The Little Foxes (1941)

 William Wyler's "The Little Foxes"

William Wyler's 1941 film "The Little Foxes" would go on to be the very last time that he and frequent acting collaborator, Bette Davis, would ever work together. Davis and Wyler had such a great working relationship, which is what originally got Davis cast in the role when Wyler took over directing duties. The film, based on the 1939 play of the same name, was written by the playwright herself, Lillian Hellman. In Hellman's original production, the lead role belonged to Tallulah Bankhead, who garnished much critical acclaim. However, Wyler refused to work with Bankhead and wanted Davis instead. Samuel Goldwyn, the film's producer, agreed due to the fact that none of the films Bankhead starred in went on to any commercial success. After being cast, Davis wanted to go a completely different direction that Bankhead. This, along with other insistences about makeup and stage production, lead to the heated arguments that caused a rift between Wyler and Davis. Regardless, the film went on to great success, wracking up box office receipts and even a whopping 9 Academy Award nominations.

"The Little Foxes" takes place at the Hubbards' estate in the Deep South in 1900. All members of the family are descended from wealthy slaveowners and yet now are more economically in trouble. When a prominent Chicago businessman offers partnership on an entrepreneurial effort to build a cotton mill in their small town, the family begins to scheme and plan on how to get him the money. So much so that they end up stabbing each other in the back and showing their downright greedy and selfish behavior.

In the original stage production, lead actress Tallulah Bankhead had played the Regina Hubbard Giddens role with more of a sense of defensive tragedy, as a victim forced to fight for her survival due to the contempt with which her brothers treated her. The way Davis plays it is completely different, as Davis' performance is that of a cold, conniving, and calculating woman. I've got to say that I thoroughly enjoyed Davis' performance and I believe this newfound direction for the character aids in the overall general themes the story brings forth. The story is simply a portrait of villainous greed; a cynical tale of characters willing to eat each other for a chance at wealth and prosperity. As noted in the film, the title comes from a famous bible verse, "Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes" (from Song of Solomon Chapter 2, Verse 15). The characters in the film represent these 'little foxes,' who are willing to trample over the earth to feed from it. It is a bleak portrait of an uncaring and depraved humanity whom only wants to trample over everything in their path. It has the bleakness that could only come from wartime cinema, as many of the films released during this time demonstrated this viewpoint of a humanity cravenly devouring the Earth and itself.