description The Letter Overview
The Letter is a 1940 film noir melodrama directed by William Wyler and starring Bette Davis and Herbert Marshall. Based on W. Somerset Maugham’s 1927 play, which itself was previously adapted to the screen in 1929, the story explores themes of infidelity and deception. The screenplay was written by Howard E.
Koch.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
info The Letter Specifications
| Country | United States |
| Year | 1940 |
help The Letter FAQ
What is the incriminating letter in William Wyler's The Letter?
The letter shows that Leslie Crosbie, played by Bette Davis, had contacted the man she claimed to have killed in self-defense. That detail undermines her story and drives the blackmail plot.
Is The Letter based on a W. Somerset Maugham story?
Yes. The 1940 film is based on Maugham's play, which was inspired by an earlier short story. The story had also been filmed before, including a 1929 version.
Why is Bette Davis's opening scene in The Letter famous?
The film begins with Leslie shooting a man repeatedly outside a rubber plantation bungalow. It is a blunt, dramatic opening for a 1940 Hollywood melodrama, and it immediately makes the audience question her explanation.
Where is The Letter set?
The story is set in a British colonial community in Malaya, with plantations, clubs, and legal offices shaping the social pressure around the murder case. That setting is important because reputation and class control how the characters respond.
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