The Little Foxes (1941)

• Year: 1941
• Released: 29 Aug 1941
• Country: United States
• Adwords: Nominated for 9 Oscars. 3 wins & 9 nominations total
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033836/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_little_foxes
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: English
• MPA Rating: Approved
• Genre: Drama, Romance
• Runtime: 116 min
• Writer: Lillian Hellman, Arthur Kober, Dorothy Parker
• Director: William Wyler
• Cast: Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, Teresa Wright
• Keywords: family relationships, money, father daughter relationship, train, bank,

	7.9/10
	100% – Critics
	88% – Audience

The Little Foxes Storyline

In 1900, in the Southern town of Linnet, the notorious Hubbard family is hated by the residents since they exploit the poor and the black people in their business. Regina Giddens, née Hubbard, is married with Horace Giddens, who is a good man that is interned in a hospital in Baltimore due to a heart condition. They are estranged and they have a daughter, the naive Alexandra Giddens that has a crush on the local David Hewitt but she is controlled by her merciless mother. Regina’s brothers are the exploitative Ben Hubbard, who is single, and Oscar Hubbard, who is married with the wounded Birdie, and they have a son, the scum Leo that works in a bank. Oscar and Regina have made arrangements to marry Leo with Alexandra. When Ben and Oscar invite the wealthy businessman William Marshall to come to Linnet to build a mill to improve their business and pay low wages to the locals, they need US$ 75,000.00 from Regina. She manipulates Alexandra to bring Horace back home to convince him to lend the money. However, Horace does not accept the business and Leo steals his railroad bonds from the safe in the bank to invest in the business with Marshall, expecting to return the money without Horace noticing. Bur Horace goes to the bank and finds the embezzlement. What will Horace and Alexandra do?

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The Little Foxes Movie Reviews

Crisp Dialog, Great Acting & Photography

This was a surprisingly good movie – for me, not people who like Bette Davis and melodramas. They got what they hoped for, another solid film with her starring in it. I don’t particularly care for Davis or “soaps,” but I liked this film and see it more of a straight drama, anyway, especially because of the crisp dialog.

It’s a story about money and how to use it or how to acquire more of it through deceit and greed. Davis, as “Regina Gidden,” is the most greedy of the Gidden clan, vying for more money with her brothers who aren’t exactly trustworthy people themselves. Among the three, there wasn’t anyone to root for since the family shared in their lust for money. Davis does her normal excellent acting job but I enjoyed Charles Dingle as “(Uncle) Ben Hubbard” best. I liked his lines more than anyone’s and the way he delivered them. Carl Benton Reid played the other greedy Hubbard brother, “Oscar” and Dan Duryea was interesting as Oscar’s dumb son, ‘Leo.”

Herbert Marshall was good, too, as Regina’s husband “Horace.” He was an honest, principled man and thus, the black sheep in that household. Unfortunately, he was dying and his death played a big part in this story.

The sub-plot in this tale is the coming-of-age of Hubbard daughter “Alexandra” played by Teresa Wright. Her “coming of age” translates to finally standing up to her domineering mother. Richard Carlson plays her reluctant boyfriend “David Hewitt” who, in the end, is won over when “Alexandra” grows up.

So, this excellent cast, complemented by an outstanding director in William Wyler and world-class cinematographer Gregg Toland all adds up to a solid, memorable film.

Suffer Us The Little Foxes

It is 1905 (or so). Ben Hubbard is still (apparently) head of the Hubbard family. He certainly is the stronger of the two brothers (Oscar is now a sullen cypher due to his marriage to chatterbox, delicate lady Birdie Bagtry – we later learn that Oscar does not hesitate to slap his poor wife around). Oscar does have a son, Leo, but Leo has inherited all of his father’s youthful stupidity, and has none of the smarts that grandfather Marcus and Uncle Ben (or even daddy Oscar) have. Regina is still in third position – but Ben is aware that if it were a matter of brains she might replace him (as she wants to, badly). She is married to Horace Giddens, the president of the town bank, and they have a daughter Alexandra. Unlike the socially challenged (and viciously stupid) Leo, Alexandra has managed to pick up her father’s gentle personality, and is (when he is around) quite happy. She also has a boyfriend, the local newspaper reporter David Hewlitt (Richard Carlson).

