Gift für den Anderen (1951)

Gift für den Anderen: Directed by Irving Rapper. With Bette Davis, Gary Merrill, Emlyn Williams, Anthony Steel. A mystery writer becomes involved in a tangled web of murderous deception not unlike the plots of her novels.

“Another Manu0026#39;s Poison is directed by Irving Rapper and adapted to screenplay by Val Guest from the play u0026quot;Deadlocku0026quot; written by Leslie Sands. It stars Bette Davis, Gary Merrill, Emlyn Williams, Anthony Steel and Barbara Murray. Music is by John Greenwood and Paul Sawtell and cinematography by Robert Krasker.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eA whole bunch of fun if expectation levels are correctly set. Another Manu0026#39;s Poison is essentially a one set piece (confirming its stage origins), with primary focus on just five people and a horse. Itu0026#39;s a tale of murder, deception and carnal desires, the latter of which is wrung out via Janet Frobisheru0026#39;s (Davis) affair with a much younger man who happens to be the intended of her secretary.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFrobisher is quite frankly a bitch, something which Davis attacks with relish and no little amount of histrionic camp. Sheu0026#39;s the fulcrum of the story, but all the other key characters here are either stupid, ignorant, devious or all three in one go! Oh yes, this is a regular hot- bed of people you really wouldnu0026#39;t want to be hanging around with for long.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eItu0026#39;s these characterisations that along with Kraskeru0026#39;s photography just about earns the pic its film noir badge. The script isnu0026#39;t up to much – where stories about changes being made by Williams and Davis and Merrill (hubbie and wife) being unhappy – are common place, but it never outstays its welcome by being boring and Bette being batty is always good entertainment. 6.5/10”