Cine-Mundial

09/17/2019

For Mary Astor this movie has been a real resurrection, as an artist, an elegant woman, as well as a notable pianist. [Full review in Spanish]

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Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

08/16/2011

2.5/4

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

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

12/17/2009

B-

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!

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

02/15/2008

C+

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

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Mark A

12/16/2022

Superior soap opera starring Bette Davis.

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04/08/2021

Great fun! A campy melodrama with Bette Davis and Mary Astor have a field day.

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steve d

07/22/2020

Mary Astor makes this a must see with her best proformance (in a long line of great performances)

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jona i

08/02/2019

Not as dangerous as the title suggests, but it holds some dramatic intrigue

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10/02/2018

Script and acting not able to allow you to set aside your unbelief. Seems like a story of rich people who can't face reality, and not very well, by todays standards

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ashley h

@ashleyhobgood87 01/11/2018

The Great Lie is an excellent film. It is about a socialite who is madly in love with playboy aviator. Bette Davis and George Brent give fantastic performances. The screenplay is good but a little slow in places. Edmund Goulding did a great job directing this movie. I enjoyed watching this motion picture because of the drama. The Great Lie is a must see.

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Edmund Goulding

Director

Bette Davis

Maggie Patterson Van Allen

George Brent

Peter "Pete" Van Allen

Mary Astor

Sandra Kovak

Lucile Watson

Aunt Ada Greenfield

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Synopsis

After her long-time boyfriend, pilot Pete Van Allen (George Brent), marries fiery concert pianist Sandra Kovak (Mary Astor) while drunk, Maggie Patterson (Bette Davis) is heartbroken. Pete learns the marriage is illegal, yet dutifully offers to remarry Sandra. But when she refuses to alter a performance date to do so, Pete returns to Maggie and marries her. Soon after, Pete goes missing on a flight -- and when Maggie learns Sandra is carrying Pete's baby, she makes the pianist a shocking offer.

Director: Edmund Goulding
Producer: Hal B. Wallis
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
Genre: Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 12, 1941, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 21, 2016
Runtime: 1h 47m

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