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Soon she is on trial for murder, but Davis' acting skills transform her into the perfect housewife, who only shot Hammond because he attempted to rape her. She even fools defense lawyer (and family friend) James Stephenson, a steady as he goes type who seems more perceptive than clueless cuckold Marshall.
Davis seems a cinch to be acquitted, but one thing threatens to get her hanged: The Letter.
It's not just any letter. It is in Davis' hand, and it pathetically begs Hammond to pay her a visit to resume their interrupted affair. Worse yet, it is in the hands of Hammond's widow, an imperious, malevolent, lanky, and generally silent Asian (Gale Sondergaard). Who knows why ladies man Hammond settled on her, but perhaps it was a shotgun wedding encouraged by the tall, foreboding Asian man Mrs. Hammond keeps company with.
You'd think Mrs. Hammond would turn the letter over to the prosecutor, but instead she works out a deal with Stephenson's obsequious but ambitious secretary, Sen Yung. Yung skillfully blackmails Stephenson (using Marshall's life savings) into buying The Letter. Davis' neck is thus saved, but what about her marriage?
How others will see it. Classic movie fans relish this movie, which gives Warner Bros. star Bette Davis one of her juiciest plum roles. It is also a career highpoint for lesser-known Warner player Stephenson. Most viewers will care little about the character inconsistencies to be discussed shortly. They will notice the bogus ending, and will (correctly) suspect it has much to do with the Production Code edict that crime must be punished, and paying 10K or assuming the duties of the state doesn't cut it.
But fans won't mind the ending either. They'll enjoy every minute of this captivating drama. Some will avoid the film simply because it is black and white, or because Davis' acting (not to mention Sondergaard's) is often over the top.
How I felt about it. Davis is such a clever woman that she is able to concoct a cover story for her murder, invent and memorize the required lines, and act them out whenever necessary to convince her husband, her lawyer, her jailer, or her jury. But she's not clever enough to explain away the 10K loss or the letter. She's even unable to lie to her husband about her love for him in order to salvage their marriage. But she is able to wander deep into her yard at night for no good reason, as if hypnotized by brooding murderess Mrs. Hammond.
While Davis' character proves inconsistent after her acquittal, The Letter is otherwise impressive. Davis' cover story would fool Columbo, and Yung's manipulation of the wordly, proud, and straight-laced Stephenson is somehow both admirable and revolting.