Mr. Skeffington

1944
Approved
2h 26m

IMDb RATING

7.6/10

6.8K

YOUR RATING

Theatrical Trailer from Warner Bros. Pictures

Play trailer2:49

1 Video

26 Photos

Drama Romance

Popular and beautiful Fanny Trellis enters into a loveless marriage with an older man, Jewish banker Job Skeffington, in order to save her beloved brother Trippy from an embezzlement charge.Popular and beautiful Fanny Trellis enters into a loveless marriage with an older man, Jewish banker Job Skeffington, in order to save her beloved brother Trippy from an embezzlement charge.Popular and beautiful Fanny Trellis enters into a loveless marriage with an older man, Jewish banker Job Skeffington, in order to save her beloved brother Trippy from an embezzlement charge.

Director
- Vincent Sherman
Writers
- Julius J. Epstein
- Elizabeth von Arnim
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.6/10

6.8K

YOUR RATING

Director
- Vincent Sherman
Writers
- Julius J. Epstein
- Elizabeth von Arnim
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 2 Oscars
- 2 nominations total

Trivia
At the time, most Warner Brothers "A" features had a 30-day shooting schedule. This film took 110 days. When Jack L. Warner sent Julius J. Epstein and Julius J. Epstein a note inquiring why the picture was behind schedule, their tersely humorous reply was "Bette Davis is a slow director."

Goofs
The image of the battleship turning over in the newsreel scene is that of the Viribus Unitus, which sunk during the closing days of World War One, rather than before America's entry into the war, as discussed in the newsreel.

Quotes
Job Skeffington: [to Fanny, when she reprimands him for being unfaithful] You mustn't be too harsh on my secretaries. They were always very understanding when I came to the office after a hard day at home.

Alternate versions
Some prints of "Mr. Skeffington" run 127 minutes. The film was cut from 146 minutes immediately after its world premiere run in New York City in 1944, and the cut footage was considered "lost" until the 1988 home video release from MGM/UA restored the film to its original length.

Connections
Featured in Hollywood: The Great Stars (1963)

Soundtracks
Moonlight Bay
(1912) (uncredited)
Music by Percy Wenrich
Played on board the ship

User reviews113

Review

Featured review

Elizabeth's novel comes to the screen

'Mr Skeffington', by Elizabeth, came to the screen in 1944 with Claude Rains in the title role, Bette Davis as Fanny, Richard Waring as Trippy, Jerome Cowan as Edward, and others.

An absorbing and entertaining novel could only be buoyed up by the playing of Bette Davis as the self-absorbed Miss Trellis, who has no knowledge of the real world as it affects her friends and her family. Trippy's money problems mean as little to her as the attentions of her tribe of young men. Fanny losing her beauty would be her greatest calamity ...

As Job Skeffington, Trippy's understanding boss, Claude Rains adds a touch of dryness and dignity to the role. The teaming between Rains and Davis gives plenty of zip to the film and makes the whole thing hugely enjoyable - there is a tragic undercurrent to this story that both actors could carry off completely.

'Mr Skeffington' is excellent and one of those great 1940s wallows they just don't make anymore [sigh].