a stolen life (1946)

Rating:
Date: 2005-04-08
a stolen life
Bueno..realmente....cuando vi esta pelicula..me impresiono la versatilidad de bette davis..a quien considero la mejor actriz de todos los tiempos...si bien no es uno de sus mejores trabajos...es un deleite verla interpretar doble papel---- geln ford..esta a la altura del personaje.... buen melodrama..que sin duda .. les gustara

saludos

Rating:
Date: 2004-12-12
good movie
I love Bette Davis so of course I loved this movie. She plays twins which she has done more that once.

And if you like Carol Burnette she did a take off of this movie on her show & it was so funny.

Another great Bette Davis movie

Rating:
Date: 2004-04-08
Good Bette And Bad Bette, Both In The One Movie
"A Stolen Life", is a real curiosity piece in the work of Bette Davis and was the last of her highly successful films in her incredible run from 1937 - 1946 as Queen of Warner Brothers. This period saw her play everything from Queens, to murderesses, heroines dying of brain tumours and flighty heiresses. This incredible body of work produced an almost unbroken string of Box Office Hits culminating in this rather (for the time) original story. "A Stolen Life", offers fans of this legendary actress like myself, the unique opportunity of seeing her play identical twins, and secondly for witnessing the at times superb special effects of having Davis supposedly performing with herself in many scenes. Even by todays standards the effect of having two Bette's apparently performing in the one scene is stunningly achieved and this excellence to a certain extent makes up for the rather incredible story with its unlikely twists and turns. After this film Bette Davis experienced a real career slump which was only rectified four years later after she had left Warner Brothers, in her stunning comeback film "All about Eve".

Bette Davis plays New England sisters Kate and Patricia Bosworth, and typically in these kind of stories their personalities are for the most part the exact opposite. Kate a struggling artist is the more sensible and down to earth of the two while Patricia tends to be the more forward one who is also quite aggressive about getting the men in her life. Kate while on a trip out to the Maine lighthouse falls in love with young lighthouse keeper Bill Emerson (Glenn Ford), a romance develops however when Patricia sets her eyes on Bill a tug-a-war for his affections begins which eventually sees Patricia winning out and marrying him much to Kate's distress. Comforted by cousin Fred Linly (Charles Ruggles) she then makes the acquaintance of tempermental artist Karnock (Dana Clark) who begins to work with her in her studio which also ignites a stormy love/hate relationship between the two. Kate is surprised however to find Patricia on her doorstep at the Maine house and in an attempt to get along better the two decide to go sailing which unfortunately results in Patricia drowning. Recovering after the accident by a fluke Kate is mistaken for Patricia as she is clutching Patricia's wedding ring and with little thought Kate decides to play along with this charade as a way of finally getting the man she has always loved. However it is not smooth sailing when she assumes Patricia's identity as it is revealed she and Bill were heading for divorce and Patricia has had a string of ex lovers one of which is still very much part of her life. Finding it impossible to maintain the charade any longer Kate flees back to her New England roots where eventually all is resolved and Kate's real identity is revealed . Reconciled with Bill the belief is that the two will start again to use Bill's words and make a new beginning as Kate was always the one he was best suited to of the sisters anyway.

Despite the stories incredible situation and very predictable conclusion there is much to enjoy in "A Stolen Life". Bette Davis does sterling work as the two very different sisters and it's a mark of her great abilities that she doesn't go down the easy path of making each sister the total opposite of the other. Both clearly have shades of grey in them and her acting supposedly against herself in the sister's joint scenes is a masterwork of technique and receptive acting. Glenn Ford handles his role in a capable style but in her first effort as a producer in her new contract with Warner Brothers it is obvious it is Bette's show all the way. The film has a very romantic feel about it with the stunning Cape Cob settings with many of the scenes taking place on mist shrouded hillsides looking down onto crashing waves. First and foremost however this film will always be remembered and talked about because of the special effects that see one performer playing two characters in the one scene. Indeed the technique here is smoothly done and scenes where the two "sisters" actually touch or look each other directly in the eye are quite remarkable. Bette Davis obviously saw this as a challenge as she repeated this in a similiar story about two sisters called "Dead Ringer", in 1964. Directed by veteran director Curtis Bernhardt the usual expertise you expect from all personnel in the golden years of the great Studio system is evident from sets, musical score by Max Steiner and well selected supporting players such as Charles Ruggles and the always excellent Walter Brennan.

"A Stolen Life", makes highly entertaining viewing and shows the multi talents of Bette Davis in full bloom. While certainly not one of Bette's best efforts it has alot to recommend it to viewers. The seemingly tacked on "happy ending", does seem forced and unnecessary but when viewing these types of melodramas one has to look past it's obvious flaws to appreciate the great effort that went into it's construction. It has to be remembered too that in 1946 the idea of two sisters, one good and one bad was still a fresh one and hadn't been done to death yet in countless television productions. Either way Bette Davis always makes compulsive viewing and here she has a field day playing twins who are headed for a collision over the love of one man. Enjoy!

Rating:
Date: 2003-10-15
Great Entetainment
This one features Bette Davis at her devious, overwrought best.
If you've ever seen Carol Burnett's parody, "A Swiped Life", you will have a hard time keeping a straight face through the real thing.
"A Stolen Life" is great fun, especially if you're in the right mood.
No one is more watchable than Bette, and I think this is one of her best.
She is wonderfully entertaining in the role(s) of twins, while those around her, particularly the men, react with appropriate bewilderment.When the character Bill marvels that "I can't tell you apart",I want to shout, "That's because they're the SAME PERSON, moron!"
This movie is not exactly subtle. The old standards are present: the crusty old salt with a heart of gold under the gruff exterior, the sensitive loner who needs only to meet the woman who understands him, and the misunderstood, non-conforming artist who tries to "awaken" inhibited Kate but mercifully stops short of telling her that she's beautiful when she's angry.
It all amounts to a lot of fun, though.

Rating:
Date: 2003-02-08
pure genius
I throughly enjoyed this film especially the twist in the end. I would love to see it again, and again, and again!!

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