A northerner (Russell Hicks) is interested in a scheme the Hubbards have in which they supply him the grown, picked, and processed cotton in their mills, ship them to him, and he turns them into cotton clothing and goods. Hicks is really interested, but he needs financial reassurance (on their parts) in a couple of weeks. Ben and Oscar are ready with their money – but Regina is stalling. She explains that she is waiting for Horace (who is in poor health – he has a heart condition) to return home before she gives their share. For Ben and Oscar figure that it is Horace who will be their partner.

This is the beginning of THE LITTLE FOXES. Ben and Oscar (Charles Dingle and Carl Benton Reid – both from the Broadway cast) are surprised when Horace shows total hostility to the scheme (he detests his greedy in-laws, and hates the thought of assisting them in anything). Regina tries to reassure them, but Ben is not trusting her.

The marriage of Horace and Regina is quite dead. We know that Regina loved another (John Bagtry) but Horace made the mistake of falling for Regina, and then marrying her. He has found her icy and unloving and as greedy as her two brothers. The only good thing to come out of the marriage is the birth of his daughter Alexandra, who fortunately takes after him.

Leo (Dan Duryea – also from the original cast) turns out to have the key to saving the business deal. He knows that Horace has a set of bearer bonds in his safety deposit box that are meant for Alexandra when she marries. He tells Oscar about these bonds, and Oscar relates the news to Ben. The good thing about these bonds is anyone can use them. And it’s not difficult to replace them. So Leo (after he is shown that he is definitely not going to be a partner in this business deal) steals the bonds. Horace should not ask for the bonds soon – shouldn’t he?

Of course, Horace does. But he springs a surprise on Regina which displeases her, and leads to their final confrontation: a painful and fatal one. Horace hates Ben and Oscar for their opportunistic economics to get to the top on the shoulders of everyone else. He wouldn’t help them because he hates their kind, who may threaten the country. But he does loathe his wife – and that might change his mind.

The film is one of the best filmed plays from Hollywood’s “Golden Age”. Bette Davis’ evil Regina has been called a woman in an unearthly mask, covering all her emotions to the highpoint of the story – but letting her eyes tell what is in her mind. This film may also be the best dramatic performance by Herbert Marshall (although his wronged husband opposite Davis in THE LETTER is close). The four pros from Broadway do wonderfully, particularly Dingle (who occasionally reveals a playful streak – like a panther toying with it’s victims), and Duryea as an opportunist who otherwise is quite stupid and vicious. Dingle even boasts that one day he and his type will rule this country (in answer, in a way to Horace’s fears). Reid looks soulless and vindictive, and Pauline Collinge (as Birdie) arouses the audience’s sympathy. As for the young lovers, Wright gained her first Academy Award nomination in her confrontation scene with Davis, and Carlson gains our general approval by demonstrating what should have been done to Leo years earlier.

As for the title, it comes out of the Old Testament. Oddly enough the actual quote includes the title of another film of the 1940s, “for our vines have tender grapes”.

I can’t believe this movie isn’t more famous

I can’t understand why this film isn’t more famous than it is. Sure, THE LETTER, ALL ABOUT EVE and JEZEBEL are really good Bette Davis movies, but this one is every bit as good and perhaps better than some of these other films. Perhaps some of the reason it isn’t more famous is because in many ways this certainly is an unpleasant film. However, the unpleasantness is important to the story of a family filled with evil vipers–you just can’t make these people cute or endearing! Bette heads a marvelous cast of miscreants that are counter-balanced by the decent members of the family. This juxtaposition of good and evil is amazing to watch and up until the latter portion of the film you are really unsure which will win out in the end. However, the ending of this movie is probably one of the greatest moments in film history. Once you see it, you won’t forget it. I don’t want to say more, as it could ruin the film.

The bottom line is that this movie taken from the Lillian Hellman play is exquisitely written with marvelous characters, great plot twists and savagery within a family that make them seem more like a family of badgers than human beings! And, combining this with the exquisite direction of William Wyler and the terrific acting, this is a movie that is a must-see for all cinephiles. It just doesn’t get much better than this.