Bette's Hats & Reviews: The Dark Horse (1932)

"What can I possibly say about this movie..."

Bette Davis' tenth film, The Dark Horse (1932) with Warren William, didn't get a mention in either of her books, The Lonely Life or This 'n That. 

Bette wears five hats in the film. I also noticed that all of the costumes pictured here have draped and/or flowy bow-tied necklines

HAT 1

The New York Times: 

Miss Davis gives a splendid performance.

HAT 2

September 1932 Picture Play Magazine: 

The secretary is "competently played by Bette Davis."

HAT 3

From the April 1932 Photoplay (page 19). Not about the movie but I thought it was fun. It's right under what Doug Fairbanks Jr. and his wife Joan Crawford eat ;)

Bette Davis certainly is no help to the collector of breakfast recipes. Her sole fare consists of a glass of orange juice, one slice of either raisin or bran bread, toasted; prunes and a cup of black coffee!

Hat 4

I like this description of Bette's performance from this article by Jay Carr on the TCM website:

You can accomplish a lot with Bette Davis on your side. Doffing the cloche hat we first see her in, she's a smart cookie beneath her blond marcelled hairdo. If William is the mouthpiece of the duo, he's as naïve in his way as Kibbee's buffoonish pol. She's the brains of the outfit. Here, her savvy but straight-shooting working girl never does anything impulsively. We're aware that even at this early stage of her career, she's well aware that in film a lot of acting is reacting. In scene after scene, we see her take in new information, shrewdly evaluate it, then figure out the right next move. Those big eyes filled with skepticism convince us utterly that she really cares. She's fully engaged, fully in the moment. At the end, when they fall into the obligatory clinch, the film deflates into one of those you're-a-big-lug-but-I-love-you-anyway-and-I'll-keep-going-with-you moments. You can't help believing that this tough cookie would know better. Whenever they share a scene, William is wood, Davis is fire. Her way of getting her smart-guy boyfriend out of jam after jam is awfully sexy. It, and its surprising political relevance, make The Dark Horse seem still larky today.

HAT 5