Reise aus der Vergangenheit (1942)

Reise aus der Vergangenheit: Directed by Irving Rapper. With Bette Davis, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Gladys Cooper. A frumpy spinster blossoms under therapy and becomes an elegant, independent woman.

“u0026quot;Now, Voyageru0026quot; is arguably one of the best of all motion pictures by Bette Davis. As Charlotte Vale, a rich Bostonian smothered by a mother who had her late in life, Davis plays a frumpy, low-esteemed, near recluse of a woman. That is, until her cousin intervenes by bringing a psychiatrist, Dr. Jacquith (Claude Rains) into Miss Valeu0026#39;s life.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMiss Valeu0026#39;s cousin and shrink conspire to bring her out of the steel shell her domineering mother (Gladys Cooper) has encased her within. Their idea is to send her on a cruise with the doctoru0026#39;s advice to learn everything, do everything, engage everyone. The results are a remarkable transformation of a woman who believed she was an u0026#39;ugly ducklingu0026#39; into Miss Bette Davis as a sizzling hot beauty like she never was before or after in any other film.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHow Miss Davis didnu0026#39;t view herself as a beauty or use her beauty to create her success as an actress is what u0026quot;Now, Voyager,u0026quot; proves is most remarkable about her 66 year long acting career. If she had wanted to be a u0026quot;bombshell,u0026quot; she could have, two snaps up. Davis didnu0026#39;t want to be a u0026quot;movie star,u0026quot; or u0026quot;glamor girl.u0026quot; She wanted to be a great actor and achieved her lifeu0026#39;s goal. Not only did she make her career using acting skill and shrewd business finesse, Bette Davis also made quite a few other peopleu0026#39;s acting careers work well for them by taking a back seat in films with her role having a weaker script. Thus, as co-actors they could collaborate to make out of an average screenplay a screen hit and a new acting star. Davis was so unselfish an actor that she was in the acting business to benefit the art. Thatu0026#39;s why sheu0026#39;s my favorite actor of all time: she was so self-assured as an actor in a manu0026#39;s world (in the 20th century), that her ego didnu0026#39;t get in the way of making truly great movies with co-actors with whom she worked with as a team player. u0026quot;Now, Voyage,u0026quot; is one such film. Clearly, she steals the show, but she takes Paul Heinried (love interest, Jerry) right next to her, conjoined at the hip. What a delight it must have been to work with a true artist who was a great expert at her craft.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBogie u0026amp; Bergman in u0026quot;Casablanca,u0026quot; donu0026#39;t have one thing over Davis u0026amp; Heinreid in u0026quot;Now, Voyager,u0026quot; when it comes to the most intense, well acted, extremely well scripted romantic drama that has it all. Davis is glamorous beyond compare and Heinreid is a smooth, sensuous, suitor.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis is my favorite of all of her motion pictures (at least I believe I own and have seen them all). How anyone could say that Bette Davis wasnu0026#39;t a raving beauty after they saw her in this film is beyond me. Not only does u0026quot;Jerryu0026quot; fall madly in love with u0026quot;Charlotte,u0026quot; so does audience after audience, generation after generation.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThereu0026#39;s much more to this great story, but Iu0026#39;m not telling! Buy the DVD.”