Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Gurlyndrobb While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Kimball Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

utgard14 I'm a big fan of Claude Rains and Mr. Skeffington is one of his best performances. Every time he is on screen he steals the movie. The same cannot be said for the miscast Bette Davis. I'm not just talking about the obvious: that her character is supposed to be a great beauty and Bette, attractive in her own way, is no great beauty. She attempts to portray an unsympathetic character sympathetically but I'm not convinced she makes it work. Fanny is a vain unlikeable woman and the ending to this film...well let's just say I was left wanting for something more. I enjoyed the movie but not as much as I expected to. Claude Rains makes anything better so check it out for him. Bette Davis does her best but this is not one of my favorite roles of hers. However, hardcore Bette fans will probably enjoy this one far more than the average viewer.

Maddyclassicfilms Mr.Skeffington is directed by Vincent Sherman,produced by Jack L.Warner and the Epstein brother Julius and Phillip(who also both wrote the screenplay)based on the novel by Elizabeth Von Arnim, has music by Franz Waxman and stars Bette Davis,Claude Rains,Walter Abel and Richard Waring.Without a doubt this is one of the saddest love stories ever filmed,mostly due to the heartbreaking performance by the wonderful Claude Rains.In his hands Mr.Skeffington is a kind,large hearted,all round good man who's love of his life does not love him back.He's all hurt expressions and puppy dog eyes,making him so adorable you want to gather him up into your arms and hug him.Bette holds her own against Rains sympathetic Skeffington,switching from girlish charm one moment,to cold-hearted and cruel woman the next.Yet she manages a neat trick in that we never actually fully hate her despite the things she does.Mr.Skeffington is much more than just a tale of unrequited love,it takes in both world wars and prohibition as well.Beginning in New York in 1914,Mr.Skeffington tells the story of famous,society beauty,Fanny Trellis(Bette Davis)and her adored brother Trippy(Richard Waring).They are going broke following their fathers death,however both keep up the facade they are still wealthy.Unbeknown to Fanny Trippy has been embezzling funds from his boss,Job Skeffington(Claude Rains).Mr.Skeffington calls on the pair one night and quite gently tells Fanny that he'll allow Trippy to pay him back and keep it out of the public eye.Fanny isn't quite satisfied with that and turns on the charm full volume and ends up making Skeffington fall in love with her.He adores her more than anything else,not realising she has only done it so she can protect Trippy and give him money from her new wealth as Mrs.Skeffington.Trippy however hates Skeffington and he leaves to join the air corps at the outbreak of World War One.Soon the Skeffington marriage becomes intolerable with Fanny seeing other men and ignoring their daughter,who ends up basically being raised by Job and Fanny's cousin George(Walter Abel).Job never stops loving her and when illness leaves her disfigured she remembers his words "A woman is beautiful when she's loved...and only then".Deeply moving with two unforgettable lead performances,this is a tearjerker of the highest order,well worth watching.

vincentlynch-moonoi It's interesting that I quite liked this film the first time I saw (and reviewed) it, but on my second watching of the film somewhat disliked it. It has a lot of ingredients that would make me like it. It has Bette Davis, whom I think remains America's best female actress. It has Claude Rains, whom I almost always enjoy. It takes place in the era that I find can often be quite interesting. But I also think I know what I don't like about it. Movies are very often about a person or persons with a character flaw. And I often find that intriguing. But there is one character flaw that leaves me sort of flat -- being a person who is frivolous and petty, and that's what Bette Davis' character is throughout this film until literally the last 5 minutes. This film is a depiction of a very vain woman who, increasingly, doesn't realize that she is beginning to grow old and tries to remain a coquette. She wouldn't know what love and devotion is if she tripped over them...and she does in the man known as Mr. Skeffington, played brilliantly by Claude Rains. There is also a ne'er-do-well brother, whose function in the story was to facilitate Bette Davis marrying Skeffington to save her brother, who has swindled Skeffington out of tens of thousands of dollars, as well as providing a character who is mildly anti-semitic against Skeffington. Rarely has Bette Davis portrayed a character so easily despised as in this film...and for me that is the problem.Perhaps the most brilliant scene in the film is when Davis and a gangster she is having an affair with run into Rains and a woman she is having an affair with meet (not coincidentally) in a speakeasy. It is perhaps the one scene in the first half of the film where Davis' character is forced to look into a mirror and be appalled at the psychological image she sees. She and Rains divorce and he goes to Europe.And then, after a time, a severe case of diphtheria brings her age crashing down on her (shades of Baby Jane), something to which she cannot adjust. She has suddenly gone from vivacious to dowdy. But, Mr. Skeffington returns, a broken and blind man after having been tortured in a German concentration camp. Finally they are superficially perfect for each other.Both Rains and Davis were nominated for Academy Awards for this film; neither won. The character actors in supporting roles were all very good here. Of particular note -- Walter Abel...very recognizable, often underrated. He shines here.Also, a note about the sets. Quite lavish with fine detail, and the nightspots evolved over the decades very nicely. The black and white photography was exceptionally crisp.I always meant to purchase this for my DVD shelf, but now I don't want to. And here's why. Bette Davis' character was witch (different spelling!) in almost every frame of the movie (and it's a long movie -- 145 minutes), and then they expect us to accept her redemption in the last 5 minutes of the film. Maybe you can, but I can't. I don't even want to watch this film a third time.

JLRMovieReviews Quite possibly my favorite Bette Davis film (and Now, Voyager, too), and that's saying something, 'cause I love 'em all, is this saga about Fanny Trellis and her family and how she meets Mr. Skeffington (played by Claude Rains.) She is a rich society young lady who is doted on by a flock of suitors, of whom she keeps all on a string. Her brother works for Mr. Skeffington and through some unfortunate conditions, Mr. Skeffington is swept into her world.If you loved "Gone with the Wind" with its southern epic style, then this is for you. There are some loopholes you'd have to forgive in order to enjoy the film, particularly near the beginning. If it played out any other way, there wouldn't be a movie. Just sit back and enjoy pure melodrama at its best. If you've never liked melodrama or haven't seen an example of it, then see this and you'll see masters of their craft doing what they do best, giving performances of a lifetime.