Of Human Bondage

Snubbed: Bette Davis 

Dir. John Cromwell. 1934, U.S. 83 mins. Digital projection. With Bette Davis, Leslie Howard, Frances Dee. Though it only took a portion of W. Somerset Maugham’s beloved 1915 best-selling novel, Cromwell’s vivid melodrama, about a British painter turned doctor (Howard) who falls in love with, and is nearly destroyed by, a cruel and selfish tearoom waitress named Mildred, was an instant sensation for its career-launching performance by Davis. Lent to RKO for the film by Warner Bros., where she was contracted, Davis skyrocketed to the fame and critical acclaim that had thus far eluded her. However, when the Oscar nominations were announced, Davis was left off the list, leading to such an uproar in the industry that the Academy capitulated and changed their rules to allow write-in votes. Davis still lost to Claudette Colbert for It Happened One Night, but a star was undoubtedly born; Davis would end up winning the next year for the inferior Dangerous, which many saw as a win for Of Human Bondage. 

Of Human Bondage screens as part of a double feature with Back Street (8:00 p.m.)

Tickets: $15 / $11 senior and students / $9 youth (ages 3–17) / discounted for MoMI members ($7–$11). Order tickets. Please pick up tickets at the Museum’s admissions desk upon arrival. All seating is general admission. Review safety protocols before your visit.