FILM 2057: MR. SKEFFINGTON (1944)

TRIVIA: Bette Davis said that Claude Rains was her favorite male co-star.

At the time most Warner Brothers A features had a 30 day shooting schedule. "Mr.Skeffington" took 110. When Jack Warner sent the Epstein Twins a note inquiring why the picture was behind schedule, their tersely humorous reply was, "Bette Davis is a slow director."

Bette Davis' final Oscar-nominated performance while under contract with Warner Brothers.

In the film, Job Skeffington is sent to fight in WWI under the rank of Captain. Claude Rains actually did fight in WWI under the London Scottish Regiment and by the time the war was over he had risen from the rank of Private to that of Captain.

The character of Fannie is said to have been partly based on the actress Fannie Ward, a silent screen star who in her 40s was still playing young woman. She was still playing young women at age 50 but retired from the screen soon thereafter.

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