Bad Sister (1931) - Seeing Bette Davis and Bogart before they were icons

You should watch this today if you are the kind of person who likes digging through film history to see where famous stars started out. If you want a tight, exciting plot, you will probably hate this movie because it drags in places it shouldn't.

It’s a 1931 drama that feels very much like a play that someone decided to film in a big, empty house. Sidney Fox plays Marianne, and honestly, she is just exhausting to watch because she is so selfish.

Marianne is the "bad" sister who wants everything and thinks everyone in her small town is a boring loser. She reminds me of that one person we all know who thinks they are too good for their own zip code. 🙄

Then there is Bette Davis. This was her first movie ever, and she plays the "good" sister, Laura.

She doesn't have that crazy "Bette Davis" energy yet, but you can see it in her eyes during the quiet scenes. She’s mostly there to look sad while Marianne ruins the family reputation.

The real surprise for me was seeing Humphrey Bogart show up as the con man, Valentine. He has this thin mustache and a smirk that screams "I am going to steal your money and leave you at a bus station."

He isn't the hero here; he's a total creep. It’s funny seeing him play a low-life scammer before he became the cool guy in movies like Casablanca.

There is this one scene in the living room that goes on for way too long. People just stand around a piano and talk about nothing, and you can tell the director wasn't sure when to cut.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Bad Sister (1931) through its definitive frames.

The pacing is a bit like a car that keeps stalling at every green light. Just when you think things are getting interesting with the scam, we go back to the dad complaining about his health or the little brother being annoying.

I did like the way the movie looks, though. It has that soft, fuzzy 1930s glow that makes everything look like it’s covered in a thin layer of dust.

It’s much slower than something like The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks, which has a lot more energy for an old film. This one is more of a simmering family mess.

One thing that really stuck out was how much the movie hates Marianne. Usually, movies try to make the lead at least a little bit likable, but she is just relentlessly annoying.

She treats her suitor, the nice doctor, like absolute garbage. It makes you want to reach into the screen and give her a map and a reality check.

The ending feels rushed, like they realized they only had five minutes of film left. Everything just... resolves itself in a way that doesn't feel earned at all.

It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a fascinating relic. Seeing Davis and Bogart sharing screen time before they were legends is like finding a grainy home movie of a rock star before they were famous.

If you liked the stuffy period drama style of Disraeli, you might find this interesting. But keep your expectations low for the actual story beats.

I’m glad I watched it, but I don't think I’ll ever need to see it again. It’s a one-and-done kind of experience for the curious. 🎬