Joyce and David Ramsey (Davis and Barry Sullivan) are married with two daughters almost grown. To Joyce's great surprise and dismay, one night David comes home and asks for a divorce. The story of their marriage is told in beautifully conceived and filmed flashbacks, while the story of their divorce unfolds in the present. Joyce is a scheming society climber with no sense of loyalty to friends or business associates. The flashbacks show her development and hint at contrition.
This film takes an unflinching look at divorce and some of the reasons for it, and though some aspects of the film are dated, most notably the notion that a divorced woman has no future, the subject matter is handled with honesty and tact. Look for a spicy performance as an established society matron by Jane Cowl.
This film has recently emerged from the shadows and can now be found on DVD, thanks to Warner's Archive collection. It was just aired on TCM last night where I saw it for the first time. The trailer above is from the TCM website and the poster is available at MoviePosterShop.com.
Obscurity factor: 8 (available on DVD, occasionally screened on TCM, known as Bette's forgotten film)
