In This Our Life

Released May 8, 1942

1h 37m

Drama

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Reviews

77%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

In this melodrama, pampered sibling Stanley Timberlake (Bette Davis) is 24 hours away from marrying her lawyer fiancé, Craig Fleming (George Brent), when she absconds with Dr. Peter Kingsmill (Dennis Morgan), the husband of her sister Roy Timberlake (Olivia de Havilland). To clear the way for her sister's marriage to Peter, Roy quickly divorces him, but then starts seeing her sister's former fiancé, Craig. Stanley's true nature begins to reveal itself, forcing Peter to look for a way out.

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Steve D

Fine story but Davis is overacting.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/21/24

Full Review

Matthew R

Wigs were SNATCHED! Bette and Olivia at their best!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/30/23

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Audience Member

Bette Davis gives an excellent performance as a spoiled sociopath that ruins people's lives in order to get what she wants. She's a pretty young lady and a human wrecking ball. The movie is about her ruining one life after another until consequences finally catch up to her. She does an excellent job playing this role. Otherwise, the movie is rather forgettable. I think it's worth watching just to see Bette Davis's acting. She's good.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It's rather simple at times, but it's surprisingly captivating. It sits on a simple contrast between good and evil. Interestingly good and bad are presented often in pairs, couples. The sick evil woman whose husband is a good, kind man. The equally sick and evil man who has a kind woman as wife. The evil sister with her kind sister. The constant innuendo is that good enables evil. And there's something appealing and seductive in being devilish, while being good equals being weak. But in the end good prevails. The overall take on love is a bit strange and unclear. People fall in love and out of love and sometimes even back in love rather quickly and in somewhat contractual manner. The acting is remarkably good.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Bette Davis' "Stanley" was so horrible! (But the woman could act. And so could Olivia deHavilland. Hollywood (and the rest of us) will miss these women.)

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Directors: John Huston, Raoul Walsh (uncredited) Writers: Howard Koch (screenplay), Ellen Glasgow (novel) Stars: Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland------- This is an impressively splendid melodrama. Featuring two of Hollywood's greatest actresses (both dual Oscar winners) in Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland. Stanley (Bette Davis) and Roy (Olivia de Havilland) Timberlake are sisters. (The origin of their masculine names is never explained). Stanley is a wild thing famous for careening around in the car her uncle gave her. Spoiled rotten, the wealthy Stanley runs roughshod over her sister. The day before her wedding (Davis) steals her sister's (De Havilland) husband. The limit comes when Stanley, driving in excess of the speed limit, strikes two pedestrian causing serious Carnage. Bette Davis better is at best when she is bad; and she is really rotten here. Olivia De Havilland's calm and lady-like but strong performance is a perfect foil to Davis's histrionics. .Ms. De Havilland is an actress that always played convincingly in everything she did, as is the case here. It was such a treat to watch two of Hollywood's greatest actresses on screen together. 8/10

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

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John Huston

Director

Bette Davis

Stanley Timberlake

Olivia de Havilland

Roy Timberlake

George Brent

Craig Fleming

Dennis Morgan

Peter Kingsmill

Charles Coburn

William Fitzroy

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

An irregular melodrama in which Huston does not put much effort into the erratic narrative. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 6/10

May 24, 2022

Full Review

Michael E. Grost

Classic Film and Television

Good soap opera, with an unusually resiliant Good Woman, and plenty to say about race relations.

Jul 17, 2009

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 3/5

Jul 4, 2005

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Ken Hanke

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Don't be fooled by the impressive credits. This is pretty much a stinker.

Rated: 2/5

Oct 11, 2004

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Synopsis

In this melodrama, pampered sibling Stanley Timberlake (Bette Davis) is 24 hours away from marrying her lawyer fiancé, Craig Fleming (George Brent), when she absconds with Dr. Peter Kingsmill (Dennis Morgan), the husband of her sister Roy Timberlake (Olivia de Havilland). To clear the way for her sister's marriage to Peter, Roy quickly divorces him, but then starts seeing her sister's former fiancé, Craig. Stanley's true nature begins to reveal itself, forcing Peter to look for a way out.

Director: John Huston
Production Co: Warner Bros.
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 8, 1942, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 21, 2016
Runtime: 1h 37m

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