Having finished reading Mr. Skeffington by Elizabeth von Arnim, I made plans to watch the 1944 film version starring Bette Davis and Claude Rains. I'd been looking forward to watching the film - one, because I loved von Armin's novel and two, because Davis and Rains were both wonderful actors.
Unfortunately, the film doesn't live up to the novel. I had trouble seeing Bette Davis being the "renowned beauty with many suitors" as the young Fanny Skellington. She was certainly more believable as the fifty year old Fanny who had lost her beauty due to having grown older and having had diphtheria.
Of course, short cuts were taken in the story and I didn't much see the point of giving the Skeffington's a daughter not found in the novel.
After watching the film, I understand why this film hasn't received the "classic film" status you would expect of a movie starring these two actors.
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